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Exodus 34:20

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 34:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
Exodus 34:20 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 34

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
17Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
18The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib; for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
19All that openeth the womb is mine; and all thy cattle that is male, the firstlings of cow and sheep.
20And the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
21Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, [even] of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year`s end.
23Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel.
← Exodus 34:19Exodus 34:21 →
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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
“Every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem, etc.] This goes along with the former, ((see Gill on “<021313>Exodus 13:13”)): and none shall appear before me empty; at the grand festivals, the passover, pentecost, and tabernacles, ((see Gill on “<021315>Exodus 13:15”)).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The precepts contained in these verses are, for the most part, identical in substance with some of those which follow the Ten Commandments and are recorded in “the Book of the covenant” (Exo. 20–23; see Exodus 24:7). Exodus 34:13 Cut down their groves - This is the first reference to what is commonly known as grove-worship. The original word for “grove” in this connection אשׁרה 'ăshêrāh is different from that so rendered in Genesis 21:33. Our translators supposed that what the law commands is the destruction of groves dedicated to the worship of false deities Judges 6:25; 2 Kings 18:4; but inasmuch as the worship of asherah is found associated with that of Astarte, or Ashtoreth Judges…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“firstling: Exo 13:10; Num 18:15 lamb: or, kid All the: Exo 13:15; Num 3:45-51 none: Exo 23:15; Deu 16:16; Sa1 9:7, Sa1 9:8; Sa2 24:24 Exodus 34:21”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 34 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification