And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
Then you shall speak and declare before the LORD your God: 'My ancestor was a wandering Syrian who was about to die, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with just a few people, and there he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation.'
This verse is part of a declaration remembering how God's people started as one nearly-dying wanderer who became the father of a great nation in Egypt.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of a ritual declaration that Israelites were to recite when bringing their first fruits to God, specifically referring to Jacob (Israel) who fled to Egypt during famine. The 'Syrian' reference likely points to Jacob's time in Paddan-aram (Syria) with his uncle Laban, and his eventual journey to Egypt where his descendants multiplied into the nation of Israel over 400 years.
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