The Meaning of Exodus 13:19 Explained

Exodus 13:19

KJV: And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

YLT: And Moses taketh the bones of Joseph with him, for he certainly caused the sons of Israel to swear, saying, 'God doth certainly inspect you, and ye have brought up my bones from this with you.'

Darby: And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had made the children of Israel swear an oath, saying, God will be sure to visit you; then ye shall carry my bones with you hence.

ASV: And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  took  the bones  of Joseph  with him: for he had straitly  sworn  the children  of Israel,  saying,  God  will surely  visit  you; and ye shall carry up  my bones  away  hence with you. 

What does Exodus 13:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 13:17-22 - The People Are Led Out And Pursued
There were two routes to Canaan, the nearest through the land of the Philistines; but to take that would have exposed the Hebrews to the very sights that so dismayed the twelve spies. See Numbers 33:1-56. They might have had to fight every mile of advance. This would have been too great an ordeal for their young faith. So God, like the mother eagle, bore them on His wings. The Angel who conducted the march in the cloud chariot, led them about. Thus God deals with us still, tempering the wind to the shorn lamb. Patience and faith are still severely tested by the circuitous and laborious route, but when in the afterwards we understand God's reasons, we are satisfied. There are many lessons learned on the wilderness route. How often God leads us into what seem to be impossible positions, that in our absolute extremity there may be room for Him to work. All is love. See Psalms 136:1-26. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 13

1  The firstborn are sanctified to God
3  The memorial of the Passover is commanded
11  The firstborn of man and beast are set apart
17  The Israelites go out of Egypt, and carry Joseph's bones with them
20  They come to Etham
21  God guides them by a pillar of a cloud, and a pillar of fire

What do the individual words in Exodus 13:19 mean?

And took Moses - the bones of Joseph with him for solemn he had placed under oath the sons of Israel saying surely will visit God you and you shall carry up my bones from this [place] with you
וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־ עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹסֵ֖ף עִמּ֑וֹ כִּי֩ הַשְׁבֵּ֨עַ הִשְׁבִּ֜יעַ בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּקֹ֨ד יִפְקֹ֤ד אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֧ם עַצְמֹתַ֛י מִזֶּ֖ה אִתְּכֶֽם

וַיִּקַּ֥ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מֹשֶׁ֛ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עַצְמ֥וֹת  the  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
יוֹסֵ֖ף  of  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
עִמּ֑וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
הַשְׁבֵּ֨עַ  solemn 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
הִשְׁבִּ֜יעַ  he  had  placed  under  oath 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
בְּנֵ֤י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פָּקֹ֨ד  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
יִפְקֹ֤ד  will  visit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
אֱלֹהִים֙  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֧ם  and  you  shall  carry  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עַצְמֹתַ֛י  my  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
מִזֶּ֖ה  from  this  [place] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אִתְּכֶֽם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.