Exodus 13:9
in Exodus 13It shall be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the Law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of Jehovah may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath Jehovah brought thee out of Egypt.
KJV
And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.
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This verse in Exodus 13
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Hebrew writers have generally regarded this as a formal injunction to write the precepts on slips of parchment, and to fasten them on the wrists and forehead; but other commentators are generally agreed that it is to be understood metaphorically. The words appear to be put into the mouths of the parents. They were to keep all the facts of the Passover constantly in mind, and, referring to a custom prevalent ages before Moses in Egypt, to have them present as though they were inscribed on papyrus or parchment fastened on the wrists, or on the face between the eyes.
This site's exposition
thou shalt shew thy son in that day
on Exodus 13:8-9
The father answers his child with what was done to him, since the words given him are because of that which the Lord did unto me. The sign upon the hand and the memorial between the eyes have been read two ways for a very long time. Jewish practice takes the instruction literally and binds written portions of the law on the arm and the head, while Calvin and many after him read the words as a figure for keeping the deliverance in constant view. The verse itself states the purpose, that the law of the Lord may be in thy mouth.
This site's exposition
a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead
Albert Barnes hears the sign spoken by the parents to their son, and he ties it to an old custom in Egypt of wearing written texts on the hand and the forehead. Matthew 23:5 names the phylacteries worn in the time of Jesus.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), the Lord brought them out of Egypt. The more opposition is given to the accomplishment of God's purposes the more is his power magnified therein. It is a strong hand that conquers hard hearts.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
12, 13. every firstling, &c.--the injunction respecting the consecration of the first-born, as here repeated, with some additional circumstances. The firstlings of clean beasts, such as lambs, kids, and calves, if males, were to be devoted to God and employed in sacrifice. Those unclean beasts, as the ass's colt, being unfit for sacrifice, were to be redeemed (Nu 18:15).
And it shall be for a sign - upon thine hand - This direction, repeated and enlarged Exo 13:16, gave rise to phylacteries or tephillin, and this is one of the passages which the Jews write upon them to the present day. The manner in which the Jews understood and kept these commands may appear in their practice. They wrote the following four portions of the law upon slips of parchment or vellum: Sanctify unto me the first-born, Exodus 13, from Exo 13:2-10 inclusive. And it shall be, when the Lord shall bring thee into the land, Exodus 13, from Exo 13:11-16 inclusive. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, Deuteronomy 6, from Deu 6:4-9 inclusive. And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently, Deuteronomy 11, from Deu 11:13-21 inclusive. These four portions, making in all 30 verses, written as mentioned above, and covered with leather, they tied to the forehead and to the hand or arm. Those which were for the Head (the frontlets) they wrote on four slips of parchment, and rolled up each by itself, and placed them in four compartments, joined together in one piece of skin or leather. Those which were designed for the hand were formed of one piece of parchment, the four portions being written upon it in four columns, and rolled up from one end to the other. These were all correct transcripts from the Mosaic text, without one redundant or deficient letter, otherwise they were not lawful to be worn. Those for the head were tied on so as to rest on the forehead. Those for the hand or arm were usually tied on the left arm, a little above the elbow, on the inside, that they might be near the heart, according to the command, Deu 6:6: And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Mi-yamim yamimah (from year to year) is similar to yamim tiheyeh ge’ullato (for a full year shall he have the right of redemption (Lev.:29).
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
You must preserve this statute in its appointed time, from year to year.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָה֩ | vehayah | and it will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְךָ֨ | lekha | for you | ||
| לְא֜וֹת | leot | <into> a sign | H226 → | 80 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יָדְךָ֗ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ | ulezikaron | and <into> a reminder | H2146 → | 24 times |
| בֵּ֣ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| עֵינֶ֔יךָ | ʾeineikha | eyes your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| לְמַ֗עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תִּהְיֶ֛ה | tihyeh | <it> may be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| תּוֹרַ֥ת | torat | [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּפִ֑יךָ | befikha | in mouth your | H6310 → | 498 times |
| כִּ֚י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְּיָ֣ד | beyad | by a hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| חֲזָקָ֔ה | chazakah | strong | H2389 → | 56 times |
| הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ | hotziakha | he brought out you | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| יְהֹוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ | mimitzrayim | from Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
וְהָיָה֩and it will become
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
לְךָ֨for you
lekha
לְא֜וֹת<into> a sign
leotH226 →80 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יָדְךָ֗hand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙and <into> a reminder
ulezikaronH2146 →24 times
בֵּ֣יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
עֵינֶ֔יךָeyes your
ʾeineikhaH5869 →887 times
לְמַ֗עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תִּהְיֶ֛ה<it> may be
tihyehH1961 →3559 times
תּוֹרַ֥ת[the] law of
toratH8451 →219 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּפִ֑יךָin mouth your
befikhaH6310 →498 times
כִּ֚יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְּיָ֣דby a hand
beyadH3027 →1618 times
חֲזָקָ֔הstrong
chazakahH2389 →56 times
הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥he brought out you
hotziakhaH3318 →1067 times
יְהֹוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃from Egypt
mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 6:8Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 11:18
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 6:21
Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
- Proverbs 3:3
Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
- Proverbs 7:3
Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
- Deuteronomy 11:18
Through
Exodus 12:14And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 23:21
The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”
- Exodus 12:17
So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a permanent statute…
- Exodus 12:24
And you are to keep this command as a permanent statute for you and your descendants.
- Exodus 13:9–10
It shall be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the Law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For with a mighty hand the…
- 2 Kings 23:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.