lectionary.com

Christmas · First Sunday after Christmas · Year C

Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15

The Consecration of the Firstborn

December 26, 2027

The Presentation in the Temple, Rembrandt van Rijn
The Presentation in the Temple, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1628Kunsthalle Hamburg
An early Rembrandt with an enormous dark temple above and the small group lit at the bottom, so the architecture dwarfs the event.Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites is mine.Rembrandt van RijnRembrandt (1606-1669) painted scripture as if it had happened in a room he had been in, and returned to the same stories across forty years, changing his mind about them in public.Kunsthalle HamburgHamburg's art museum, founded by citizens in 1850, with one of the great German Romantic collections.Kunsthalle Hamburg
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelLuke 2:22-40Lk 2:22-40
EpistleCol. 3:12-17Col 3:12-17
Old TestamentExod. 13:1-3a, 11-15Ex 13:1-3a, 11-15
PsalterPs. 111Ps 111

Overview & Insights

"Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel... is mine." (Exodus 13:2)

After the exodus from Egypt, the Lord commands Israel to set apart every firstborn male, of human and animal alike, as belonging to him. The instruction ties this ongoing practice to the story parents will tell their children of how the Lord brought them out of the house of slavery with a strong hand.

From Sermons.com: Join Today to access the most scholarly & well written preaching resources anywhere.

Take it further: Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15

Commentary

Enduring Word: Exodus 13Enduring Word: Ex 13 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the chapter.

Precept Austin: Exodus 13 CommentaryPrecept Austin: Ex 13 Commentary Precept Austin

Study page gathering many conservative commentators verse by verse on the chapter.

StudyLight: Exodus 13:1 CommentariesStudyLight: Ex 13:1 Commentaries StudyLight

Many complete commentaries gathered on this passage page.

BibleHub: Commentaries on Exodus 13:1BibleHub: Commentaries on Ex 13:1 BibleHub

Parallel classic commentaries keyed to the consecration of the firstborn.

BibleHub: Exodus 13:1 InterlinearBibleHub: Ex 13:1 Interlinear BibleHub

Hebrew text with parsing for consecrate, firstborn, and strong hand.

Background & Word Study

Sefaria: Exodus 13:1-3 (Hebrew)Sefaria: Ex 13:1-3 (Hebrew) Sefaria

Hebrew text with English and classical Jewish commentary on the passage.

BibleProject: Exodus 1-18 OverviewBibleProject: Ex 1-18 Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the first half of Exodus, including the tenth plague and the firstborn.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Exodus 13Catena: Ex 13 Catena

Patristic comments gathered verse by verse on the consecration of the firstborn.

Prep at sermons.com

Ready to write?

  • Full sermons on Luke 2:22-40
  • Illustrations cleared for use in worship
  • Commentary, quotes, and Bible dictionary
Open it at sermons.com →

Trusted by pastors since 1995.

Free every Tuesday

Illustrations & Sermon Prep in your inbox

The coming Sunday’s readings, a cleared-for-use illustration, and a sermon-prep head start. One email, free.