Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 13:4
This day came ye out in the month Abib.
4. ye go forth ] lit. are going forth. The Exodus is represented as in process of taking place. The participle is constantly used similarly in Deuteronomy.
the month of Abib, i.e. the month of fresh young ears (Lev 2:14 Heb.); mentioned again in Exo 23:15 = Exo 34:18, Deu 16:1 . It is the old Canaanitish name of the month called by P the ‘first month’ (see on Exo 12:2).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Abib – April. Compare Exo 12:2. It is uncertain whether this name was ancient or given then for the first time. It is found only in the Pentateuch, six times as the name of the first month, twice in the sense of young wheat, hence its etymology, namely, the month when the wheat began to ripen. The name resembles the Egyptian Epiphi, and may possibly have been derived from it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
See Exo 12:2, in the spring-time, the most proper season for a long journey.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. month Abibliterally, “agreen ear,” and hence the month Abib is the month of green ears,corresponding to the middle of our March. It was the best season forundertaking a journey to the desert region of Sinai, especially withflocks and herds; for then the winter torrents had subsided, and thewadies were covered with an early and luxuriant verdure.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
This day came ye out,…. Out of Egypt, on the fifteenth of Nisan, as the Targum of Jonathan:
in the month Abib; which signifies an ear of corn, because in this month barley was in the ear, see Ex 9:31, the Syriac version renders it, “in the month of flowers”; when the flowers were rising up out of the earth, being spring time, and a very fit time to travel in; and this is observed, not only because they might not know what month it was, in such a state of ignorance, as well as servitude, were they kept in Egypt; but as Jarchi also intimates, to point out to them the mercy and goodness of God to them, in bringing them out at such a seasonable time to travel in, when there were neither heat, nor cold, nor rain. This month answers to part of our March, and part of April.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. This day came ye out. He compares the day of their coming out with the whole time of their sojourning in the land of Canaan; as if he had said that they were redeemed not to enjoy a mere transient joy, but that they might be mindful of their blessing throughout all ages. He proceeds to eulogize the extent and the fertility of the land again, principally for two reasons. The first is, lest after such glorious victories pride should possess their minds, and in the abundance of their good things their eyes should be closed by fatness;the second, that by the very multitude of their possessions they might be the more incited to the duty of gratitude, and to the service of God. For it might be that the conquerors of so many nations, and the lords of so rich and extensive a territory would wax wanton, so as to be less devoted to God’s service, unless they had been reminded that they owed it to God alone that they had conquered so many peoples, and had obtained dominion over them. But Moses shews them that, in proportion to God’s goodness to them, so would they be the more inexcusable, if they did not earnestly labor to testify heir gratitude. With this object he repeats the names of the nations, by the destruction of which they were to become inheritors of the land; and then adds, “a land flowing with milk and honey,” in order to arouse them still more and more to piety by the great profusion of the blessings which would be ever before their eyes. Those are entirely mistaken who suppose that the month Abib (322) is the same as Ab, which corresponds with our July. For it is evident that the Israelites came out of Egypt in the month Nisan, about the vernal equinox; of which circumstance, the keeping of Easter, handed down by tradition from our forefathers, is an unquestionable proof. Now, since the Hebrews borrowed from the Chaldeans all the names of their months, which were in use two thousand years after, it would be absurd in this place to regard Abib as a proper name, especially when, in Scripture, we nowhere find the months designated by proper names. Since, then, reason demonstrates that this word is applied appellatively, we must inquire why it is applied to March or the beginning of April. Those who translate A bib “ripening fruits,” have no ground for it, since the word simply means “anything which grows;” hence it is applied to the stalks of corn; and because in those warm climates the corn rises to its height about the vernal equinox, from this fact, Nisan is called the month of stalks. It is also a probable conjecture, (as we have already said,) that the beginning of the year was changed, in order that the nativity of the Church might receive more distinction; as if the world were then renewed. The opinion of some that Noah came out of the ark in the same month, so that the temperature of spring might receive him in his new birth, as well as the other animals, I leave undecided as I have done on Gen 8:0. But if this opinion be accepted, there will be an anticipation (prolepsis) in the name of the months; and in this there will be an absurdity, because it was useful for the people to be accustomed to the rites of the Law. But I do not enter into controversy about uncertainties.
(322) אביב C. has copied the Hebrew in his text, writing it Abib, as a proper name; but in the V. it is translated “mensis novarum frugum,” and in S.M. , “mensis maturescentis frugis.” The name for July is אב, which exists in Chaldee as a general name for the fleshy fruit of trees. David Levi says, in his Lingua Sacra, that one of their Rabbis had observed that Ab or Av is not to be found in Scripture, and that all the names of the Jewish months, as Sivan, Nisan, etc., are not Hebrew but Chaldee; for which reason we do not meet with them but in the books of Zechariah, Daniel, Ezra, and Esther, which were written during the captivity; and in these four books mention is made of seven of the months, but in the Jerusalem Targum of Esther they all follow regularly. This is also the opinion of Aben-Ezra; but adds, “we find three of the months named in Hebrew, viz., Zif, in 1Kg 6:1; Bul, in same chapter, verse 38, and Ethanira in 8:2; which plainly shews that they had names for all the months in Hebrew; but during the captivity they adopted those of their masters.” — W.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) The month Abib.Abib means green ears of corn, or greenness; and the month of Abib was that in which the wheat came into ear, and the earth generally renewed its verdure. It was a vague, or shifting month, since it properly began with the day of the full moon that followed next after the vernal equinox. It retained its name until the Babylonian captivity, when the Babylonian name Nisan superseded the original one (Neh. 2:1; Est. 3:7).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Reader! Fail not to observe, that both the bringing out of Egypt, and the bringing into the promised land, are ascribed wholly to God. And is not every step in our salvation the same? Eph 2:4-9 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 13:4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.
Ver. 4. In the month Abib. ] The flowery month, as Micarius calls it. See Trapp on “ Exo 12:2 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Abib = the month of green ears. Jewish tradition says that in this month Abram was called, Isaac was born, Israel delivered from Egypt, and Tabernacle reared up. The Talmud further says: “As in Nisan there had been redemption, so in Nisan there should be redemption” (Bab. fol. 11). John’s preaching began and the Lord’s death occurred in this month.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Abib
First month, i.e. April.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Abib: Exo 23:15, Exo 34:18, Deu 16:1-3
Reciprocal: Exo 12:2 – General Exo 40:2 – the first month Num 33:3 – in the first
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
13:4 This day came ye out in the month {c} Abib.
(c) Containing part of March and part of April, when corn began to ripen in that country.