This instruction to "tell your son" isn't just about reciting history; it emphasizes a parent's direct, personal connection to God's actions. By saying "what the LORD did for me," the verse encourages passing down faith not as a detached story, but as a lived experience that shapes one's own life and identity. This personal testimony is the core of how God's faithfulness is transmitted across generations.
You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a series of instructions Moses gives to the Israelites about commemorating their exodus from Egypt. It follows the command to eat unleavened bread and precedes the ordinance for redeeming the firstborn. The overall context emphasizes God's powerful deliverance and the people's ongoing responsibility to remember and teach their children about it.
Ever feel like your personal faith journey is too small to matter? This verse shows how God deliberately weaves individual experiences into His grand narrative.
God doesn't just want us to remember history; He wants us to personalize it.
The Personal Testimony
Exodus 13:8 says, 'You shall tell your son... 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' Notice the personal pronoun 'me.' God instructs parents to share their own experience of His deliverance, not just a historical account.
This means that the saving acts of God aren't distant events. They are meant to be lived out and retold through the lens of our own lives and faith journeys.
Connecting Generations
This personal retelling serves as a bridge. It connects the saving power demonstrated in the past to the present generation and, in turn, to future ones. It transforms abstract theology into tangible, relatable faith.
This verse isn't just about remembering the past; it's about actively shaping the faith of the next generation.
The instruction to 'tell your son' is a powerful mandate for discipleship.
Proactive Instruction
This isn't a passive remembrance. It's an active instruction. The parent is commanded to initiate the conversation, explaining the 'why' behind the observance.
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Building a Legacy of Faith
By explaining the significance of the event, parents lay the foundation for their children's understanding and faith. It's about ensuring God's mighty acts are not forgotten but are continually understood and honored, building a lasting legacy.
Understand the original words
’oth · Hebrew Noun
An external marker or token meant to evoke memory or witness. It serves as a visual reminder of God's covenant, presence, or commandments.
zikkaron · Hebrew Noun
Something that reminds or brings a past event to present consciousness. It serves to preserve the history of God's redemptive actions across generations.
torah · Hebrew Noun
God's revealed instructions, commandments, and teaching. It is the expression of God's will and holiness for His people, intended to be internalized and meditated upon.
yad chazaqah · Hebrew Noun phrase
A metaphor for God's sovereign power, authority, and intervention. It represents His mighty acts of deliverance, judgment, and protection on behalf of His people.
This verse is a direct instruction given immediately after the Passover and the departure from Egypt. The purpose is to ensure the memory of God's powerful deliverance is passed down through generations, connecting each new family to that foundational act of salvation.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Israelites Depart Egypt
Under God's mighty hand, the Israelites leave slavery in Egypt after 400 years. This exodus marks the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
The Passover and Unleavened Bread Instituted
God institutes the Passover feast and the week of unleavened bread to commemorate the night of their deliverance, a constant reminder of His saving power.
c. 1446 BC
Consecration of Firstborn
God claims all firstborn males, both human and animal, as His own, a reminder that their lives were spared through His mercy.
c. 1446 BC
The Wilderness Journey Begins
The Israelites begin their 40-year journey through the wilderness towards the Promised Land, guided by God's presence.
This passage echoes the command to explain the meaning behind religious practices to children, emphasizing the ongoing need to pass down God's works and teachings through generations.
Psalm 78:3-4This Psalm directly reflects the spirit of Exodus 13:8 by stating the importance of recounting God's mighty deeds and wonders to future generations, ensuring His acts are not forgotten.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26This New Testament passage describes the institution of the Lord's Supper, which, like the Passover meal, is a memorial meant to be repeated and explained, focusing on Christ's sacrifice and deliverance.
Luke 24:25-27Here, Jesus explains to the disciples how all the Scriptures pointed to Him, illustrating a teaching moment where historical events and their significance are unfolded to bring understanding, much like explaining the Passover's meaning.
gillExodus 13:8: "And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt."
And thou shall show thy son in that day,.... On the first of the days of the feast of unleavened bread, the reason of eating it; and this is to be shown not to a son or single child only, but by parents to all their children, sons and daughters, and even unasked, as Maimonides (b) interprets it; and so Jarchi's note is, to a son that knows not h…
cambridgeExodus 13:8: "And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt."
8 . The children to be instructed (cf. on Exodus 12:26 ) on the meaning of the festival: it is to remind Israel in perpetuity of the duties which it owes to Jehovah, in gratitude for its deliverance out of Egypt.
This instruction to "tell your son" isn't just about reciting history; it emphasizes a parent's direct, personal connection to God's actions. By saying "what the LORD did for me," the verse encourages passing down faith not as a detached story, but as a lived experience that shapes one's own life and identity. This personal testimony is the core of how God's faithfulness is transmitted across generations.
This verse is part of a series of instructions Moses gives to the Israelites about commemorating their exodus from Egypt. It follows the command to eat unleavened bread and precedes the ordinance for redeeming the firstborn. The overall context emphasizes God's powerful deliverance and the people's ongoing responsibility to remember and teach their children about it.
This verse is part of a series of instructions Moses gives to the Israelites about commemorating their exodus from Egypt. It follows the command to eat unleavened bread and precedes the ordinance for redeeming the firstborn. The overall context emphasizes God's powerful deliverance and the people's ongoing responsibility to remember and teach their children about it.
"You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. Fo…" — This instruction to "tell your son" isn't just about reciting history; it emphasizes a parent's direct, personal connection to God's actions. By saying "what the LORD did for me," the verse encoura…
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Last reviewed October 2026
