General Discussion Exodus 13

[gib65]

I had a re-read of Exodus 13 interpreting "opening the womb" to mean merely something coming out of the womb--a newborn, a miscarriaged fetus, or whatever--and I think it makes way more sense. So no need for talk about C-sections or abortions or someone performing the procedure of literally cutting the womb open.

Exodus 13:12 says:

that you shall give over to the Lord whatever opens the womb, and every miscarriage that opens the womb of an animal which will be yours, the males belong to the Lord.

So only the males of miscarriaged animals belong to the Lord.

And every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, and if you do not redeem [it], you shall decapitate it, and every firstborn of man among your sons, you shall redeem.

Now this sounds simply to be saying every firstborn of man is to be redeemed by (perhaps) a lamb (if you don't want to decapitate him or her). The sacrifice of the lamb (or some other animal) would still seem like a fitting substitute for the death of one firstborn Egyptian, thereby alleviating the Israelites of the requirement to literally sacrifice their firstborns.

And it came to pass when Pharaoh was too stubborn to let us out, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I slaughter [for a sacrifice] all males that open the womb, and every firstborn of my sons I will redeem.

I now read this as "I slaughter all males of animals that open the womb, and every firstborn of my sons I will redeem (with a sacrifice rather than slaughtering him)".