What is the meaning of Exodus 13:10?

Therefore

The word “therefore” ties Exodus 13:10 back to verses 3–9, where the LORD explains the Feast of Unleavened Bread and its purpose.

• God has just redeemed Israel from Egypt; “therefore” calls for a response (Exodus 12:26–27).

• Obedience flows from salvation, never the other way around (Exodus 20:2-3; Titus 2:14).

• Similar language appears in Exodus 12:24: “And you are to keep this command as a permanent statute for you and your descendants.”

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you shall keep

“Shall” makes the command non-negotiable; “keep” carries the sense of guarding something precious.

• The people are not merely to remember but to practice (Deuteronomy 6:17; John 14:15).

• Keeping God’s word preserves identity and witness (Psalm 119:11; 1 Peter 2:9).

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this statute

The “statute” points specifically to the Passover and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 13:3-7).

• It commemorates deliverance by the blood of the lamb (Exodus 12:13; 1 Corinthians 5:7).

• It teaches each generation the cost of redemption (Exodus 13:8-9).

• Jesus fulfilled the statute while instituting the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:15-20).

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at the appointed time

God sets the calendar; His appointments are not arbitrary.

• Leviticus 23:4 calls the feasts “the LORD’s appointed times.”

• Regular rhythms train hearts to anticipate greater fulfillment (Galatians 4:4; Colossians 2:16-17).

• Meeting God on His timetable nurtures trust and dependence (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

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year after year

The practice is perpetual, shaping collective memory.

• Exodus 12:14 names it “a permanent ordinance.”

• Elkanah’s family went “year after year” to Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:3), and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem annually (Luke 2:41).

• Ongoing observance guards against drifting and rekindles gratitude (Hebrews 2:1).

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summary

Exodus 13:10 commands a redeemed people to guard the Passover-Unleavened Bread statute faithfully, on God’s schedule, every year. The verse calls believers to consistent, wholehearted obedience that keeps the story of salvation alive from one generation to the next, all pointing to and fulfilled in Christ, our Passover Lamb.