Bible Commentaries
Exodus 13

Verse 3

13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of {a} bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this [place]: there shall no leavened bread be {b} eaten.

(a) Where they were in most cruel slavery.

(b) To signify that they did not have time to leaven their bread.

Verse 4

13:4 This day came ye out in the month {c} Abib.

(c) Containing part of March and part of April, when corn began to ripen in that country.

Verse 6

13:6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the {d} seventh day [shall be] a feast to the LORD.

(d) Both the seventh and the first day were holy, as in Exodus 12:16.

Verse 8

13:8 And thou shalt shew thy son {e} in that day, saying, [This is done] because of that [which] the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.

(e) When you celebrate the feast of unleavened bread.

Verse 9

13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee {f} upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.

(f) You will constantly remember it, as you would of a thing that is in your hand, or before your eyes.

Verse 13

13:13 And every firstling of an {g} ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou {h} redeem.

(g) This is also understood about the horse and other beasts which were not offered in sacrifice.

(h) By offering a clean beast in sacrifice; Leviticus 12:6.

Verse 17

13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not [through] the way of the land of the Philistines, although that [was] near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they {i} see war, and they return to Egypt:

(i) Which the Philistines would have made against them by blocking their passage.

Verse 18

13:18 But God led the people about, [through] the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up {k} harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

(k) That is, not secretly but openly and as the word signifies, set in order by five and five.

Verse 21

13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a {l} cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

(l) To defend them from the heat of the sun.