Discovery BoxExodus 13:2
Context13:2 “Set apart 1 to me every firstborn male – the first offspring of every womb 2 among the Israelites, whether human or animal; it is mine.” 3
Exodus 13:12-13
Context13:12 then you must give over 4 to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. 5 Every firstling 6 of a beast that you have 7 – the males will be the Lord’s. 8 13:13 Every firstling 9 of a donkey you must redeem 10 with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, then you must break its neck. 11 Every firstborn of 12 your sons you must redeem.
Exodus 22:30
Context22:30 You must also do this for your oxen and for your sheep; seven days they may remain with their mothers, but give them to me on the eighth day.
Numbers 18:17
Context18:17 But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow or a sheep or a goat; they are holy. You must splash 13 their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 15:19
Context15:19 You must set apart 14 for the Lord your God every firstborn male born to your herds and flocks. You must not work the firstborn of your bulls or shear the firstborn of your flocks.
[13:2] 1 tn The verb “sanctify” is the Piel imperative of קָדַשׁ (qadash). In the Qal stem it means “be holy, be set apart, be distinct,” and in this stem “sanctify, set apart.”
[13:2] 2 tn The word פֶּטֶּר (petter) means “that which opens”; this construction literally says, “that which opens every womb,” which means “the first offspring of every womb.” Verses 12 and 15 further indicate male offspring.
[13:2] 3 tn Heb “to me it.” The preposition here expresses possession; the construction is simply “it [is, belongs] to me.”
[13:12] 4 tn The unusual choice of words in this passage reflects the connection with the deliverance of the firstborn in the exodus when the Lord passed over the Israelites (12:12, 23). Here the Law said, “you will cause to pass over (וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ, vÿha’avarta) to Yahweh.” The Hiphil perfect with the vav (ו) provides the main clause after the temporal clauses. Yahweh here claimed the firstborn as his own. The remarkable thing about this is that Yahweh did not keep the firstborn that was dedicated to him, but allowed the child to be redeemed by his father. It was an acknowledgment that the life of the child belonged to God as the one redeemed from death, and that the child represented the family. Thus, the observance referred to the dedication of all the redeemed to God.
[13:12] 5 tn Heb “every opener of a womb,” that is, the firstborn from every womb.
[13:12] 6 tn The descriptive noun שֶׁגֶר (sheger) is related to the verb “drop, cast”; it refers to a newly born animal that is dropped or cast from the womb. The expression then reads, “and all that first open [the womb], the casting of a beast.”
[13:12] 7 tn Heb “that is to you.” The preposition expresses possession.
[13:12] 8 tn The Hebrew text simply has “the males to Yahweh.” It indicates that the
[13:13] 9 tn Heb “and every opener [of a womb].”
[13:13] 10 tn The verb תִּפְדֶּה (tifdeh), the instructional imperfect, refers to the idea of redemption by paying a cost. This word is used regularly of redeeming a person, or an animal, from death or servitude (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 109).
[13:13] 11 tn The conditional clause uses an imperfect tense; this is followed by a perfect tense with the vav consecutive providing the obligation or instruction. The owner might not redeem the donkey, but if he did not, he could not keep it, he had to kill it by breaking its neck (so either a lamb for it, or the donkey itself). The donkey could not be killed by shedding blood because that would make it a sacrifice, and that was not possible with this kind of animal. See G. Brin, “The Firstling of Unclean Animals,” JQR 68 (1977): 1-15.
[13:13] 12 tn Heb “and every firstborn of man among your sons.” The addition of “man” is clearly meant to distinguish firstborn humans from animals.
[18:17] 13 tn Or “throw, toss.”
[15:19] 14 tn Heb “sanctify” (תַּקְדִּישׁ, taqdish), that is, put to use on behalf of the
