John Calvin Commentary Exodus 13

Sanctify unto me all the first-born. This also refers to the First Commandment, because God asserts His right over the first-born, so that the recollection of their redemption would not be lost. For in this way the Israelites were admonished that they must honor that God by whose grace they had safely escaped from the common destruction of Egypt, and, moreover, that they were rescued by His special blessing, so that they would consecrate themselves to God their Deliverer. For the offering which He here requires was a mark of separation between them and the pagan nations.³²⁸

The first-born is called the opening of the womb because it is the beginning of generation. The expression, “among the children of Israel,” when applied to animals as well as to their own offspring and children, is meant to distinguish wild beasts from tame and domestic animals. But although He commands only the first-born of Abraham's descendants to be offered to Him, this principle must undoubtedly be extended to the sanctification of the whole people. For while He says that the first-born were His because they especially owed their preservation to His mercy, by the same reasoning He signifies that all were His own.

This day came ye out. He compares the day of their coming out with the whole time of their dwelling in the land of Canaan, as if he had said that they were redeemed not to enjoy a mere fleeting joy, but so that they might be mindful of their blessing throughout all ages.

He goes on to praise the extent and fertility of the land again, principally for two reasons. The first is lest, after such glorious victories, pride should fill their minds, and in the abundance of their good things, their eyes should be closed by opulence; the second, that by the very multitude of their possessions they might be more strongly encouraged to the duty of gratitude and to the service of God.

For it might be that the conquerors of so many nations, and the lords of so rich and extensive a territory, would grow reckless and so be less devoted to God’s service, unless they were reminded that they owed it to God alone that they had conquered so many peoples and had obtained dominion over them.

But Moses shows them that, in proportion to God’s goodness to them, they would be all the more inexcusable if they did not earnestly strive to show their gratitude.

With this purpose, he repeats the names of the nations by whose destruction they were to become inheritors of the land; and then adds, a land flowing with milk and honey, in order to arouse them more and more to piety by the great abundance of blessings that would always be before their eyes.

Those are entirely mistaken who suppose that the month Abib³²² is the same as Ab, which corresponds with our July. For it is evident that the Israelites came out of Egypt in the month Nisan, around the vernal equinox; the keeping of Easter, handed down by tradition from our ancestors, is an unquestionable proof of this circumstance.

Now, since the Hebrews borrowed from the Chaldeans all the names of their months, which were in use two thousand years later, it would be absurd in this place to regard Abib as a proper name, especially when we nowhere find the months designated by proper names in Scripture. Since, then, reason demonstrates that this word is used descriptively, we must inquire why it is applied to March or the beginning of April.

Those who translate Abib as “ripening fruits” have no basis for it, since the word simply means “anything that grows.” Hence, it is applied to the stalks of grain; and because in those warm climates the grain reaches its height around the vernal equinox, Nisan is for this reason called the month of stalks.

It is also a probable conjecture (as we have already said) that the beginning of the year was changed so that the nativity of the Church might receive more distinction, as if the world were then renewed. The opinion of some that Noah came out of the ark in the same month, so that the spring temperatures might welcome him and the other animals in their new birth, I leave undecided, as I have done regarding Genesis 8.

But if this opinion is accepted, there will be an anticipation (prolepsis) in the naming of the months. This would be an absurdity because it was useful for the people to become accustomed to the rites of the Law. But I do not enter into controversy about uncertain matters.

And you shall show your son in that day. He repeats what we have already remarked, namely, an injunction for parents to teach their children, so that they may thus transmit the service of God to their descendants. In the preceding chapter it was said, when your children shall say to you, etc.; and now he more briefly commands that God’s goodness should be proclaimed, even if no one should ask about it, because parents ought to be voluntarily inclined to educate their children in the fear of God.

He also repeats, as we have seen above, that the memory of their deliverance should be annually renewed, so that it does not ever fade away. Since religion is easily neglected unless people are diligently engaged in its study, he uses a comparison when he says, it shall be for a sign to you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes. This is as if it had been said that their redemption should be set before their eyes in the Passover, just as the ring that is on the finger, or the ornament that is bound upon the forehead, are constantly seen.

For this purpose also, he had previously desired that the precepts of the Law should be inscribed on the head, on the hands, and on the fringes of their garments. The essence is that in the Passover a monument of God’s grace should exist, so that it might never sink into oblivion, just as ornaments that appear on the forehead and on the fingers awaken attention by being constantly seen.

However, if anyone should rather be of the opinion that Moses alludes to those who, conscious of their own unfaithfulness, devise ways to assist their memory,³²³ I offer them no opposition. It is as if he had said that, since they were prone to forgetfulness, they should use this remedy to awaken themselves to gratitude. He will soon repeat the same injunction in connection with the offering of the firstborn.

The following words, that the Lord’s Law may be in your mouth, confirm the opinion that the Passover has reference to the First Commandment. They intimate that it is not enough to perform the external rite unless it is associated with its proper object, namely, that they should devote themselves to God and to His doctrine.

He mentions the mouth, not because the main thing is to speak or talk about the Law—for if piety lay in the tongue, hypocrites would be the best worshippers of God—but he expressly requires that when each one has privately applied himself to the study of the Law, they should also mutually teach and exhort each other.

And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee. He proceeds with what was touched upon in the beginning of the chapter regarding the consecration of the first-born, so that in this way they would bear witness to the special blessing of God who preserved them when He destroyed the first-born of the Egyptians.

But He commands the animals to³²⁹ be brought to Him, to be slain in the tabernacle. It is a common figure of speech to say that the faithful and their gifts were brought into God’s presence when they entered the tabernacle.

I understand that they were ordered, in Exodus 22:30, to keep the first-born for seven days to prevent deceptions. This was because if the young had been taken from their mothers' teats earlier and immediately delivered to the priests, the offering would have been useless. Yet I do not doubt that the eighth day was chosen because it was the one prescribed for circumcision.

An exception is added: a price was to be paid for a donkey, whose offering would have been unclean. Regarding their children, it was necessary that they should be redeemed, because they could not be offered in sacrifice, nor be made priests.