Year of the Bible
Exodus 13
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 13:
We continue the Lord’s plans to help His people remember His actions in freeing them from Egypt. There are three rituals, and the first, Passover, was explained in chapter 12. God now addresses the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, an ancient agricultural festival. God gives this feast and its sacrifices deeper historical meaning due its ties to the Hebrews’ flight from Egypt. For the third ritual, the Lord commands that the firstborn males, of both humans and animals, be consecrated to Him since He did not kill the firstborn of the Hebrews during the night of the Passover. The procession of Hebrews leaves Egypt with the Lord leading them as a pillar of cloud by day which transforms into a pillar of fire by night. God knows what is best for the people and takes them on an indirect route out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 13:
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to me all the first-born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
3 And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 This day you are to go forth, in the month of Abib. 5 And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 8 And you shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.
The Consecration of First-born Males
11 “And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstlings of your cattle that are males shall be the LORD’s. 13 Every firstling of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of cattle. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.’ 16 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.”
The Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest the people repent when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 But God led the people round by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the sons of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for Joseph had solemnly sworn the sons of Israel, saying, “God will visit you; then you must carry my bones with you from here.” 20 And they moved on from Succoth, and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; 22 the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"With a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery" (v14) are the words that God wants passed on from generation to generation. Lord, help me reflect on these words and what they mean for my own life...and help me reflect on how well I'm doing in passing these words of redemption on to others.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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El Señor habló a Moisés diciendo:
2 –Conságrame todo primogénito
de los hijos de Israel. Todo lo que abre el
seno materno tanto de hombres como de
animales será para mí.
3 Moisés dijo al pueblo:
–Acordaos de este día en que salisteis
de Egipto, de la casa de la esclavitud,
pues el Señor os ha sacado de allí
con mano fuerte. No comeréis pan fer-mentado. 4 Salís hoy mismo en el mes de
Abib. 5 Cuando el Señor te haya introducido
en la tierra de los cananeos, de los
hititas, de los jeveos y de los jebuseos, la
que había jurado a tus padres que te entregaría,
tierra que mana leche y miel,
celebrarás este rito en este mes: 6 Durante
siete días comerás panes ácimos
y el día séptimo será fiesta en honor
del Señor. 7 Durante los siete días sólo
se comerá pan ácimo y no se verá nada
fermentado ni levadura en todo tu territorio.
8 Ese día lo transmitirás a tus hijos,
diciendo: «Esto es por lo que me hizo
el Señor cuando salí de Egipto». 9 Este
rito será como señal en tu mano y como
memorial ante tus ojos para que la ley
del Señor esté en tu boca, porque con
mano fuerte te sacó el Señor de Egipto.
10 Guardarás esta ley año tras año, en la
fecha establecida.
11 »Cuando el Señor te haya introducido
en la tierra del cananeo, como te
ha jurado a ti y a tus padres, y te la haya
entregado, 12 ofrecerás al Señor todo primogénito;
todo primer nacido de animales,
si es macho, será para el Señor.
13 El primer nacido del asno lo rescatarás
con un cordero; si no lo rescatas, lo desnucarás.
Pero al primogénito del hombre
entre tus hijos has de rescatarlo.
14 »Y cuando el día de mañana tu
hijo te pregunte: «¿Qué significa esto?»,
le responderás: «Con mano fuerte nos
sacó el Señor de Egipto, de la casa de
la esclavitud. 15 Como el Faraón se obstinó
en no dejarnos salir, el Señor dio
muerte a todos los primogénitos en
Egipto, tanto de hombres como de animales.
Por eso, yo ofrezco en sacrificio
al Señor todo primer nacido macho, y
rescato a todo primogénito de mis hijos.
16 Esto será como señal en tu mano
y como recordatorio ante tus ojos; porque
con mano fuerte nos sacó el Señor
de Egipto».
17 Cuando el Faraón dejó marchar al
pueblo, Dios no lo llevó por el camino
de la región de los filisteos, aunque es
el más corto; pues se dijo Dios: «No sea
que el pueblo, al ver inminente la batalla,
se arrepienta y se vuelva a Egipto».
18 Hizo Dios que el pueblo diera un rodeo
por el camino del desierto hacia el
Mar Rojo. Los hijos de Israel salieron de
Egipto bien equipados.
19 Moisés tomó consigo los huesos de
José, porque éste había hecho jurar a los
hijos de Israel, diciendo: «Con toda seguridad
os visitará Dios; entonces llevad
con vosotros mis huesos».
20 Partieron, pues, de Sucot y acamparon
en Etam, al borde del desierto.
21 El Señor caminaba al frente de ellos,
de día en columna de nube para guiarlos
por el camino, y de noche en columna
de fuego para alumbrarles; así podían
caminar de día y de noche. 22 Nunca faltó
al frente del pueblo, ni la columna de
nube por el día, ni la columna de fuego
por la noche.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).