you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Hebrew word used here, "cause to pass over," is unusual; it echoes the language used for sacrificing children to pagan gods, but here it signifies a transfer of ownership to the LORD, not an offering of sacrifice. This highlights that while God claimed the firstborn, they were meant to be redeemed, not consumed.
you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Immediately following the deliverance from Egypt and the command to remember the Passover, this passage establishes a new sacred duty for Israel. It requires the consecration of all firstborn males, both human and animal, to the LORD. This is part of a broader theme of remembering God's saving power and dedicating the fruits of His blessings back to Him, with the specific instructions for redemption and sacrifice following soon after.
Why use a specific word for 'set apart' here that also appears in disturbing contexts?
The Hebrew word used in Exodus 13:12, often translated as 'set apart,' actually means 'to cause to pass over.' This is a deliberate choice of language. While it signifies dedicating something to God, the same verb is used for the horrific practice of passing children through fire to the idol Molech. This stark contrast highlights a crucial point: God is reclaiming His rightful ownership over what is firstborn. He's not asking for a sacrifice like Molech, but rather asserting that the very first of everything—life, produce, animals—belongs to Him by divine right, a right that would later be symbolized by redemption.
Why specifically the males? And what does this have to do with redemption?
Exodus 13:12 explicitly states that 'the males shall be the LORD's.' This isn't arbitrary. In the ancient Israelite context, the firstborn male held significant inheritance rights. By claiming the firstborn male, God was establishing His supreme authority and right over the inheritance. However, as seen in the following verses (Exodus 13:13), these firstborn males weren't kept as sacrifices. Instead, they were to be 'redeemed.' This practice served as a constant, tangible reminder of God's redemptive act in bringing Israel out of Egypt. Just as the firstborn were redeemed from God's claim, Israel itself was redeemed from slavery.
Understand the original words
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'abar · Hebrew Verb
To devote something or someone exclusively to God for His service or ownership, signifying that the object or person is no longer common but holy.
bekor · Hebrew Noun
The first child or animal born to a mother; in Scripture, the firstborn occupies a position of special prominence, inheritance, and belongs uniquely to God.
This command to dedicate the firstborn is given immediately after the Exodus. It serves as a constant reminder that Israel's very existence and future were a gift from God, paid for by the 'firstborn' who were spared from death in Egypt.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Exodus from Egypt
After 400 years of bondage, the Israelites are miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses. This foundational event marks their transition from a enslaved people to a nation under God's covenant.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
Shortly after their exodus, the Israelites receive the Law at Mount Sinai, which includes detailed instructions for worship, sacrifice, and daily life, establishing the framework for their covenant relationship with God.
c. 1445 BC - 40 years later
Entry into the Promised Land
Following 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, finally enter the land of Canaan, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham and their ancestors.
This passage clarifies the specific application of the firstborn principle, explaining that the firstborn of both humans and unclean animals were to be redeemed, while the firstborn of clean animals were designated for priestly use and sacrifice.
Deuteronomy 7:13-14These verses link the blessing of fruitfulness and a large posterity directly to obedience to God's commands, echoing the principle that the 'first' belongs to God as a sign of His overarching favor and blessing on the community.
Luke 2:22-24This New Testament account shows Mary and Joseph fulfilling the Law of the firstborn by presenting Jesus to the Lord and offering the required sacrifice for redemption, demonstrating the continuation of this sacred principle.
Romans 12:1The Apostle Paul calls believers to present their bodies as a 'living sacrifice,' which is a profound spiritual parallel to the Old Testament practice of dedicating the firstborn, signifying a complete and willing offering of oneself to God.
cambridgeExodus 13:12: "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."
12 . thou shalt cause to pass over unto Jehovah ] The word is not the ordinary Heb. for ‘set apart’; and its use here is remarkable. In Numbers 27:7 f. (P), cf. 2 Samuel 3:10 , it is indeed used in the simple sense of transferring or making over (an inheritance): but it is also the word regularly used of causing to pass o…
pulpitExodus 13:12: "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."
Verse 12. - Set apart. The expression is especially appropriate to the case of first-born animals, which would have to be separated off from the rest of the flock, or of the herd, and "put aside" for Jehovah, so as not to be mixed up and confounded with the other lambs, kids, and calves. The males shall be the Lord's. Thi…
The Hebrew word used here, "cause to pass over," is unusual; it echoes the language used for sacrificing children to pagan gods, but here it signifies a transfer of ownership to the LORD, not an offering of sacrifice. This highlights that while God claimed the firstborn, they were meant to be redeemed, not consumed.
Immediately following the deliverance from Egypt and the command to remember the Passover, this passage establishes a new sacred duty for Israel. It requires the consecration of all firstborn males, both human and animal, to the LORD. This is part of a broader theme of remembering God's saving power and dedicating the fruits of His blessings back to Him, with the specific instructions for redemption and sacrifice following soon after.
Immediately following the deliverance from Egypt and the command to remember the Passover, this passage establishes a new sacred duty for Israel. It requires the consecration of all firstborn males, both human and animal, to the LORD. This is part of a broader theme of remembering God's saving power and dedicating the fruits of His blessings back to Him, with the specific instructions for redemption and sacrifice following soon after.
"you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s." — The Hebrew word used here, "cause to pass over," is unusual; it echoes the language used for sacrificing children to pagan gods, but here it signifies a transfer of ownership to the LORD, not an offe…
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Last reviewed October 2026