Bible Commentaries

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Exodus 13

Verse 1

Exodus 13:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Ver. 1. And the Lord spake.] God hath a saying to such as he hath saved: and what it is, see Exodus 13:2.


Verse 2

Exodus 13:2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, [both] of man and of beast: it [is] mine.

Ver. 2. It is mine.] By right of redemption also. He that is saved is "not his own"; [1 Corinthians 6:19] but his that saved him. Servati sumus ut serviamus. [Luke 1:74] God hath sworn we shall do so, [Luke 1:73] or else never come to his kingdom. [Psalms 95:11]


Verse 3

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

Ver. 3. Remember.] Heb., To remember, indefinitely; q.d., Remember perpetually, and commemorate.


Verse 4

Exodus 13:4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.

Ver. 4. In the month Abib.] The flowery month, as Micarius calls it. {See Trapp on "Exodus 12:2"}


Verse 5

Exodus 13:5 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

Ver. 5. A land flowing with milk and honey.] Where fulness may breed forgetfulness, saturity, security.


Verse 6

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

Ver. 6. Seven days.] Figuring our whole life.


Verse 7

Exodus 13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.

Ver. 7. {See Trapp on "Exodus 12:19"} {See Trapp on "Exodus 12:20"}


Verse 8

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

Ver. 8. And thou shalt show.] {See Trapp on "Exodus 12:26"}


Verse 9

Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee 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.

Ver. 9. And for a memorial] {See Trapp on "Matthew 23:5"}


Verse 10

Exodus 13:10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.

Ver. 10. From year to year.] The Chaldee hath it, From time to time. We have the Lord’s Supper, that sweet ordinance wherein Christ "kisseth us with the kisses of his lips," and giveth us a privy seal of his love, much oftener: yet not so oft as the primitive Christians, who had it weekly: whence it was called Panis hebdomadarias. Yea, Basil tells us, that they ate the Lord’s Supper three or four times a week - viz., on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Lord’s-days: but that was a time of persecution.


Verse 11

Exodus 13:11 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,

Ver. 11. Land of the Canaanites.] A general name to all those seven accursed nations.


Verse 12

Exodus 13:12 That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males [shall be] the LORD’S.

Ver. 12. The males shall be the Lord’s.] This God did, that with the firstborn son, commonly best beloved, he might draw all the love to himself.


Verse 13

Exodus 13:13 And every firstling of an 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 redeem.

Ver. 13. And every firstling of an ass.] This God would not have paid him in kind, eo quod asinus tardum et pigrum auimal, as Bellarmine gives the reason. The zealous God hates dulness. Tardis mentibus virtus non facile committitur. (a)


Verse 14

Exodus 13:14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What [is] this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

Ver. 14. That thou shalt say unto him.] Plantas tenellas frequentius adaguare proderit, young plants must be often watered. (a)


Verse 15

Exodus 13:15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.

Ver. 15. Would hardly let us go.] Heb., Was hard to send us away, He had as leave have been knocked on the head almost as have done it. It was morely extorted, as sour juice is wrung out of a crab apple. It was an honest prayer of an ancient, Domine duc me quo non volo.


Verse 16

Exodus 13:16 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.

Ver. 16. Frontlets.] Phylacteries. See on Matthew 23:5-6. The right use of them was memorative: the superstitious use, preservative against the power of sin.


Verse 17

Exodus 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 see war, and they return to Egypt:

Ver. 17. That God led them not.] He carefully chose their way out of Egypt; not the nearer, but the safer. He tempts not above what we are able: but so orders the matter, that evils are not ready for us till we for them.


Verse 18

Exodus 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 harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

Ver. 18. God led the people about.] Philo writeth, that it was not much above three days’ journey from Egypt to Canaan the other way: Sed Dei voluntas est summa necessitas. (a)


Verse 19

Exodus 13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Ver. 19. And Moses took the bones of Joseph.] And with those, as it is likely, the bones of the other patriarchs too. [Acts 7:16]


Verse 20

Exodus 13:20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

Ver. 20. From Succoth.] Their first rendezvous. [Exodus 12:37]


Verse 21

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

Ver. 21. And the Lord, &c.] See Psalms 105:39, Isaiah 4:5-6. God protects, directs, and every way suits the necessities of his people.


Verse 22

Exodus 13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, [from] before the people.

Ver. 22. He took not away.] This is reckoned, as well it might, for a great mercy, by those holy Levites in Nehemiah 9:19. The Romans’ Vibilia was but an imaginary deity; and her help in this kind a mere fancy.

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