Exodus 13:13
New International Version
Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.

New Living Translation
A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the LORD by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.

English Standard Version
Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

Berean Standard Bible
You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.

King James Bible
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

New King James Version
But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

New American Standard Bible
But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn among your sons you shall redeem.

NASB 1995
“But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

NASB 1977
“But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem.

Legacy Standard Bible
But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

Amplified Bible
Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem by [substituting] a lamb [as a sacrifice for it], but if you do not [wish to] redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn among your sons you shall redeem [that is, ‘buy back’ from God with a suitable sacrifice].

Christian Standard Bible
You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons.”

American Standard Version
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck: and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And every firstborn male that opens the womb of cattle you shall redeem by a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you will kill it, and you will redeem every firstborn of a son of man of your children.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Every offspring opening the womb of the ass thou shalt change for a sheep; and if thou wilt not change it, thou shalt redeem it: every first-born of man of thy sons shalt thou redeem.

Contemporary English Version
You can spare the life of a first-born donkey by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must spare every first-born son.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The firstborn of an ass thou shalt change for a sheep: and if thou do not redeem it, thou shalt kill it. And every firstborn of men thou shalt redeem with a price.

English Revised Version
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
It will cost you a sheep or a goat to buy any firstborn donkey back from the LORD. If you don't buy it back, then you must break the donkey's neck. You must also buy every firstborn son back from the LORD.

Good News Translation
but you must buy back from him every first-born male donkey by offering a lamb in its place. If you do not want to buy back the donkey, break its neck. You must buy back every first-born male child of yours.

International Standard Version
You are to redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you don't redeem it, you are to break its neck. You are to redeem every firstborn among your sons.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck; and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.

Literal Standard Version
And every firstling of a donkey you ransom with a lamb, and if you do not ransom [it], then you have beheaded it; and you ransom every firstborn of man among your sons.

Majority Standard Bible
You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.

New American Bible
Every firstborn of a donkey you will ransom with a sheep. If you do not ransom it, you will break its neck. Every human firstborn of your sons you must ransom.

NET Bible
Every firstling of a donkey you must redeem with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, then you must break its neck. Every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.

New Revised Standard Version
But every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a sheep; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. Every firstborn male among your children you shall redeem.

New Heart English Bible
Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and you shall redeem all the firstborn of man among your sons.

Webster's Bible Translation
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the first-born of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

World English Bible
Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and you shall redeem all the firstborn of man among your sons.

Young's Literal Translation
And every firstling of an ass thou dost ransom with a lamb, and if thou dost not ransom it, then thou hast beheaded it: and every first-born of man among thy sons thou dost ransom.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Dedication of the Firstborn
12you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. 13You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem. 14In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.…

Cross References
Exodus 13:2
"Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast."

Exodus 34:20
You must redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No one shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Numbers 3:46
To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

Numbers 18:15
The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the LORD belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.


Treasury of Scripture

And every firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among your children shall you redeem.

of an ass

Exodus 34:20
But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

Numbers 18:15-17
Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem…

lamb, or kid

Exodus 12:3,21
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: …

shalt thou

Numbers 3:46-51
And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; …

Numbers 18:15,16
Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem…

Revelation 14:4
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Jump to Previous
Ass Beheaded Break Broken Children Donkey First Firstborn First-Born Firstling Lamb Neck Offspring Payment Ransom Redeem Wilt Young
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Ass Beheaded Break Broken Children Donkey First Firstborn First-Born Firstling Lamb Neck Offspring Payment Ransom Redeem Wilt Young
Exodus 13
1. The firstborn are sanctified to God
3. The memorial of the Passover is commanded
11. The firstborn of man and beast are set apart
17. The Israelites go out of Egypt, and carry Joseph's bones with them.
20. They come to Etham
21. God guides them by a pillar of a cloud, and a pillar of fire














(13) Every firstling of an ass.--It is observable that nothing is said of the Israelites possessing horses. Horses were well known in Egypt at the time, but were kept only by the kings and the great men. The Hebrews had not been in a position ever to have possessed any. Asses, on the contrary, were exceedingly common, and formed the ordinary beasts of burden in the country. In default of camels, which they seem not to have owned, the Israelites must have carried their tents and other baggage on asses.

Thou shalt redeem.--Since the ass was unclean. In Egypt he is said to have been "Typhonian;" and Set, the Evil Principle, is represented with long ears, which may be those of an ass, cropped towards the upper extremity. The redeeming of an ass with a lamb (or kid) was favourable to the owner, since the ass colt must have been of considerably more value.

If thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck.--There will always be in every nation those who grudge to make any offering to God, and who will seek to evade every requisition for a gift. To check such stinginess, the present law was made. It would be effectual without requiring to be put in force.

All the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.--This was declared in anticipation of the arrangement afterwards to be made, whereby the tribe of Levi was taken in lieu of the firstborn for the service Of the sanctuary (Numbers 3:40-45), and an obligation was imposed on Israelites of other tribes to "redeem" their sons by a payment of five shekels for each to the priests (Numbers 18:15-16).

Verse 13. - Every firstling of an ass. The ass was the sole beast of burthen taken by the Israelites out of Egypt. (See Exodus 20:17.) Neither the horse nor the camel was among their possessions in the wilderness. This is agreeable to the Egyptian monuments, by which the camel appears to have been rare in Egypt at this time, and the horse as yet mainly used for war and by the nobles in their chariots. With a lamb. A lamb or a kid. The word used is the generic one. (See the comment on Exodus 12:3.) If thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. This enactment was evidently made to prevent a refusal to redeem. It would not require to be put in force, since by refusing under such a penalty a man would suffer pecuniary loss. All the first-born of men among thy children. Rather "among thy sons." Shalt thou redeem. Later on, the amount of the redemption money was fixed at five shekels of the sanctuary for each. (Numbers 3:47.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must redeem
תִּפְדֶּ֣ה (tip̄·deh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6299: To sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve

every
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

firstborn
פֶּ֤טֶר (pe·ṭer)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6363: That which separates or first opens

donkey
חֲמֹר֙ (ḥă·mōr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2543: A male ass

with a lamb,
בְשֶׂ֔ה (ḇə·śeh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7716: A member of a, flock, a sheep, goat

and if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you do not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

redeem it,
תִפְדֶּ֖ה (ṯip̄·deh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6299: To sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve

you are to break its neck.
וַעֲרַפְתּ֑וֹ (wa·‘ă·rap̄·tōw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6202: To break the neck, to destroy

And every
וְכֹ֨ל (wə·ḵōl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

firstborn
בְּכ֥וֹר (bə·ḵō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

of your sons
בְּבָנֶ֖יךָ (bə·ḇā·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

you must redeem.
תִּפְדֶּֽה׃ (tip̄·deh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6299: To sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve


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OT Law: Exodus 13:13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 13:12
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