The Meaning of Exodus 13:14 Explained

Exodus 13:14

KJV: And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

YLT: And it hath been, when thy son asketh thee hereafter, saying, What is this? that thou hast said unto him, By strength of hand hath Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from a house of servants;

Darby: And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say to him, With a powerful hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

ASV: And it shall be, when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it shall be when thy son  asketh  thee in time to come,  saying,  What [is] this? that thou shalt say  unto him, By strength  of hand  the LORD  brought us out  from Egypt,  from the house  of bondage: 

What does Exodus 13:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 13:1-16 - The First-Born Set Apart Unto Jehovah
Two Hebrew customs dated from the Exodus-first, the dedication of the first-born to God's service, and second, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. See Luke 22:7. The first-born had been especially redeemed and so were especially God's. On them all was branded the one brief word Mine. What a lesson for us all who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. We are His by right of purchase; we ought to be His by our own choice and indwelt by His Spirit. Whenever we take up this position with regard to God, we may count on His strong hand. In after years the first-born sons, who performed the priestly rites, were replaced by Levites, Numbers 3:11-13; but still they were ransomed by a slain lamb. Every first-born son lived because a lamb died. In this he stood on the same level as the firstling of an ass. What a parable is here! See Romans 3:22; Romans 10:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Exodus 13:14 mean?

So it shall be when asks you your son in time to come saying what [is] this that you shall say to him by strength of hand brought us Yahweh out of Egypt out of the house of bondage
וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־ יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֣ר מַה־ ؟ זֹּ֑את וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֗ד הוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ יְהוָ֛ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים

וְהָיָ֞ה  So  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥  asks  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
בִנְךָ֛  your  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מָחָ֖ר  in  time  to  come 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מָחָר  
Sense: tomorrow, in time to come, in the future.
לֵאמֹ֣ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
؟ זֹּ֑את  [is]  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣  that  you  shall  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בְּחֹ֣זֶק  by  strength 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֹזֶק  
Sense: strength.
יָ֗ד  of  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ  brought  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם  out  of  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
מִבֵּ֥ית  out  of  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עֲבָדִֽים  of  bondage 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.