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Exodus 13:16

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 13:16 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.
Exodus 13:16 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 13

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
13And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck: and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.
14And 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 Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
15and it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that Jehovah slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast: therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.
16And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.
17And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not by 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:
18but God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
19And 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.
← Exodus 13:15Exodus 13:17 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And it shall be for a token upon thine head, and for frontlets between thine eyes, etc.] These laws observed concerning the setting apart the firstlings of their beasts, the redemption of the firstborn of unclean ones, and of the firstborn of men, will bring the reason of it, the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, and the preservation of the firstborn of Israel, as fresh to remembrance as any token upon the hand, put there to bring things to mind; and it will be as easily and as clearly discerned as anything upon a man’s forehead may be seen by another: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt: which is often mentioned, that it might be observed; it being the signs…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“For frontlets between thine eyes - As conspicuous as any thing fixt to thy forehead, or between thine eyes. Exodus 13:18”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“13:16 Like the annual Passover celebration (13:9), dedicating the firstborn to the Lord was like a mark, a visible way to identify oneself as the Lord’s possession.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“a token: Exo 13:9, Exo 12:13 frontlets: Deu 6:7-9, Deu 11:18; Mat 23:5 for by: Exo 13:9, Exo 13:14; Deu 26:8 Exodus 13:17”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 13 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification