Exodus 13:8

Exo 13:8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, [This is done] because of that [which] the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.

Ver. 8. And thou shalt show.] {See Trapp on "Exo 12:26"}

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_13:8-10

Show thy son in that day.

Lessons

1. The instruction of children is a duty upon parents.

2. God commands continuance of ordinances for instruction of posterity.

3. The reason of Gods ordinances must be understood by parents and children (Exo_13:8).

4. Sacramental signs, and memorials of God, He is pleased to give His Church.

5. God would have these signal memorials at hand and before the eyes of His.

6. The Passover was a true sacramental sign and seal of Gods covenant.

7. By sacraments rightly used Gods covenant is confirmed on hearts and in profession.

8. Gods mighty gracious redemption is a just cause of such memorials (Exo_13:9).

9. Gods sacraments are His statutes and positive laws.

10. It is God s prerogative, to make anniversary memorials of His mercies (Exo_13:10). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Truth embodied

As the soul is clothed in flesh, and only thus is able to perform its functions in this earth, where it is sent to live; as the thought must find a word before it can pass from mind to mind; so every great truth seeks some body, some outward form, in which to exhibit its powers. It appears in the world, and men lay hold of it, and represent it to themselves, in histories, in forms of words, in sacramental symbols; and these things, which in their proper nature are but illustrations, stiffen into essential fact, and become part of the reality. (J. A. Froude.)

Importance of commemorative days and ordinances

The following sentence is attributed to Voltaire:--I despair of destroying Christianity in any country, so long as millions of human beings meet on Sunday to worship God. Many things have been fathered on Voltaire of which he never heard, but if he really said or wrote this he uttered an unusually sensible thing. It is curious that sceptical writers have regarded so little the testimony of Christian rites to the facts with which they are indissolubly connected. How did the Lords Supper and the Lords Day come to be established institutions? Rites and observances do not establish and perpetuate themselves. The origin of these two Christian institutions can only be explained by their connection with the events they commemorate. If the written records of the apostolic age could be blotted from the memory of man, the Lords Supper would still bear testimony to Christs death for mans salvation, as the Lords Day would eloquently witness to His resurrection from the dead.

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

Exo 13:8. Thou shalt show thy son — When you shall be come into the land of Canaan, you shall instruct your children in the meaning of your killing the lamb, and abstaining from leaven, that so you and they may be excited to gratitude to God for his goodness. This was evidently the design of the institution.

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

When thou dost celebrate the feast of unleavened bread.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying--The establishment of this and the other sacred festivals presented the best opportunities of instructing the young in a knowledge of His gracious doings to their ancestors in Egypt.

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

8. The children to be instructed (cf. on Exo_12:26) on the meaning of the festival: it is to remind Israel in perpetuity of the duties which it owes to Jehovah, in gratitude for its deliverance out of Egypt.

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 thou shall show thy son in that day,.... On the first of the days of the feast of unleavened bread, the reason of eating it; and this is to be shown not to a son or single child only, but by parents to all their children, sons and daughters, and even unasked, as Maimonides (b) interprets it; and so Jarchi's note is, to a son that knows not how to ask or what to ask about; see Gill on Exo 12:26, Exo 12:27,

saying, this is done because of that which the Lord did unto me, when I came forth out of Egypt: that is, this unleavened bread is eaten because of the quick and speedy deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so that they had not time to leaven their dough.

(b) Hilchot Chametz Umetzah, c. 7. sect. 2, 3.

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

And thou shalt shew thy son. Repeated from Exo_12:26, Exo_12:27.

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

On that day you are to say to your children, 'This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

The quotation can be stated as an indirect quote. AT: "On that day you are to tell your children that this is because of what Yahweh did for you when you came out of Egypt" (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

This will be a reminder for you on your hand, and a reminder on your forehead

These are two different types of physical reminders so people will not forget something important. (See: Parallelism)

a reminder for you on your hand

Moses speaks of celebrating the festival as if it were tying an object around their hands to remind them of what Yahweh had done. AT: "like something you tie around your hand as a reminder" (See: Metaphor)

a reminder on your forehead

Moses speaks of celebrating the festival as if it were tying an object around their foreheads to remind them of what Yahweh had done. AT: "like something you tie around your head as a reminder" (See: Metaphor)

so the law of Yahweh may be in your mouth

The words "in your mouth" here refers to the words that they speak. AT: "so you may always be speaking of the law of Yahweh" (See: Metonymy)

strong hand

The word "hand" here represents God's actions or works. See how you translated this in Exodus 6:1. AT: "the power I show in my works" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

children

Yahweh

Egypt

sign

law

appoint

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

בעבור זה FOR THE SAKE OF THIS — for the sake that I should carry out His commands, such as this Passover offering, this unleavened bread and this bitter herb (cf. Mekhilta).

עשה ה' לי GOD DID FOR ME — Here is an indication of the reply to be given to the wicked son: that one should say to him, “God did for me” — and one should not say “what God did לנו, for us” — thus implying “not for thee”, for if thou hadst been there (in Egypt) thou wouldst not have been regarded as worthy of being redeemed (Mekhilta).

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.

IT IS BECAUSE OF THAT THE ETERNAL DID FOR ME. This is equivalent to saying, “It is because of that which the Eternal did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.” A similar case is the verse: And thou shalt show them the way they are to go in, [which means “wherein they are to go”]. There are many such cases. The father is thus stating [to his son]: “It is because of that which G-d did for me when I came forth out of Egypt that I observe this service.” It is similar to that which is stated further on: Therefore I sacrifice to the Eternal all that openeth the womb. The intent of the word zeh (that) [in the verse, It is because of ‘that’], is: “tell him ‘that’ which you yourself see, i.e., what G-d did for you when you came forth out of Egypt.” And our Rabbis have explained that the word zeh (that) alludes to the unleavened bread and bitter herbs that are laid before him.It is possible that the purport of the verse, And thou shalt tell thy son… It is ‘ba’avur’ (because) of that the Eternal did for me when I came forth out of Egypt, is equivalent to the verse’s saying “such and such did G-d do unto me.” The word ba’avur also serves to indicate something within a subject itself, [and it does not only convey the idea: “because” of some other subject]. This is as the case in the verse, ‘ba’avur’ the child that was alive thou didst fast and weep, [which means “while” the child was alive], and not “because”. [David did not fast and weep “because” the child was alive; he fasted and wept “while” the child was alive so that it should get well.]Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the purport of the verse is: “Because of that which I do and worship Him by eating the Passover-offering and the unleavened bread, the Eternal did for me wonders until He brought me forth out of Egypt.” But it is not correct. I will yet explain this verse.

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.

Because of this Hashem did this for me. This should be understood: “For the sake of this service—i.e. the eating of the matzoh and the refraining from leaven bread, which were the first commandments that B’nei Yisrael received—Hashem performed for us miracles and took us out of Egypt.” In other words, Hashem only took B’nei Yisrael out of Egypt in order that they should serve Him, in keeping with the verse, “When you bring the people out of Egypt—you will serve Elohim on this mountain” (Shemos 3:12).

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.