Chapter Twelve
The Passover
Chapter twelve introduces us to Passover, a significant event for the Israelites then and still for the Jews today. It is also important for Christians since many years later, on exactly the same day, Jesus died on the cross. When Jesus first approached John the Baptist, John loudly proclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) connecting Jesus to Passover, being the ultimate Passover Lamb (see also Isaiah 53:7; John 1:36; Acts 8:32; Hebrews 10:4-14; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 5:6).
12:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
God changes the calendar by making the current month, known as ‘Ā·ḇîḇ’ (or ‘Abib’),[1] previously the seventh month of the year, to be the first month of the year. Some believe that this “new year” represents a new era of freedom for the Israelites, which could be commemorated by starting a new year. It could also be that by making Abib the first month, God was ordaining a new year of festivals and celebrations that would memorialize great feats He did for His people, beginning with Passover. Each of these celebrations will acknowledge what God has done, as well as what He will also do in the future on the same day; for example, Jesus’ crucifixion being on the same day of Passover many years later.
12:3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
This is the first occurrence of the word ‘ē·ḏā(h’),[2] translated here as ‘congregation’, it refers to a community or an assembly of people. God instructs that on the tenth day of this month, every man shall select a lamb, one for each household. If a household is too small for a lamb, that household is allowed to share with their nearest neighbor. The lamb selected will need to feed each person without leftovers (we will soon learn that everyone will need to eat the meat, and all of the meat will need to be eaten or burned). The sheep or goat lamb is to be a one-year-old male and without blemish (Hebrew word ‘ṯā·mîm’,[3] meaning blameless, perfect, complete). Then on the fourteenth day everyone is to kill the lambs after the sun goes down.
12:7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
Some of the blood from the slaughtered lamb is to be applied to the two doorposts and across the top of the doorway (the lintel) of each house where the lamb is to be eaten.
12:8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
God further describes the meal; they are to cook and eat the lamb that night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The last time we saw unleavened bread was when Lot was fixing a quick meal for the two angels that came to Sodom (see Genesis 19:3); as noted earlier, ‘leaven’ is consistently related to sin and corruption.[4] Here, having unleavened bread is not a reference to a quick meal like before, but instead refers to the lack of sin and corruption. The apostle Paul reminds us of who is without sin, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6b-8) The bitter tasting herbs are often considered symbolic for the bitterness of the Egyptian bondage.
12:9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.
God reiterates that the meat was to be roasted over fire, including its head, legs, and inner parts. None of the animal was to be eaten raw or boiled in water (some note that would differentiate it from pagan practices). Each lamb was to be completely consumed, if any remained uneaten the remnant was to be burned.
Then God gives instructions on how the lamb was to be eaten. Each person was to be dressed ready to leave quickly with their belt fastened tightly around their garments (it’s hard to run with loose clothing), sandals already on their feet, and walking staff ready in their hand. They were to eat the meat quickly, as this is God’s Passover. This is the first appearance of the Hebrew word ‘pě’·sǎḥ’,[5] meaning to pass or leap over something.
12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
God will pass through the land of Egypt that night and kill every firstborn, both human and animal. The final plague that will clearly demonstrate YHWH’s superiority over all so-called gods and goddesses.
12:13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
While passing through Egypt, God will look for the houses that has blood around the doors. When He sees the blood, He will “pass over” that house and no one will be killed in that household. The Hebrew word ‘ně’·ḡěp’,[6] translated here as ‘plague’, is a noun that refers to being struck or stumbling, usually a fatal strike, this is the first time this word is found in Scripture.
12:14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
God gives them instruction and hope by telling the Israelites that not only will they get out of Egypt safely, but they will also survive as a people. They are to celebrate this event as a feast to God every year, forever. This is the first time we see the Hebrew word ‘zik·kā·rǒn’[7] in the Bible, it refers to something done to help remember a significant event (a memorial day).
12:15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
This and the following five verses provide instruction on how to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, another festival which will also be celebrated annually. This is the second festival of the year and since it begins on the day following Passover, it is often used as a metonym, where one item is used to signify another that is closely related to it. For example, the gospel writer Luke wrote, “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.” (Luke 22:1) The Feast of Unleavened Bread will be initiated immediately after the Passover as the Exodus out of Egypt begins (see Exodus 13:3).
The Israelites are to eat unleavened bread for a full week, and they are to remove any leaven from their homes on the first day. If someone eats anything that contains leaven that week will be cut off from the rest of the community. In many ways being cut off from their culture, families and from God, is believed to be a fate worse than death.
12:16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you.
This will be weeklong festival, beginning with a gathering of people for a celebration (a holy assembly of the Israelites) and end one week later with a similar celebration. No work is to be done on those two days except what is required for cooking.
12:17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. 18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be celebrated on the same days every year (from evening of the fourteenth day of Abib, immediately after Passover, to the twenty-first day of the same month). The warning about eating anything leavened is repeated (see verse 15) except verse 19 adds that the warning applies to those people passing through Israel as well as those native to the land.
Additional information and instruction for Passover will later be found in Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 9:1-14, 28:16; and Deuteronomy 16:1-7.
12:21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.
Moses calls the elders and clan leaders to proceed with selecting and killing their Passover lambs. He undoubtedly passed on the instructions on how to select a lamb.
12:22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
Moses explains how to apply the blood to the lintel and doorposts, using some hyssop branches. It is interesting to note that hyssop will later be associated with various purification rituals (see Leviticus 14:1-9, 48-53; Numbers 19:1-9, 14-19; Hebrews 9:15-22) and becomes a symbol for spiritual purification from sin (see Psalms 51:6-9). According to apostle John’s account of Jesus on the cross (remember it was on the same day), when Jesus stated He was thirsty, they gave Him some sour wine on a hyssop branch (see John 19:29).
12:23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
Moses tells the Israelites that God will pass through and strike the Egyptians and will avoid or ‘pass over’ the houses with the blood applied to the lintel and doorposts. YHWH will not allow the destroyer to enter any house that has the blood applied. Some use the term “destroyer” to point out that God used an angel, often called “the angel of death,” however the text makes it clear that God is directly responsible for the deaths.
12:24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25 And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
Moses informs the Israelites that they will observe Passover every year to teach future generations about God. When their children see them keeping Passover and ask what does it mean? The parents are to say that “it is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover,” for He passed over their houses and spared their lives, emphasizing the sacrifice given. The Israelites immediately recognized the solemn nature of what was about to take place for them and bowed the heads and worshiped God.[8] Years later the ultimate sacrifice was given when God’s Son became our Passover Lamb.
12:28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
After listening to Moses, they went back to their homes and did exactly what God told them to do.
Considerations
As a result of God changing the beginning of the year in verse two, He places special attention on the event of Passover by making it the first of several God-ordained annual celebrations. It also produced another way to sequence the months in a year, creating what has become known as either a ‘Spiritual’, ‘Sacred’, ‘Religious’ or ‘Ecclesiastical’ year that begins with the month of Abib. However, instead of replacing the previous annual system of months, the older method remained and became known as the ‘Civic’ or ‘Civil’ year, which begins with the month of Tishri.
|
Month Name |
Civic Year Order |
Religious Year Order |
Gregorian Calendar* |
|
Tishri |
1 |
7 |
September-October |
|
Bul |
2 |
8 |
October-November |
|
Chislev |
3 |
9 |
November-December |
|
Tebeth |
4 |
10 |
December-January |
|
Shebat |
5 |
11 |
January-February |
|
Adar |
6 |
12 |
February-March |
|
Abib |
7 |
1 |
March-April |
|
Ziv |
8 |
2 |
April-May |
|
Sivan |
9 |
3 |
May-June |
|
Tammuz |
10 |
4 |
June-July |
|
Ab |
11 |
5 |
July-August |
|
Elul |
12 |
6 |
August-September |
*Range only, not precise due to variations of methods used to account for solar and lunar cycles.
The following is a brief description of each month in alphabetic order. Also note, not every name can be found in Scripture.
Ab, Av “the season of fruit”
A name introduced after the Babylonian captivity (seen in Jewish literature); however, it does not appear in the Bible, only described as the “fifth month,” (for example, see Numbers 33:38; Jeremiah 1:3; Zechariah 7:3). The month is known for its sorrow, the first day for the death of Aaron (see Numbers 33:38) and the ninth day for a series of disasters (known as Tisha B’Av), including the exclusion from the Promised Land (while the date is not specified in Scripture, it is believed to have occurred on this date as referenced in the Mishnah Tractate Ta’anit 4:6),[9] the destruction of the First Temple by Nebuchadnezzar, and the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans. According to the same Tractate in the Mishnah, “When Ab comes, rejoicing diminishes.”
Abib “an ear of corn”
(Also known as the month of Nisan, “the month of flowers”)
The month of newly ripened grain (see Exodus 13:4; 23:15). Later became known as the month of Nisan after the Babylonian captivity (see Nehemiah 2:1)
Adar “large”
Name first used after the captivity (see Esther 3:7, 13; 8:12; 9:1, 15, 17, 19, 21). In modern Jewish calendars a second month named Adar is added seven times in nineteen years to compensate for solar cycle deviation (leap years).
Bul “rainy”
(Also known as the month Marchesvan or Cheshvan)
The eighth ecclesiastical month of the year (see 1 Kings 6:38), and the second month of the civil year.
Chislev, Chisleu, Kislev
The name is believed to have been adopted from the Babylonians by the Jews after the Captivity (see Nehemiah 1:1; Zechariah 7:1)
Elul “nothingness”
The name of the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year, and the twelfth of the civil year (see Nehemiah 6:15).
Shebat, Se’bat “a rod or tribe”
The name found only once in Scripture (see Zechariah 1:7). The Jews began in this month to number the years of the trees they planted, the fruits of which were esteemed impure till the fourth year.
Sivan
Believed to be a Persian word meaning “bricks,” located only once in the Bible (see Esther 8:9).
Tammuz
Considered the Accadian sun-god (the Adonis of the Greeks), the husband of the goddess Ishtar. In the Chaldean calendar there was a month set apart in honor of this god, the beginning of the summer solstice. At this festival, which lasted six days, the worshippers, with loud lamentations, bewailed the funeral of the god, they sat “weeping for Tammuz” (see Ezekiel 8:14)
Tebeth
A word probably of Persian origin, we see it refers to the tenth month of the seventh year of the reign of King Ahasuerus of Persia when Esther was queen (see Esther 2:16)
Tishri “beginning”
(First called Ethanim, see 1 Kings 8:2)
The first month of the civil year, and the seventh of the ecclesiastical year.
Ziv, Zif “brightness or splendor”
(Also known as Iyar)
Mentioned only in 1 Kings 6:1, 37, as the “second month.”
Simple answer, because mankind has a problem with remembering. For example, when people are blessed and become prosperous, they often turn away and forget God. When they are away from God they do as they want and ignore God and His Word, in some cases even embrace idolatry and pagan thinking.
The issue of memory affects all of us. If we do not make God a priority, we run the risk of forgetting what God has done for us. For the Israelites several festivals will help them stay close to God, but even then they will stumble. For Christians, we need to remember what Jesus did for us (see Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) and make Him a priority in our lives.
The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn
12:29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.
On the day of the Passover, God did just as He said He would do, He killed all of the firstborn in Egypt. Everyone from the highest political office or social class to the lowest position, here described as one in prison (previously the analogy was a servant girl behind a millstone, see Exodus 11:5), including all the firstborn livestock.
12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.
Discovering the loss of loved ones that night, the Egyptians respond with a collective cry of agony. Possibly awakened by the loud cries, Pharaoh discovers his own heir to the throne dead. Not a single house unprotected by the blood was spared from this deadly plague.
12:31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
Pharaoh, now defeated for the moment, recognized the futility in being stubborn with the Israelites and fighting their God. He agrees to let them go with no conditions. He also asks Moses to pray for him, possibly to prevent future plagues.
Considerations
The idea of plagues to demonstrate power and authority seems excessive to some, as many people were either extremely inconvenienced or died as the direct result of these ten plagues. Some claim that many of the Egyptians were innocent. But we know that sin is a serious problem[10] and that no one is truly innocent, that is why Jesus came to save us. So before criticizing God about His methods (not that anyone could ever qualify for that debate, we need to remember that the finite cannot understand the infinite), one should ask themselves, if you wanted to demonstrate your omnipotence, how would you do it? Remember, it needs to be impactful and newsworthy, so that there would not be any question from any of the locals to all those in the surrounding nations.
As pointed out earlier, God did not need to use plagues to get His people out of Egypt[11]. The plagues would serve as a way to show the Egyptians, the Israelites, and the surrounding nations all at once that the God of the Israelites was the only true omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God (see commentary under Exodus 4:21).
The plagues, and the following miracles as the Israelites left Egypt, became an identifier for God, as He often referred to Himself as “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2) That statement, or similar, is used over fifty times in Scripture (including Exodus 20:2; 29:46; Leviticus 11:45; 19:36; 22:33; 23:43; 25:38, 42, 55; 26:13, 45; Numbers 15:41; Deuteronomy 5:6; 6:12; 7:8, 19; 8:14; 13:5, 10; 20:1; 26:8; 29:25; Joshua 24:17; Judges 2:1, 12; 6:8; 1 Samuel 8:8; 10:18; 12:6, 8; 2 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 8:16, 21, 51, 53; 9:9; 2 Kings 17:7, 36; Psalm 81:10; 105:36-37; 136:10-11; Jeremiah 2:6; 7:22; 11:4, 7; 16:14; 23:7-8; 31:32; 32:21; 34:13; Daniel 9:15; Amos 2:10; 3:1; 9:7; Micah 6:4) Some even refer to this statement as God’s Old Testament “calling card.”
Here is a list of the plagues. Since the Egyptians literally deified everything, each of these plagues demonstrated authority over at least one god or goddess, those deities are listed. But what about the Israelites and the rest of the world? Each of the plagues demonstrated that God had dominion over His creation, those realms are also listed.
|
No. |
Plague |
Partial List of Egyptian gods Who Lost Authority |
God Demonstrated Dominion Over |
|
1 |
Water to blood |
Isis, Khnum, Hapi, Osiris |
Fundamental elements of life |
|
2 |
Frogs |
Hapi, Heket |
Things living on the ground |
|
3 |
Gnats |
Geb |
Things that affect cleanliness |
|
4 |
Flies |
Uatchit, Khepri |
Things living that can fly |
|
5 |
Livestock |
Ptah, Hathor, Mnevis, Apis, Amon |
Life and death of animals |
|
6 |
Boils |
Sekhet, Serapis, Imhotep |
Health and disease |
|
7 |
Thunder, Hail, and Fire |
Nut, Isis, Seth, Shu |
Climate, weather, mankind, animals, and plants |
|
8 |
Locusts |
Serapia, Osiris |
Pestilence |
|
9 |
Darkness |
Ra, Amon-ra, Aten, Atum, Horus, Thoth |
Sun, moon, stars, the universe, and the laws of physics |
|
10 |
Death of firstborn child |
Pharaoh, the man-god |
Life and death of humans |
Previously we discussed the similarities between some of the ten plagues and those used as judgments in the book of Revelation. Here is a quick comparison of the plagues used to demonstrate God’s sovereign authority and judgment in Egypt to those that will occur during earth's final judgment (often referred to as the Tribulation period) as recorded in that last book of the Bible.
|
Egyptian Plagues |
Seal Judgments |
Trumpet Judgments |
Bowl Judgments |
|
Plague No. 1 - Water of the Nile becomes blood (see Exodus 7:14-25) |
|
Second Trumpet - One third of sea turns to blood (see Revelation 8:8) |
Second Bowl - All sea water (oceans) turn to blood (see Revelation 16:3) Third Bowl - All fresh water sources become blood (see Revelation 16:4-6) |
|
Plague No. 6 - Boils (see Exodus 9:8-12) |
|
|
First Bowl - Harmful and painful sores on those who bore the mark of the beast (see Revelation 16:2) |
|
Plague No. 7 - Hail (see Exodus 9:23-25) |
|
Seventh Trumpet - Heavy hail (see Revelation 11:19) |
Seventh Bowl - Very heavy hail with hundred-pound hail stones falling (see Revelation 16:21) |
|
Plague No. 8 - Locusts (see Exodus 10:4-20) |
|
Fifth Trumpet - Supernatural locusts (see Revelation 9:1-11) |
|
|
Plague No. 9 - Darkness (see Exodus 10:21-23) |
|
Fourth Trumpet - One third of sun, moon, and stars darkened (see Revelation 8:12) |
Fifth Bowl - The beast’s kingdom thrown into total darkness (see Revelation 16:10) |
|
A pause between the 9th and 10th plague (see Exodus 11:1-12:28) |
A pause between the 6th and 7th seal, including a half hour of silence (see Revelation 8:1) |
A pause between the 6th and 7th trumpet (see Revelation 9:20-10:14) |
|
The Exodus
12:33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.”
The Egyptians were now more than a little eager for the Israelites to leave their country. They were concerned that if they didn’t leave soon more plagues of death would follow.
12:34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders.
As instructed, the Israelites were ready to leave before eating the Passover meal. Their departure began the next day even before leavening the dough for their bread, they had their kneading bowls and other essentials bound up on their shoulders, probably similar to a backpack. They essentially grabbed their belongings and left their homes.
12:35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
Moses had instructed the Israelites what God told him during his encounter with YHWH in the burning bush, that they were to ask the Egyptians for silver, gold, and jewelry (see Exodus 3:22). God gave them favor in the Egyptian’s sight (no animosity towards them) and as a result they received great gifts. The Hebrew word ‘yenāṣ·ṣelû’[12] translated here as ‘plundered’ is most often translated ‘deliver’ or ‘delivered’ (see Exodus 2:19; 3:8; 5:23; 6:6), the word also refers to the taking of objects from another, thus plundering.
12:37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.
The Israelites traveled from Rameses at the mouth of the eastern branch of the Nile Delta (see Genesis 47:11; Exodus 1:11) to Succoth (there are several towns named Succoth in the Middle East, undoubtedly this is referring to the one in Egypt near Pithom south of Goshen). The approximate count of the Israelite men is given as 600,000. They came into Egypt as a family of 70 (see Genesis 46:27) and left as a nation. It is estimated that with women and children the total number could have easily exceeded two million people.
The meaning of the Hebrew word ‘ě’·lěp’,[13] translated here as ’thousand’, is often debated. It has been translated as herds, clans, families, etc. As a number it can be used to represent an arbitrary large number, however based on context (associated with another number as it is used in this verse), it is most often used to literally refer to one thousand.
12:38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.
Several non-Israelite strangers, possibly taking advantage of their newly found freedom, due to the confusion and panic after the last plague, apparently joined the mass exit out of Egypt. Many of these strangers may have been responsible for stirring up the discontent later while in the wilderness (see Numbers 11:4-5).
12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. 40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
Unleavened bread was faster to prepare, especially when traveling with so many people. The Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years to the day. All of God’s people were called out of Egypt on the same day they entered Egypt (considered the 15th of Abib) 430 years earlier.
12:42 It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.
Since God watched over the deliverance of the Israelites during Passover, the Israelites, in turn, are to keep watch every Passover evening in the future. What God did for the Israelites that night is to be remembered by every generation. There is no specific instruction of what or how, just to keep watch. This is the one and only verse where the Hebrew word ‘šim·mǔ·rîm’[14] is found in the Bible, it means to keep a vigil, to observe, a time of watchfulness.
Considerations
God told Abram that his descendants would be enslaved and mistreated in Egypt for 400 years (see commentary under Genesis 15:13-16 for additional information). There are a number of theories as to why these numbers don’t match, including the theory that the Genesis account provides only a ‘round number’ while others say the start date for slavery and poor treatment was offset by 30 years. The Septuagint offers a different solution, as it states that the 430 years was time spent in both Egypt and Canaan. “Now the residence of the sons of Israel during which they dwelt in the land, Egypt, and in the land of Canaan was four hundred and thirty years.”[15] (Exodus 12:40, NETS)
Institution of the Passover
12:43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, 44 but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45 No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it.
God gives Moses and Aaron further regulations regarding future Passover celebrations. Since Passover was to be for God’s people only, no outsider was allowed to participate. The root for the Hebrew word for ‘foreigner’ means to scrutinize, discern, or to observe closely, foreigners with their foreign gods posed a threat to Israel’s service to God.
A non-Israelite slave or servant that has been bought for money and has also been circumcised can participate in the Passover celebration (someone who had dedicated themselves to God and to their Israelite family).
The instruction for no foreigner in verse 45 is not a repeat of verse 43. The Hebrew word in verse 43 is ‘nē·ḵār’[16] (as described above) and the Hebrew word in verse 45 is ‘tô·šāḇ’,[17] referring to sojourners or temporary visitors, each would be considered a foreigner. Here the instruction is essentially the reverse of verse 44, anyone who has not dedicated themselves to God and an Israelite family, such as a foreigner passing through or a day laborer, cannot participate.
12:46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.
The Passover lamb and meal are to be eaten in one house (not to be distributed to multiple homes) and no part of the meat was to be taken outside. The celebration was to be an “indoor activity.”
None of the bones of the lamb are to be broken. It is interesting to note that one of the requirements of the Messiah is that none of His bones would be broken (see Psalm 34:20). That may not sound like an important attribute, until we see that the Romans had a tradition of breaking leg bones to assure and accelerate the death of those they crucify. Since Jesus’ crucifixion occurred during Passover, the Jewish leadership wanted to have the bodies removed from the crosses as soon as possible, so they asked the Romans to break the legs of the three men (see John 19:31-32). When they came to Jesus He had already died, so His legs were not broken. To assure He had died, they pierced His side instead (see John 19:33-34). In doing so they fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10.
The text in Zechariah 12:10 has two Hebrew characters that are not generally translated, or even mentioned, in most English translations, the ‘Alef’ and the ‘Tav’, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet found together. Even though this two-character combination occurs thousands of times in the Old Testament together and is almost always never translated or referenced, in Zechariah 12:10 it can aid in understanding the verse. Instead of “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10) the addition of the letters could amplify the identification of the speaker. It could read “when they look on me Alef Tav, on whom they pierced,” or using Greek New Testament terms, “when they look on me, the Alpha and the Omega” (being the First and the Last), it helps identify the speaker as Jesus (see Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13).
12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
This was a mandatory celebration for all Israelites. According to the Scriptural record, the Israelites observed Passover seven times including the following year. However, they did not celebrate Passover again until they entered the Promised Land.
12:48 If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
In the case of someone visiting the Israelites, they could participate only if all of the males were circumcised. From that moment on they would be treated as a native.
12:49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
Israelites and visitors were to follow the same law and regulations, God’s law. Not just during periods of celebration, but for all behavior all the time. There would not be any tolerance for any foreign practices, rules or ways.
12:50 All the people of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
Again, we are told that the Israelites did as God instructed (see verse 28). On that day, YHWH brought them out of the land of Egypt.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 24.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 5712.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 8549.
[4] See Considerations after Genesis 18:16-21.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 6453.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 5063.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew 2146.
[8] See commentary under Genesis 18:1-2 for definition of word.
[9] Neusner, J. (1988). The Mishnah : A new translation (p. 315). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
[10] See commentary under Genesis 3:21.
[11] See commentary under Exodus 9:15.
[12] Strong’s Hebrew 5337.
[13] Strong’s Hebrew 505.
[14] Strong’s Hebrew 8107.
[15] A New English Translation of the Septuagint, ©2007 by the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies, Inc. Used by permission of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
[16] Strong’s Hebrew 5236.
[17] Strong’s Hebrew 8453.