8071. Verses 11-16 And it shall be when Jehovah brings you into the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall make over to Jehovah all that open the womb; ¹ and all offspring opening it among the beasts which you will have, if they are males, shall be for Jehovah. ² And all that open it among the asses ³ you shall redeem with a member of the flock; and if you do not redeem it you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And it shall be when your son asks you tomorrow, saying, What is this? that you are to say to him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slaves. And so it was when Pharaoh hardened himself against sending us away, that Jehovah killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man even to the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that open the womb, if they are males ⁴ ; and all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. And it shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes; for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt.

'And it shall be when Jehovah brings you into the land of the Canaanite' means the region of heaven occupied by those steeped in evil and falsity. 'As He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you' means which the Divine promised to those governed by goodness and truth. 'That you shall make over to Jehovah all that open the womb' means that faith springing from charity, which comes with regeneration, is the Lord's. 'And all offspring opening it among the beasts' means all charity belonging to the new birth. 'Which you will have, if they are males' means which is intrinsically the truth of faith. 'Shall be for Jehovah' means that it is the Lord's. 'And all that open it among the asses you shall redeem with a member of the flock' means that merely natural faith must not be ascribed to the Lord, but the truth of innocence present within it.

'And if you do not redeem it you shall break its neck' means that if the truth of innocence is not present within it, it is to be separated and cast aside. 'And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem' means that the truths of faith are not to be ascribed to the Lord, but forms of the good of faith. 'And it shall be when your son asks you' means perception springing from truth that belongs to conscience. 'Tomorrow' means always when this takes place. 'What is this?' means enquiry why it is so. 'That you are to say to him' means the reply. 'By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slaves' means that by the Lord's Divine power they were delivered from spiritual captivity. 'And so it was when Pharaoh hardened himself against sending us away' means when those who molested by means of falsities were obstinately determined not to let them be released. 'That Jehovah killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt' means that all governed by faith separated from charity were damned. 'From the firstborn of man even to the firstborn of beast' means the falsity, interior and exterior, belonging to separated faith. 'Therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that open the womb, if they are males' means that therefore the faith springing from charity, which belongs to the new birth, is to be ascribed to the Lord. 'And all the firstborn of my sons I redeem' means that the truths of faith are not to be ascribed to the Lord, but forms of the good of faith. 'And it shall be as a sign on your hand' means that it shall be constantly in the will. 'And as frontlets between the eyes' means that it shall be constantly in the understanding. 'For by strength of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt' means that they were delivered by the Lord's Divine power.

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