Reference: Frontlets, or Phylacteries
Smith
Frontlets, or Phylacteries.
Ex 13:16; De 6:8; 11:18; Mt 23:5
These "frontlets" or "phylacteries" were strips of parchment, on which were written four passages of Scripture,
Ex 13:2-10,11-17; De 6:4-9,13-23
in an ink prepared for the purpose. They were then rolled up in a case of black calfskin, which was attached to a stiffer piece of leather, having a thong one finger broad and one and a half cubits long. They were placed at the bend of the left arm. Those worn on the forehead were written on four strips of parchment, and put into four little cells within a square case on which the letter was written. The square had two thongs, on which Hebrew letters were inscribed. That phylacteries were used as amulets is certain, and was very natural. The expression "they make broad their phylacteries,"
refers not so much to the phylactery itself, which seems to have been of a prescribed breadth, as to the case in which the parchment was kept, which the Pharisees, among their other pretentious customs,
Mr 7:3-4; Lu 5:33
etc., made as conspicuous as they could. It is said that the Pharisees wore them always, whereas the common people only used them at prayers.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Sanctify to Me every first-born, opening any womb among the sons of Israel, among man and among beast; it is Mine.' And Moses saith unto the people, 'Remember this day in which ye have gone out from Egypt, from the house of servants, for by strength of hand hath Jehovah brought you out from this, and any thing fermented is not eaten; read more. To-day ye are going out, in the month of Abib. 'And it hath been, when Jehovah bringeth thee in unto the land of the Canaanite, and of the Hittite, and of the Amorite, and of the Hivite, and of the Jebusite, which He hath sworn to thy fathers to give to thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou hast done this service in this month. Seven days thou dost eat unleavened things, and in the seventh day is a feast to Jehovah; unleavened things are eaten the seven days, and any thing fermented is not seen with thee; yea, leaven is not seen with thee in all thy border. And thou hast declared to thy son in that day, saying, 'It is because of what Jehovah did to me, in my going out from Egypt, and it hath been to thee for a sign on thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, so that the law of Jehovah is in thy mouth, for by a strong hand hath Jehovah brought thee out from Egypt; and thou hast kept this statute at its appointed season from days to days. 'And it hath been, when Jehovah bringeth thee in unto the land of the Canaanite, as He hath sworn to thee and to thy fathers, and hath given it to thee, that thou hast caused every one opening a womb to pass over to Jehovah, and every firstling -- the increase of beasts which thou hast: the males are Jehovah's. And every firstling of an ass thou dost ransom with a lamb, and if thou dost not ransom it, then thou hast beheaded it: and every first-born of man among thy sons thou dost ransom. And it hath been, when thy son asketh thee hereafter, saying, What is this? that thou hast said unto him, By strength of hand hath Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from a house of servants; yea, it cometh to pass, when Pharaoh hath been pained to send us away, that Jehovah doth slay every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of man even unto the first-born of beast; therefore I am sacrificing to Jehovah all opening a womb who are males, and every first-born of my sons I ransom; and it hath been for a token on thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, for by strength of hand hath Jehovah brought us out of Egypt.'
and it hath been for a token on thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, for by strength of hand hath Jehovah brought us out of Egypt.' And it cometh to pass in Pharaoh's sending the people away, that God hath not led them the way of the land of the Philistines, for it is near; for God said, 'Lest the people repent in their seeing war, and have turned back towards Egypt;'
Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and thou hast loved Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, read more. and these words which I am commanding thee to-day have been on thine heart, and thou hast repeated them to thy sons, and spoken of them in thy sitting in thine house, and in thy walking in the way, and in thy lying down, and in thy rising up, and hast bound them for a sign upon thy hand, and they have been for frontlets between thine eyes,
and hast bound them for a sign upon thy hand, and they have been for frontlets between thine eyes, and thou hast written them on door-posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Jehovah thy God thou dost fear, and Him thou dost serve, and by His name thou dost swear; ye do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you; read more. for a zealous God is Jehovah thy God in thy midst -- lest the anger of Jehovah thy God burn against thee, and He hath destroyed thee from off the face of the ground. 'Ye do not try Jehovah your God as ye tried in Massah; ye do diligently keep the commands of Jehovah your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He hath commanded thee, and thou hast done that which is right and good in the eyes of Jehovah, so that it is well with thee, and thou hast gone in and possessed the good land which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers, to drive away all thine enemies from thy presence, as Jehovah hath spoken. When thy son asketh thee hereafter, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you? then thou hast said to thy son, Servants we have been to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Jehovah bringeth us out of Egypt by a high hand; and Jehovah giveth signs and wonders, great and sad, on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes; and us He hath brought out thence, in order to bring us in, to give to us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.
'And ye have placed these my words on your heart, and on your soul, and have bound them for a sign on your hand, and they have been for frontlets between your eyes;
'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, if they do not wash the hands to the wrist, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders, and, coming from the market-place, if they do not baptize themselves, they do not eat; and many other things there are that they received to hold, baptisms of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches.
And they said unto him, 'Wherefore do the disciples of John fast often, and make supplications -- in like manner also those of the Pharisees -- but thine do eat and drink?'