Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 13:16
And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
16. Like Maoth ( v. 9), the redemption of the firstborn is to serve the same purpose as a ritual mark, or badge, in reminding Israel constantly of what Jehovah had done for them.
frontlets ] Heb. phth (properly, perhaps, from the Arabic fa, to make a circuit, circlets or headbands 1 [137] ): Deu 6:8; Deu 11:18 . The word takes the place of the ‘memorial’ in v. 9. Originally, as the comparative study of religions makes probable, the ‘frontlet’ was some kind of badge worn upon the forehead as a mark of belonging to the national Deity, by which he might know who were his, and (like an amulet) guaranteeing them his protection, and also reminding those who bore it of their ceremonial duties towards him. Here it is merely said that the redemption of the firstborn is to be for (i.e. to serve the same purpose as) a ‘sign,’ or ritual mark (see on v. 9) upon the head, and ‘frontlets’ on the forehead, in reminding Israel of its duties towards Jehovah. In Deu 6:8; Deu 11:18, where the same two expressions are used, but the reference is to words, it has been generally supposed that material objects are meant (see, however, against this view the strong arguments of A. R. S. Kennedy, art. Phylacteries in DB. p. 871 f.: it is not clear that ‘these words’ in Deu 6:6 refer to vv. 4, 5 alone; cf. Deu 11:18 [138] ); and the later Jews gave effect to this interpretation of the passage by inscribing Deu 13:1-16, Deu 6:4-9; Deu 11:13-21 on small scrolls of parchment, which were enclosed in cases, and bound with leathern thongs to the forehead and left arm. These are the t e phillin, ‘prayers,’ of the later Jews, the (i.e. preservatives against demons, amulets: cf. Targ. on Son 8:3, where protection against demons is expressly said to be the object of binding on the t e phillin), mentioned in Mat 23:5 (see further DB. l.c.).
[137] This meaning is not certain; but the sense drop, jewel (worn as an amulet) does not seem established by Shabb. vi. 1, 5, quoted for it by Kennedy ( DB. iii. 872) pheth certainly denotes there something worn by women; but the Gemara ibid. interprets of a band ‘going round from ear to ear.’ The word is extremely rare: Levy ( NHWB. s.v.) states that he knows no other occurrence in post-Bibl. Heb. literature. In 2Sa 1:10 Targ. it is used of the armlet worn by Saul.
[138] LXX. also (in Dt. as well as in Ex.) interpret figuratively, , i.e. ‘something immoveably fixed before [not ‘between’] thine eyes,’ ever present to thy thoughts.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. It shall be for a token, &c.] See Clarke on Ex 13:9.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For frontlets; instead of frontlets. The sense is, This practice shall make your deliverance from Egypt as fresh and evident to you, and to your children, as any thing which you see hanged or written upon one anothers foreheads. See Eze 9:4. It seems strange to me, that they that understand the sign on the hand, and the memorial between the eyes, Exo 13:9, metaphorically, should understand the
frontlets between the eyes in this place properly, seeing the phrase is perfectly the same; only here is a more particular allusion to the custom of the Egyptians, which used to wear some devices upon their foreheads, which probably they called totaphoth, which were memorials of their idols, or of something relating to them. And therefore it seems unlikely that he should here prescribe the use of the same things to the Jews; and the more probable meaning of the phrase is only this, that this practice would be as effectual and useful a remembrancer of this mighty and glorious work of God in bringing them out of Egypt, as those contrivances were to the Egyptians of their idols.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And it shall be for a token upon thine head, and for frontlets between thine eyes,…. These laws observed concerning the setting apart the firstlings of their beasts, the redemption of the firstborn of unclean ones, and of the firstborn of men, will bring the reason of it, the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, and the preservation of the firstborn of Israel, as fresh to remembrance as any token upon the hand, put there to bring things to mind; and it will be as easily and as clearly discerned as anything upon a man’s forehead may be seen by another:
for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt: which is often mentioned, that it might be observed; it being the signs and wonders which the omnipotent hand of God wrought, especially the last, which worked upon Pharaoh, to let the people of Israel go; and their posterity, in all succeeding ages, would speak of this affair as if personally concerned in it, they being then in the loins of their ancestors, and represented by them, as well as they reaped and enjoyed all the benefits of that wonderful deliverance, the possession of the land of Canaan, and the blessings of it, as well as many other privileges both of a civil and religious kind. And so Maimonides k says,
“in every age a man is obliged to consider himself as if he in himself now went out of the bondage of Egypt, as it is said, “and he brought us forth from thence”, &c.”
k Hilchot Chametz Umetzah, c. 7. sect. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) It shall be for a token.See the comment on Exo. 13:9. The frontlets (totaphth) of this passage, and of Deu. 6:8, were called tephillin in Chaldee, both words signifying properly bands or circlets. The injunctions on the subject which are here given might undoubtedly be explained as metaphorical; but those in Deu. 6:6-9 seem to have been intended, and were certainly understood, literally.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 13:16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
Ver. 16. Frontlets. ] Phylacteries. See on Mat 23:5-6 . The right use of them was memorative: the superstitious use, preservative against the power of sin.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
token. See the Structure on p. 90.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a token: Exo 13:9, Exo 12:13
frontlets: Deu 6:7-9, Deu 11:18, Mat 23:5
for by: Exo 13:9, Exo 13:14, Deu 26:8
Reciprocal: Gen 9:12 – General Exo 14:8 – with an high hand Deu 6:8 – General Pro 6:21 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 13:16. For frontlets between thine eyes As conspicuous as any thing fixed to thy forehead, or between thine eyes. That is, they were constantly to retain such a sense of their deliverance as if they had it before their eyes.