Exodus 13:9

“And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, etc.] These are not the words of God or of Moses to the children of Israel, but of an lsraelitish parent to his son, telling him that this feast of unleavened bread would serve the same purpose to refresh his memory with what God did for his people of old, as the tying of a thing on the hand, or placing it before the eye, is to a person to bring anything to his remembrance, to which the allusion is; the like figurative phrases may be observed in (<200109>Proverbs 1:9 3:3), the Jews understand this literally, and hence the use of phylacteries among them, which they bind upon their left hand, and place…”

“it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, &c.--There is no reason to believe that the Oriental tattooing--the custom of staining the hands with the powder of Hennah, as Eastern females now do--is here referred to. Nor is it probable that either this practice or the phylacteries of the Pharisees--parchment scrolls, which were worn on their wrists and foreheads--had so early an existence. The words are to be considered only as a figurative mode of expression. that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth, &c.--that is, that it may be the subject of frequent conversation and familiar knowledge among the people.”

“Hebrew writers have generally regarded this as a formal injunction to write the precepts on slips of parchment, and to fasten them on the wrists and forehead; but other commentators are generally agreed that it is to be understood metaphorically. The words appear to be put into the mouths of the parents. They were to keep all the facts of the Passover constantly in mind, and, referring to a custom prevalent ages before Moses in Egypt, to have them present as though they were inscribed on papyrus or parchment fastened on the wrists, or on the face between the eyes. If, as may be inferred from Deuteronomy 6:7-8, Moses adopted this custom, he would take care to warn the people against the…”

“Upon thy hand, between thine eyes - Proverbial expressions; denoting things which are never out of our thoughts. Exodus 13:13”

“13:9 The annual celebration of the Passover was a visible sign to identify oneself as the Lord’s possession. It was a mark of his ownership, the physical reinforcement of a spiritual reality. • Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the Lord: The second part of the verse may be interpreted either as a statement to be recited (as in the NLT text) or simply as a description of the Lord’s work.”

“a sign: This expression, says Michaelis, alludes to the custom of the Orientals, of burning in their right hand all kinds of marks with the ashes of henna, which gives an indelible colour; and this is done even to this day. They were likewise accustomed to write all kinds of sayings, and frequently superstitious words, on slips or pieces of linen, which they wore as ornaments on their foreheads. Exo 13:16, Exo 12:14; Num 15:39; Deu 6:6, Deu 6:8, Deu 11:18, Deu 11:19; Pro 1:9, Pro 3:21, Pro 6:20-23; Pro 7:23; Sol 8:6; Isa 49:16; Jer 22:24; Mat 23:5 may be: Deu 30:14; Jos 1:8; Isa 59:21; Rom 10:8 strong hand: Exo 13:3, 6:1-30; Jos 1:9; Neh 1:10; Psa 89:13; Isa 27:1, Isa 40:10, Isa 51:9; Joe…”