וְכָל־פֶּ֤טֶר חֲמֹר֙ תִּפְדֶּ֣ה בְשֶׂ֔ה וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה וַעֲרַפְתֹּ֑ו וְכֹ֨ל בְּכֹ֥ור אָדָ֛ם בְּבָנֶ֖יךָ תִּפְדֶּֽה׃ (Exodus 13:13)
Overview: Ritual Regulation and Its Syntax
Exodus 13:13 establishes sacrificial and redemptive protocol for firstborn males—both animal and human. The syntax of this verse reflects legal clarity, using conditional structure, modal imperatives, and tightly bound coordination. The rhythm and form mirror the seriousness of the command and the theological principle of substitutionary redemption.
Clause Structure: Legal Sequence with a Conditional Middle
The verse contains three main clauses:
1. וְכָל־פֶּ֤טֶר חֲמֹר֙ תִּפְדֶּ֣ה בְשֶׂ֔ה
“And every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb”
2. וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה וַעֲרַפְתֹּ֑ו
“And if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck”
3. וְכֹ֨ל בְּכֹ֥ור אָדָ֛ם בְּבָנֶ֖יךָ תִּפְדֶּֽה
“And every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem”
The verse begins and ends with commands for redemption, while the middle clause presents a legal conditional detailing the consequence of non-redemption.
Word Order and Emphasis: Priority of Object
In all three clauses, the object precedes the verb, which is common in Biblical Hebrew legal texts:
– כָל־פֶּ֤טֶר חֲמֹר֙ before תִּפְדֶּ֣ה
– כֹ֨ל בְּכֹ֥ור אָדָ֛ם before תִּפְדֶּֽה
This object–verb order emphasizes what is being redeemed, foregrounding the sacred status of the firstborn.
Nominal Phrases: Defining the Subjects of Redemption
– פֶּ֤טֶר חֲמֹר – “firstborn of a donkey” (construct phrase)
– בְּכֹ֥ור אָדָ֛ם – “firstborn of man” (construct phrase)
– בְּבָנֶ֖יךָ – “among your sons”: clarifies that this applies to male human offspring
Each phrase tightly defines the class of beings subject to redemption.
Verbal Syntax: Imperative Modality and Narrative Flow
– תִּפְדֶּה – Qal imperfect 2ms used as imperative: “you shall redeem”
– וַעֲרַפְתֹּו – Qal perfect with vav-consecutive (wayyiqtol) 2ms: “you shall break its neck”
The transition from תִּפְדֶּה to וַעֲרַפְתֹּו signals a move from a volitional command to an obligatory consequence. The syntax makes the conditional force explicit: redeem—or kill.
Conditional Clause: Syntax of Accountability
– וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה – “And if you do not redeem [it]”: a standard legal conditional.
– The coordinated consequence וַעֲרַפְתֹּו (then you must break its neck) underscores mandatory outcome, not optional.
This is a compact legal sentence with maximal grammatical precision and theological weight.
Agreement: Consistency of Verb Forms
All verbs are 2nd person masculine singular, addressing the individual Israelite male head of household, responsible for obeying divine instructions regarding sacred life.
Theological Implication in Syntactic Symmetry
The first and third clauses form a syntactic inclusio, both beginning with וְכָל / וְכֹל and ending with תִּפְדֶּה. This frames the law as a unified principle across species: both animal and human firstborn must be redeemed.
The Architecture of Obligation
Exodus 13:13 reveals a syntax that mirrors divine justice: structured, consequential, and redemptive. The coordination of commands, conditions, and consequences is grammatically inevitable. In this way, the syntax itself teaches: life must be redeemed—or judgment follows. The verse is a covenantal statute etched in structure as much as in law.
