That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD'S.

EXODUS 13:12KJV
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Exodus 13:12 (KJV)

What does Exodus 13:12 mean?

Exodus 13:12 commands the Israelites to dedicate to the LORD every firstborn male animal that is born among their livestock. This means that the first male offspring of each animal belongs to God and must be set apart for Him.

In this verse, Moses is relaying God’s instructions to the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt. The command is part of a larger section where God tells the people to remember how He rescued them, and to show this by giving Him the firstborn of their animals. The verse highlights the idea that everything first and best belongs to God, as a sign of gratitude and recognition of His saving power.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 13:12

  • "apart" (הַעֲבִיר – ha’avir): This word means to set apart or to cause to pass over. Here, it emphasizes the intentional act of separating something for God’s use, not just a casual giving.
  • "matrix" (רֶחֶם – rechem): This word literally means "womb." The phrase "openeth the matrix" refers specifically to the first offspring that comes from the womb, making it clear that it’s the very firstborn being discussed.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה – YHWH): This is the personal name of God used here, underlining that the dedication is not just a general religious act, but directed to the God who delivered them.
  • "males" (זָכָר – zakhar): The instruction singles out male offspring, which in ancient Israelite culture often held special significance in inheritance and religious practice.

Why Exodus 13:12 matters

  • Exodus 13:12 clarifies that the dedication is not just symbolic, but involves real animals and real cost, showing the seriousness of the Israelites’ commitment to God.
  • This verse connects to the wider story of the Exodus, where God spared the Israelite firstborns during the tenth plague, making the dedication an act of remembrance and gratitude.
  • The focus on the firstborn and the act of setting apart helps explain later practices in Israelite worship and law, where the first and best are given to God as a sign of trust and dependence.

Where else these words appear

“cometh” Hebrew H7698 · used in 5 verses

  • Deuteronomy 7:13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
  • Deuteronomy 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
  • Deuteronomy 28:18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

“openeth” Hebrew H6363 · used in 10 verses

  • Exodus 13:2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
  • Exodus 34:19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
  • Numbers 8:16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

“matrix” Hebrew H7358 · used in 25 verses

  • Genesis 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
  • Numbers 12:12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.
  • Job 38:8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

“males” Hebrew H2145 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
  • Leviticus 12:7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
  • Deuteronomy 4:16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,