Exodus 13:5

Exo 13:5 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

Ver. 5. A land flowing with milk and honey.] Where fulness may breed forgetfulness, saturity, security.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo_13:5-7

Keep this service.

The ordinances of the Lord

I. That the ordinances of the Lord must be observed in the times of prosperity (Exo_13:5).

II. That the ordinances of the Lord must be observed with true intelligence (Exo_13:8-9).

III. That the ordinances of the Lord must be observed with parental solicitude. God has appointed the family the moral nursery of the young. Lessons:

1. To attend to all the ordinances of the Lord.

2. To attend to them at the most appropriate time.

3. To attend to them in right spirit and temper. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 13:5. When the Lord shall bring you into the land, thou shalt keep this service — Until then they were not obliged to keep the passover, without a particular command from God. There shall no leavened bread be seen in all thy quarters — Accordingly the Jews’ usage was, before the feast of the passover, to cast all the leavened bread out of their houses; either they burned it, or buried it, or broke it small, and threw it into the wind; they searched diligently with lighted candles in all the corners of their houses, lest any leaven should remain. The strictness enjoined in this matter was designed, 1st, To make the feast the more solemn, and consequently the more taken notice of by the children, who would ask, Why is so much ado made? 2d, To teach us how solicitous we should be to put away from us all sin.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:5 A land flowing with milk and honey refers to a land that was agriculturally rich, where there was pasturage for cattle and crops with blooms from which bees could make honey.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

when the Lord shall bring thee--The passover is here instituted as a permanent festival of the Israelites. It was, however, only a prospective observance; we read of only one celebration of the passover during the protracted sojourn in the wilderness [Num 9:5]; but on their settlement in the promised land, the season was hallowed as a sacred anniversary [Jos 5:10], in conformity with the directions here given.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. When the Lord shall bring thee into the land] Hence it is pretty evident that the Israelites were not obliged to celebrate the Passover, or keep the feast of unleavened bread, till they were brought into the promised land.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(5) The Canaanites, and the Hittites . . . —The full number of the Canaanitish nations was seven, five of which are here enumerated. The other two were the Perizzites and the Girgashites, which seem to have been the least important. The most important were the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites; and these are consequently almost always placed first. At the time of the Exodus, and for many centuries afterwards, the actually most powerful nation would seem to have been that of the Hittites. (See Jos_1:4; 1Ki_10:29; 2Ki_7:6; and compare the Egyptian and Assyrian remains passim.)

A land flowing with milk and honey.—See Note on Exo_3:8.

Thou shalt keep this service.—Kalisch concludes from this verse, and from Exo_12:25, that there was no obligation upon the Israelites to keep the Passover until they obtained possession of Canaan. He holds that two Passovers only were celebrated before that event—one by Moses in the wilderness of Sinai (Num_9:1-5), and the other by Joshua at Gilgal, in the plain of Jericho (Jos_5:10-11).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. And it shall be, &c.] so v. 11; cf. Deu_6:10; Deu_7:1; Deu_11:29.

the Canaanite, &c., … flowing with milk and honey] See on Exo_3:8.

which he sware, &c.] See Gen_24:7 (cf. Exo_15:18); and comp. the references in Gen_50:24, Exo_13:11; Exo_32:13; Exo_33:1, and constantly a Dt., as Exo_1:8, Exo_6:10; Exo_6:18, &c.

this service] as prescribed in vv. 6, 7.

5–7. How Maẓẓoth is to be kept, after the Israelites have entered Canaan.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites,.... Though the whole land was called the land of Canaan, yet there was one tribe or nation of them particularly so called as here, distinct from those that follow:

and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites; there were seven nations in all, but two are here omitted, the Girgashites and Perizzites, but they are added in the Septuagint version, see Deu 7:1.

which he swore unto thy fathers to give thee; to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; so that they might be assured they would be brought into it, since they had both the word and oath of God for it; and which is the rather mentioned now for their encouragement, since they were at this time set forward in their journey thitherwards:

a land flowing with milk and honey; See Gill on Exo 3:8,

that thou shalt keep this service in this month; the month of Abib; that is, the following service concerning unleavened bread; it is concluded from hence by some, that those laws concerning the passover, and eating unleavened bread, and sanctifying the firstborn, did not oblige the Israelites, while in the wilderness, only when they came into the land of Canaan; and it seems pretty clear that this was the case with respect to the two latter, but not the former, since it is certain they did keep the passover in the wilderness, and were obliged to it, Num 9:1 but then it may be observed, that there is no mention there of their keeping the feast of unleavened bread, only of the passover, as here no mention is made of the feast of the passover, which, though they followed one another, were, two distinct feasts.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Canaanites - Five nations only are named in this passage, whereas six are named in Exo 3:8, and ten in the original promise to Abraham, Gen 15:19-21. The first word “Canaanite” is generic, and includes all the Hamite races of Palestine.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

When. These regulations did not therefore take place in the desert. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

This service; which is spoken of before, and in the following verses. From this place it is evident the Israelites were not obliged to this service in the wilderness without a particular command from God. See Deu 12:1,9.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The land of the Canaanites, etc. Compare Exo_3:8, Exo_3:17. The six nations of these passages are reduced here to five by the omission of the Perizzites, one of the less important tribes. Which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee . See Gen_15:18 Gen_24:7; and compare the comment on Exo_6:8. That thou shalt keep this service. This injunction had been already given (Exo_12:25) almost in the same words; but on the former occasion it was delivered to the elders only; now it is laid upon the whole people.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When the Lord shall bring you into the land, thou shalt keep this service - 'Till then they were not obliged to keep the passover, without a particular command from God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

אל ארץ הכנעני וגו׳ TO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITE — And although it enumerates here only the five peoples, all the seven nations are implied (Mekhilta) for all are included in the generic term Canaanite, although there was one of the races of Canaan which had no other name than that of Canaanite (whilst the other races had, beside the generic name Canaanite, some special designation as Hittite etc.: hence under the term Canaanite one may understand either the one race bearing this name or any of the other races. Here, therefore, the introductory word הכנעני alludes to the particular tribe so called and to the two others included in this generic term, or it may allude to three tribes included in the generic term. In either case we get the “seven peoples of Canaan”).

נשבע לאבתיך WHICH HE SWORE UNTO THY FATHERS — In the case of Abraham it says, (Genesis 15:18) “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram [saying, To thy seed I will give this land]”; in the case of Isaac it says, (Genesis 26:3) “Sojourn in this land … [for to thee and to thy seed I will give all these countries]”; and in the case of Jacob it says, (Genesis 28:13) “the land wheron thou liest [to thee will I give it and to thy seed]” (Mekhilta).

זבת חלב ודבש FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY — milk flows from the goats and honey flows from the dates and from the figs.

את העבודה הזאת THIS SERVICE — that of the Paschal offering. But has it not already been said above, (Exodus 12:25) “And it shall come to pass when ye be come into the land … [that ye shall keep this service]”? Why then does it repeat it again? On account of a new matter that is introduced here; viz., in the former chapter it says, (v. 26) “And it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?” and there Scripture is speaking about a wicked son who excludes himself from the Israelite community (by saying ye, as though he does not wish to participate in the service), whilst here it states, (v. 8) “And thou shalt tell thy son”, referring to a son who does not know how to enquire, and Scripture teaches you that you yourself must open up the conversation with Agadic explanations which attract the heart (cf. Mekhilta; Shabbat 87a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND IT SHALL BE WHEN THE ETERNAL SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITE, AND THE HITTITE, AND THE AMORITE, AND THE HIVITE, AND THE JEBUSITE. “Although it enumerates here only five peoples, all of the seven nations are implied. They are all included in [the generic term] Canaanite although there was one of the races which had no name other than that of Canaanite.” thus refers to the particular nation and to the two other nations, i.e., the Perizzite and the Girgashite, which are not specifically mentioned here, since they are included in the generic name Canaanite. Thus the language of Rashi.It is true that they are all included in [the generic term] Canaanite, for they were all his sons. Therefore when Scripture says, And it shall be when the Eternal shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, it alludes to all of the seven nations, and thus everywhere does Scripture make use of the term, “the land of Canaan.” But here, [according to Rashi’s interpretation], there is no reason why Scripture should mention most of them and yet leave some of them included in the term Canaanite!In the opinion of our Rabbis, the land of these five nations mentioned here was a land flowing with milk and honey, but not so the land of the remaining two nations [omitted here]. Therefore He gladdened them only with this land [of the five nations]. Thus the Rabbis taught in the Sifre with respect to first-fruits:, 300. “And He hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Just as the land flowing with milk and honey mentioned elsewhere, [i.e., in the verse before us], refers to the land of the five nations, so also the land flowing with milk and honey mentioned here [in the case of the first-fruits] means the land of the five nations. Rabbi Yosei says that first-fruits are not brought from beyond the Jordan since it is not a land flowing with milk and honey.” Thus the land of the two nations, [the Perizzite and the Girgashite], were excluded from the law of first-fruits because theirs is not a land flowing with milk and honey, and for the same reason, Rabbi Yosei also excluded the land beyond the Jordan, which belonged to the Amorite. And the Amorite mentioned here [among the five nations whose land was flowing with milk and honey], is the Amorite who lived in the Land of Israel proper. A text similar [to the one in the Sifre] is found in the Mechilta on this chapter.It is further taught in the Sifre:, 164. “And they, [i.e., all the tribe of Levi], shall have no inheritance — this refers to the inheritance of the five nations; Among their brethren — this refers to the inheritance of the two nations.” The Rabbis [of the Sifre] thus separated these five nations as different, because theirs was the main land which He promised them, for that was the land flowing with milk and honey. And Rashi, in the section of Shoftim V’shotrim, experienced difficulty in explaining this Beraitha. Now according to this opinion [that only the land of the five nations mentioned here was flowing with milk and honey], Scripture stated above, [And I am come down to deliver them… and to bring them up] unto a good and large Land, unto a Land flowing with milk and honey, [and then proceeds to mention the five nations listed here as well as the Perizzite]. However, it does not add the Perizzite there on account of its land flowing with milk and honey, but because it was part of the good and large Land.These are the six nations mentioned everywhere, for the Girgashite, [the seventh nation], emigrated of his own accord, and is not mentioned in the Torah except in the verse: And He shall cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations. This is why He said many nations, [i.e., because all seven are mentioned]. And it is also written: But thou shalt surely destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, 20:17. but He did not mention the Girgashite, thus alluding to the fact that he would not war against the Israelites but instead would emigrate of his own accord.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.