God’s Word Translation
Exodus 13:2
2“Set apart every firstborn male for me. Every firstborn male offspring among the Israelites is mine, whether human or animal.”
Exodus 13:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
- New International Version (NIV)“Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”
Context of Exodus 13:2
1The Lord spoke to Moses, “Set apart every firstborn male for me. Every firstborn male offspring among the Israelites is mine, whether human or animal.” 3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day—the day when you left Egypt, the land of slavery. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of there. Don’t eat anything made with yeast. 4Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving Egypt.
Read all of Exodus 13Exodus 13:2 word by word
קַדֶּשׁ־לִ֨י כָל־בְּכ֜וֹר פֶּ֤טֶר כָּל־רֶ֙חֶם֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֖י הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sanctifyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: dedicateH6942
- unto me all the firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
- whatsoever openethפֶּ֫טֶרpeţer piţrâh · firstbornH6363
- the wombרֶ֫חֶםrechem · wombH7358
- among the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- and of beastבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
Cross-references for Exodus 13:2
- Exodus 13:12sacrifice every firstborn male offspring to the Lord. The firstborn male offspring of each of your animals belongs to the Lord.
- Exodus 4:22Then tell Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.
- Exodus 22:29“Never withhold your best wine from me. “You must give me your firstborn son.
- Exodus 23:19“You must bring the best of the first produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Exodus 34:19“Every first male offspring is mine, even the firstborn males of all your livestock, whether cattle, sheep, or goats.
- Leviticus 27:26“A firstborn animal already belongs to the Lord because it was born first. Therefore, it cannot be set apart as holy. Whether it is a bull or a sheep, it belongs to the Lord.
- Numbers 3:13because every firstborn is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set apart as holy every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They will be mine. I am the Lord.”
- Numbers 8:16They will be the only Israelites given to me. I have taken them to be mine as substitutes for every firstborn male offspring of the Israelites.
- Numbers 18:15Every firstborn male, human or animal, that is brought to the Lord is yours. But you must buy back every firstborn son and the firstborn male of any unclean animal.
- Deuteronomy 15:19You must dedicate every firstborn male from your herds and flocks to the Lord your God. Never use a firstborn ox for work, and never shear a firstborn sheep.
- Luke 2:23They did exactly what was written in the Lord’s Teachings: “Every firstborn boy is to be set apart as holy to the Lord.”
- Hebrews 12:23and to the assembly of God’s firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven). You have come to a judge (the God of all people) and to the spirits of people who have God’s approval and have gained eternal life.
Commentaries on Exodus 13:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Sanctify unto me all the first-born - To sanctify, קדש kadash, signifies to consecrate, separate, and set apart a thing or person from all secular purposes to some religious use; and exactly answers to the import of the Greek ̔, from a, privative, and , the earth, because every thing offered or consecrated to God was separated from all earthly uses. Hence a holy person or saint is termed ̔, i.e., a person separated from the earth; one who lives a holy…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Sanctify unto me - The command is addressed to Moses. It was to declare the will of God that all firstborn were to be consecrated to Him, set apart from all other creatures. The command is expressly based upon the Passover. The firstborn exempt from the destruction became in a new and special sense the exclusive property of the Lord: the firstborn of man as His ministers, the firstborn of cattle as victims. In lieu of the firstborn of men the Levites were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-10This review of the customs for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread prepares the way for teaching about the dedication of the firstborn (13:11–16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2Ex 13:1, 2. The First-born Sanctified. 2. Sanctify unto me all the first-born--To "sanctify" means to "consecrate," to "set apart" from a common to a sacred use. The foundation of this duty rested on the fact that the Israelites, having had their first-born preserved by a distinguishing act of grace from the general destruction that overtook the families of the Egyptians, were bound in token of gratitude to consider them as the Lord's peculiar property…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 13:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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