Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.
Exodus 13:10-16
We are still in chapter 13 today. Last week Moshe (Moses) was laying out the Moed (Appointed time) and more of what to do when this time of year comes into to future. We are paused on the events before leaving Mitsraim (Egypt), Moshe still speaking as they are getting ready to leave.
He talks of the promised land that the Almighty promised to give to them, v'ha-av-r'tah (and you shall hand over) every firstborn to YHVH and all the animals, the male firstborn. Let's pause.
This is one of those differences in translation I look for when reading. For your information:
English: "you shall set apart to YHVH"
Hebrew: "you shall hand over to YHVH"
He mentions every firstborn donkey, tee-f'deh (you shall redeem) with with a lamb. If you do not 'redeem' it, you shall break his neck. Let's pause again.
I have always wondered about this strange word "redeem" though I understand it in English terms. It the context of this reading, I see that a donkey (at the time written) was like a car to them - very useful for transportation. The Word says, if you cannot give YHVH a lamb instead of your Donkey, then you do not get to keep or use the Donkey. You have to break his neck. Interesting.
I think the Almighty let them keep their transportation, and he will take a lamb instead. Another example of Yeshua (Jesus), the Lamb, instead of us.
Getting back to "redeem", it seems to work (opposite of English) like this example: You take your suit to the cleaner and redeem it for a claim ticket. Or maybe the Donkey is redeemed from God, and you give God the claim ticket (a lamb) to get the Donkey back. This is the first time I am looking at this word in a Hebrew context.
Then the story goes to, "When your sons ask what this means," you tell them the story of God bringing the people out of Mitsraim. We then get another clue: "YHVH killed all the firstborn of Egypt..." and "Therefore I sacrifice to YHVH all the males..." and "... but all the firstborn of my sons, I redeem." (this one does not mention a lamb again, I wonder if it is assumed.)
I only typed out the pertenant parts that we needed for this thought.
Lastly, right after the part about redeeming the sons, he speaks again about "he shall be for a sign (English says "mark") on the your hand and frontlets between your eyes." that God brought you out of Mitsraim with a strong hand.
Remember haSatan (the adversary) will be copying what the creator did here when he 'causes all to take a mark on their right hand or forehead', sometime in the future.
When I read this passage before selecting it, I saw a lot of repetition, which is common in Hebrew (see the creation story), but when I went to write I kept seeing more and more to comment on. It works that way sometimes. Sorry this got to be so long.
Today's reading
English
You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
"When YHVH brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to YHVH all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall belong to YHVH. Every firstborn 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. And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand YHVH brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, YHVH killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to YHVH all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' 'It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand YHVH brought us out of Egypt."
Hebrew
Next week, the bones of Joseph leave too...
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