Exodus 34:19

Exo 34:19 All that openeth the matrix [is] mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, [whether] ox or sheep, [that is male].

Ver. 19, 20. See on Exo 13:12-13.

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.

(19) All that openeth the matrix is mine.—Comp. Exo_13:12, where the sanctification of the firstborn and the law of redemption had already been declared. For the exact mode of redemption sanctioned, see Num_18:15-16.

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

19. and all, &c.] Something must be out of order: since the first born of cattle are included among ‘all that first openeth the womb,’ ‘mine’ cannot logically be the predicate of and all &c. Perhaps (Di.) thou shalt sanctify (Deu_15:19), or sacrifice, unto me has fallen out after ‘sheep.’ There is a similar inexactness in Exo_13:12.

20b. appear before me] read probably see my face. See on Exo_23:15 b.

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.

Six days shalt thou work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest,.... This is the law of the seventh day sabbath, which is after repeated, to fix it in the minds and memories of the people, see Exo 20:10 and here it is added, which has not been mentioned before:

in earing and in harvest thou shall rest; that is, in the time of ploughing, and in the time of reaping and gathering in the harvest, which are both very busy seasons; the rest of the sabbath was not to be violated; such sort of works, though they might require haste and expedition, yet the sabbath was not to be broken on account of them: this is the common sense of the law, as it is understood; but Maimonides (o) gives another sense from their doctors, who say, it is forbidden to plough in the sixth year what cannot be reaped but in the seventh; and so likewise that it is forbidden to reap on the seventh year, that of which profit may be had on the eighth year, and this is founded on what the Scripture says, Exo 34:21 "in earing", &c. and they say, that here ploughing and harvest are not to be understood of the seventh day, because this is included in the general rule, "thou shalt not do any work"--they say, of that which is ploughed, whose reaping or harvest is forbidden, is the ploughing at the evening of the seventh year, and at the going out of the seventh; and know this, that the evening of the seventh is the sixth year, and the going out of the seventh is the eighth year, and so Jarchi on the text observes, that some of their Rabbins say, this is to be understood of the ploughing of the seventh year, the seventh year entering, and the harvest of the seventh year, at the going out of it; so that as there is a seventh day of rest, there is a year in which ploughing and harvest are forbidden; but there are others, he says, who say the text speaks only of the sabbath.

(o) In Misn. Sheviith, c. 14. sect. 1.

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

Heb. And (for that is, as the particle and is oft used; the words following here, and Exo 34:20, being a particular explication of the general sentence in the beginning of this verse)

all thy cattle which (a particle oft understood)

shall be born male, (as it is also explained Exo 13:12) the

opening, or,

whatsoever (to wit, of the male kind)

openeth the matrix (which word is fitly understood out of the former member; which is very usual) of ox or (and put for or, as it is oft done) sheep.

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

Vers. 19, 20. All that openeth the matrix is mine, etc. This is a repetition of the command given in Exo_13:12, Exo_13:13, which had not been inserted in the "Book of the Covenant." It is again enjoined in Lev_27:26, Lev_27:27. None shall appear before me empty. Repeated Exo_23:15.

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

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses what the people must do.

buy back

Firstborn sons and firstborn donkeys belonged to Yahweh, but Yahweh did not want them sacrificed to Him. Instead, the Israelites were to sacrifice a lamb in their place. This allowed the Israelites to buy the donkeys and sons back from Yahweh.

No one may appear before me empty-handed

God speaks of the offering as if the person was to carry it in his hands. AT: "No one may come to me without an offering" or "Everyone who comes to me must bring me an offering" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

firstborn

cow

ewe

donkey

lamb

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

כל פטר רחם לי EVERY FIRST OFFSPRING OF THE WOMB IS MINE amongst human beings,

וכל מקנך וגו׳ AND also ALL THY CATTLE WHICH IT (the mother animal) BRINGS FORTH AS MALE BY AN OX OR AN ASS OPENING its womb: it means, that a male animal opens her womb.

פטר is an expression denoting “opening”; similar is (Proverbs 17:14) “As if one openeth (letteth run) (פוטר) water so is the beginning of strife”. The ת of תזכר expresses the feminine gender and refers to the animal in labour (i. e. the prefix is 3rd fem. sing., not 2nd masc. sing.: the subject to תזכר must be supplied “the mother animal”).

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.