KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)
TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT
To get what Exodus 34:20 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.
“But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.”
What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].
| KJV Verse | Original Hebrew | Meaning/ Definition This is a simplified translation of the original Hebrew word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail. | More Use the buttons below to get details on the Hebrew word and view related Bible verses that use the same root word. |
|---|---|---|---|
| “But the firstling” | וּפֶ֤טֶר | A fissure, i.e., (concretely) firstling (as opening the matrix) | firstling |
| “of an ass” | חֲמוֹר֙ | A male ass (from its dun red) | ass |
| “thou shalt redeem” | תִּפְדֶּ֣ה | To sever, i.e., ransom; generally to release, preserve | redeem |
| “with a lamb:” | בְשֶׂ֔ה | A member of a flock, i.e., a sheep or goat | lamb |
| “and if” | וְאִם | Used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not | if |
| “thou redeem” | תִפְדֶּ֖ה | To sever, i.e., ransom; generally to release, preserve | redeem |
| “him” | (No Hebrew definition. English implied.) | ||
| “not,” | לֹ֥א | Not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles | not |
| “then shalt thou break his neck.” | וַֽעֲרַפְתּ֑וֹ | To break the neck; hence (figuratively) to destroy | then break neck |
| “All” | כֹּ֣ל | Properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense) | All |
| “the firstborn” | בְּכ֤וֹר | First-born; hence, chief | firstborn |
| “of thy sons” | בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ | A son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.) | sons |
| “thou shalt redeem.” | תִּפְדֶּ֔ה | To sever, i.e., ransom; generally to release, preserve | redeem |
| “And none” | וְלֹֽא | Not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles | none |
| “shall appear” | יֵרָא֥וּ | To see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative) | appear |
| “before” | פָנַ֖י | The face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.) | before |
| “me empty.” | רֵיקָֽם׃ | Emptily; figuratively (objective) ineffectually, (subjective) undeservedly | empty |
See Exodus 34:20 with its adjacent verses in bold below. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance.
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18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.