Exodus 13:2

““Consecrate to me every firstborn; the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, of people and of animals, is mine.””
Exodus 13:2 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

“Consecrateקַדֶּשׁto meלִיeveryכָלfirstborn;בְּכוֹרthe first offspringפֶּטֶרof everyכָּלwombרֶחֶםamong the sonsבִּבְנֵיof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלof peopleבָּאָדָםandוּof animals,בַבְּהֵמָהis mine.”לִי הוּא

Quotation · Luke 2:23

Go to Luke 2:23

Luke sums up the law of Exodus 13:2 and 13:12: the first male that “opens the womb” is consecrated to the Lord.

Formula: καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου ὅτι “as it is written in the law of the Lord” (Luke 2:23)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου ὅτι Πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ κυρίῳ κληθήσεται

Hebrew (Masoretic text): קַדֶּשׁ לִי כָל בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר כָּל רֶחֶם בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה לִי הוּא

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Firstbornבְּכוֹר / πρωτότοκοςבכור prōtotokos

The first male child. According to the law he belonged to YHWH and was redeemed (Exodus 13:2, 13), and he received a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). The New Testament calls Jesus “firstborn” (Luke 2:7; Colossians 1:15).

See it in the glossary

Exodus 13:2, word by word

“Consecrateקַדֶּשׁkadesh

consecrate

To set apart people, things or a day for God.

Where else “kadesh” appears

firstbornבְּכוֹרbechor

firstborn

The son who came into the world before his brothers, with a special place in the family.

Where else “bechor” appears

the first offspringפֶּטֶרpeter

first offspring

"What opens the womb": the first child or the first young born to a mother.

Where else “peter” appears

wombרֶחֶםrechem

firstborn

The first young or first child born to a mother.

Where else “rechem” appears

among the sonsבְנֵיvene

descendant

A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".

Where else “vene” appears

of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

of peopleאָדָםadam

human being

All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.

Where else “adam” appears

of animalsבְּהֵמָהbehema

beast

Animals in general.

Where else “behema” appears

Translation note

“The first offspring of every womb” is, literally, “what opens every womb.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Luke 2:23

Luke sums up the law of Exodus 13:2 and 13:12: the first male that “opens the womb” is consecrated to the Lord.

See them side by side

Exodus 13:2

²“Consecrate to me every firstborn; the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, of people and of animals, is mine.”

Luke 2:23

²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord”),

The context

1YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,

2 · This verse (above)

3Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slaves, for with a strong hand YHWH brought you out from here; and no leavened bread shall be eaten.

Read all of Exodus 13

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