Verse 2. Sanctify unto me all the first-born] To sanctify, dq kadash, signifies to consecrate, separate, and set apart a thing or person from all secular purposes to some religious use; and exactly answers to the import of the Greek agiazw, from a, privative, and gh, the earth, because every thing offered or consecrated to God was separated from all earthly uses.
Hence a holy person or saint is termed agiov, i.e., a person separated from the earth; one who lives a holy life, entirely devoted to the service of God.
Thus the persons and animals sanctified to God were employed in the service of the tabernacle and temple; and the animals, such as were proper, were offered in sacrifice.
Whatsoever openeth the womb] That is, the first-born, if a male; for females were not offered, nor the first male, if a female had been born previously. Again, if a man had several wives
, the first-born of each, if a male, was to be offered to God. And all this was done to commemorate the preservation of the first-born of the Israelites, when those of the Egyptians were destroyed.
Verses 1-10 - In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both of man and of beast, and the deliverance of the Israelites out of bondage the first-born males of the Israelites were set apart to the Lord. By this was set before them, that their lives were preserved through the ransom of the atonement, which in due time was to be made for sin. The were also to consider their lives, thus ransomed from death, as now to be consecrated to the service of God. The parents were not to look upo themselves as having any right in their first-born, till they solemnl presented them to God, and allowed his title to them. That which is, by special mercy, spared to us, should be applied to God's honour; a least, some grateful acknowledgment, in works of piety and charity should be made. The remembrance of their coming out of Egypt must be kept up every year. The day of Christ's resurrection is to be remembered, for in it we were raised up with Christ out of death' house of bondage. The Scripture tells us not expressly what day of the year Christ rose, but it states particularly what day of the week it was; as the more valuable deliverance, it should be remembered weekly The Israelites must keep the feast of unleavenedbread. Under the gospel, we must not only remember Christ, but observe his holy supper Do this in remembrance of him. Also care must be taken to teac children the knowledge of God. Here is an old law for catechising. It is of great use to acquaint children betimes with the histories of the Bible. And those who have God's law in their heart should have it in their mouth, and often speak of it, to affect themselves, and to teac others.
