Exodus 13:16

THE MESSAGE

God spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate every firstborn to me— the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine." Moses said to the people, "Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don't eat any raised bread. "You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month: "You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God . "Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere. "Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.' "The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year. "When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God . Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God . You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck. "Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?' you tell him, ‘ God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.' The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
It shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Mitzrayim."

King James Version
And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.

Lexham English Bible
And it will be as a sign on your hand and as symbolic ornaments between your eyes that with strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt."

New Century Version
This feast is like a mark on your hand and a reminder on your forehead to help you remember that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his great power."

New English Translation
It will be for a sign on your hand and for frontlets on your forehead, for with a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt."

Amplified Bible
"So it shall serve as a sign and a reminder on your [left] hand (arm) and as frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong and powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

New American Standard Bible
"So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And it shalbe as a token vpon thine hand, and as frontlets betweene thine eyes, that the Lorde brought vs out of Egypt by a mightie hande.

Legacy Standard Bible
So it will be as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries between your eyes, for with a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt."

Contemporary English Version
This ceremony will serve the same purpose as a sign on your hand or on your forehead to tell how the Lord 's mighty power rescued us from Egypt.

Complete Jewish Bible
This will serve as a sign on your hand and at the front of a headband around your forehead that with a strong hand Adonai brought us out of Egypt." Haftarah Bo: Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 46:13–28 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Bo: Luke 2:22–24; Yochanan (John) 19:31–37; Acts 13:16 –17; Revelation 8:6–9:12; 16:1–21 After Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not guide them to the highway that goes through the land of the P'lishtim, because it was close by — God thought that the people, upon seeing war, might change their minds and return to Egypt. Rather, God led the people by a roundabout route, through the desert by the Sea of Suf. The people of Isra'el went up from the land of Egypt fully armed. Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him, for Yosef had made the people of Isra'el swear an oath when he said, "God will certainly remember you; and you are to carry my bones up with you, away from here." They traveled from Sukkot and set up camp in Etam, at the edge of the desert. Adonai went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the daytime to lead them on their way, and at night in a column of fire to give them light; thus they could travel both by day and by night. Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire at night went away from in front of the people.

Darby Translation
And it shall be for a sign on thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, for with a powerful hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.

Easy-to-Read Version
This is like a string tied on your hand, like a sign in front of your eyes. It helps you remember that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his great power."

English Standard Version
It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt."

George Lamsa Translation
And it shall be as a token on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes; for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.

Good News Translation
This observance will be a reminder, like something tied on our hands or on our foreheads; it will remind us that the Lord brought us out of Egypt by his great power.'"

Christian Standard Bible®
So let it be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for the Lord brought us out of Egypt by the strength of his hand.”

Literal Translation
And it shall be for a sign on your hand, and frontlets between your eyes. For Jehovah brought us out from Egypt by the might of His hand.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And this shal be a signe vnto the in thine hande, and a token to thinke vpon before thine eyes, how that the LORDE brought vs out of Egipte with a mightie hande.

American Standard Version
And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.

Bible in Basic English
And this will be for a sign on your hand and for a mark on your brow: for by the strength of his hand the Lord took us out of Egypt.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
This shalbe as a token vppon thyne hande, & as a remembraunce betweene thyne eyes, that the Lorde brought vs out of Egypt through a myghtie hande.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.'

King James Version (1611)
And it shall be for a token vpon thine hand, and for frontlets betweene thine eyes. For by strength of hand the Lord brought vs foorth out of Egypt.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and immovable before thine eyes, for with a strong hand the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.

English Revised Version
And it shall be for a sign upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible
So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor it schal be as a signe in thin hond, and as a thing hangid for mynde bifore thin iyen, for in a strong hond the Lord ledde vs out of Egipt.

Young's Literal Translation
and it hath been for a token on thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, for by strength of hand hath Jehovah brought us out of Egypt.'

Update Bible Version
And it shall be for a sign on your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us forth out of Egypt.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be for a token upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thy eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.

World English Bible
It shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us forth out of Egypt."

New King James Version
It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

New Living Translation
This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord 's mighty hand brought us out of Egypt."

New Life Bible
So it will be like a special mark on your hand and on your forehead. For the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand."

New Revised Standard
It shall serve as a sign on your hand and as an emblem on your forehead that by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, - that, with strength of hand, did Yahweh bring us forth out of Egypt.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it shall be as a sign in thy hand, and as a thing hung between thy eyes, for a remembrance: because the Lord hath brought us forth out of Egypt by a strong hand.

Revised Standard Version
It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

Contextual Overview

¹¹"When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God . Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God . You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck. "Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?' you tell him, ‘ God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.' The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand." It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt." So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, "God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you." They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people. ¹⁴ God spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate every firstborn to me— the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine." Moses said to the people, "Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don't eat any raised bread. "You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month: "You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God . "Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere. "Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.' "The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year. "When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God . Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God . You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck. "Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?' you tell him, ‘ God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.' The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand." It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt." So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, "God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you." They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people. ¹⁵ God spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate every firstborn to me— the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine." Moses said to the people, "Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don't eat any raised bread. "You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month: "You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God . "Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere. "Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.' "The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year. "When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God . Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God . You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck. "Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?' you tell him, ‘ God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.' The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand." It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt." So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, "God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you." They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people. ¹⁶ God spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate every firstborn to me— the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine." Moses said to the people, "Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don't eat any raised bread. "You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month: "You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God . "Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere. "Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.' "The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year. "When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God . Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God . You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck. "Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?' you tell him, ‘ God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.' The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a token: Exodus 13:9, Exodus 12:13

frontlets: Deuteronomy 6:7-9, Deuteronomy 11:18, Matthew 23:5

for by: Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:14, Deuteronomy 26:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:12 - General Exodus 14:8 - with an high hand Deuteronomy 6:8 - General Proverbs 6:21 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
So Abram left Egypt and went back to the Negev, he and his wife and everything he owned, and Lot still with him. By now Abram was very rich, loaded with cattle and silver and gold.

Genesis 13:3
He moved on from the Negev, camping along the way, to Bethel, the place he had first set up his tent between Bethel and Ai and built his first altar. Abram prayed there to God .

Genesis 13:14
After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, "Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I'll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you."

Genesis 13:18
Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God .

Genesis 15:5
Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!"

Genesis 17:20
"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year."

Genesis 28:3
"And may The Strong God bless you and give you many, many children, a congregation of peoples; and pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you will get this land in which you live, this land God gave Abraham."

Genesis 35:11
God continued, I am The Strong God. Have children! Flourish! A nation—a whole company of nations!— will come from you. Kings will come from your loins; the land I gave Abraham and Isaac I now give to you, and pass it on to your descendants.

Genesis 46:3
God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there. I'll go with you down to Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes."

1 Kings 4:20
Judah and Israel were densely populated—like sand on an ocean beach! All their needs were met; they ate and drank and were happy. Solomon was sovereign over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates in the east to the country of the Philistines in the west, all the way to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and were vassals of Solomon all his life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it shall be for a token upon thine head, and for frontlets between thine eyes,.... These laws observed concerning the setting apart the firstlings of their beasts, the redemption of the firstborn of unclean ones, and of the firstborn of men, will bring the reason of it, the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, and the preservation of the firstborn of Israel, as fresh to remembrance as any token upon the hand, put there to bring things to mind; and it will be as easily and as clearly discerned as anything upon a man's forehead may be seen by another:

for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt: which is often mentioned, that it might be observed; it being the signs and wonders which the omnipotent hand of God wrought, especially the last, which worked upon Pharaoh, to let the people of Israel go; and their posterity, in all succeeding ages, would speak of this affair as if personally concerned in it, they being then in the loins of their ancestors, and represented by them, as well as they reaped and enjoyed all the benefits of that wonderful deliverance, the possession of the land of Canaan, and the blessings of it, as well as many other privileges both of a civil and religious kind. And so Maimonides k says,

"in every age a man is obliged to consider himself as if he in himself now went out of the bondage of Egypt, as it is said, "and he brought us forth from thence", &c.''

k Hilchot Chametz Umetzah, c. 7. sect. 6.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 13:16. It shall be for a token, &c. — Exodus 13:9; Exodus 13:9.