Exodus 12:43-51

Listen to Exodus 12:43-51

Institution of the Passover

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[a] that is 1bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him.
45 2No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it.
46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and 3you shall not break any of its bones.
47 4All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48 5If 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 6shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
49 There shall be 7one law for the native and for the 8stranger who sojourns among you. ”
50 All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.
51 And on that very day the 9Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their 10hosts.

Exodus 12:43-51 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 12

This chapter begins with observing, that the month in which the above wonders were wrought in Egypt, and the following ordinance appointed to the Israelites, should hereafter be reckoned the first month in the year, Ex 12:1,2 on the tenth day of which a lamb here described was to be taken and kept till the fourteenth, and then slain, and its blood sprinkled on the posts of the houses of the Israelites, Ex 12:3-7, the manner of dressing and eating it is shown, Ex 12:8-11 and the reason of the institution of this ordinance being given, Ex 12:12-14, and an order to eat unleavened bread during seven days, in which the feast was to be kept, Ex 12:15-20, directions are also given for the immediate observance of it, and particularly about the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb, and the use of it, Ex 12:21-23, and this ordinance, which they were to instruct their children in, was to be kept by them in succeeding ages for ever, Ex 12:24-27 about the middle of the night it was first observed, all the firstborn in Egypt were slain, which made the Egyptians urgent upon the Israelites to depart in haste, Ex 12:28-33 and which they did with their unleavened dough, and with great riches they had borrowed of the Egyptians, Ex 12:34-36, the number of the children of Israel at the time of their departure, the mixed multitude and cattle that went with them, their baking their unleavened cakes, the time of their sojourning in Egypt, and of their coming out of it that night, which made it a remarkable one, are all particularly taken notice of, Ex 12:37-42, laws and rules are given concerning the persons that should partake of the passover, Ex 12:43-49 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that it was kept according to the command of God, and that it was on the same day it was first instituted and kept that Israel were brought out of Egypt, Ex 12:50,51.

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Cross References 10

  • 1. 12:44 [Gen. 17:12, 13]
  • 2. 12:45 Lev. 22:10
  • 3. 12:46 Num. 9:12; Cited John 19:36
  • 4. 12:47 ver. 6
  • 5. 12:48 Num. 9:14
  • 6. 12:48 ver. 19
  • 7. 12:49 Num. 9:14; 15:15, 16
  • 8. 12:49 [See ver. 48 above]
  • 9. 12:51 ver. 41; Acts 13:17
  • 10. 12:51 ver. 17

Footnotes 1

  • [a] 12:44 Or 'servant'; the Hebrew term '“ebed' designates a range of social and economic roles (see Preface)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025