Exodus 12:19-29

19 '1Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that 2person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land.
20 'You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.' "
21 Then 3Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and 4take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay 5the Passover lamb.
22 "6You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none * of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

A Memorial of Redemption

23 "For 7the LORD will pass through to smite 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 8not allow the 9destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.
24 "And 10you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever *.
25 "When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite.
26 "11And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?'
27 you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to 12the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.' " 13And the people bowed low and worshiped.
28 Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
29 Now it came about at 14midnight * that 15the LORD struck all 16the 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 17cattle.

Exodus 12:19-29 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.

Cross References 17

  • 1. Exodus 12:15; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 34:18
  • 2. Numbers 9:13
  • 3. Numbers 9:4; Hebrews 11:28
  • 4. Exodus 12:3
  • 5. Exodus 12:11
  • 6. Exodus 12:7
  • 7. Exodus 11:4; Exodus 12:12, 13
  • 8. Revelation 7:3; Revelation 9:4
  • 9. 1 Corinthians 10:10; Hebrews 11:28
  • 10. Exodus 12:14, 17; Exodus 13:5, 10
  • 11. Exodus 10:2; Exodus 13:8, 14, 15; Deuteronomy 32:7; Joshua 4:6; Psalms 78:6
  • 12. Exodus 12:11
  • 13. Exodus 4:31
  • 14. Exodus 11:4, 5
  • 15. Numbers 8:17; Numbers 33:4; Psalms 135:8; Psalms 136:10
  • 16. Exodus 4:23; Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36
  • 17. Exodus 9:6

Footnotes 9

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