New Living Translation
Exodus 13:2
2“Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”
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
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.” 3So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the Lord has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. (Remember, eat no food containing yeast.) 4On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib, you have been set free.
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 13:12you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord, for they belong to him.
- Exodus 4:22Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.
- Exodus 22:29“You must not hold anything back when you give me offerings from your crops and your wine. “You must give me your firstborn sons.
- Exodus 23:19“As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord your God. “You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Exodus 34:19“The firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goats.
- Leviticus 27:26“You may not dedicate a firstborn animal to the Lord, for the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats already belong to him.
- Numbers 3:13for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the Lord.”
- Numbers 8:16“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.
- Numbers 18:15“The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the Lord will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals.
- Deuteronomy 15:19“You must set aside for the Lord your God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks.
- Luke 2:23The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.”
- Hebrews 12:23You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.
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
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