Shemot 12:29-51

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight Hashem struck down kol bechor in Eretz Mitzrayim, from the bechor of Pharaoh sitting on his throne unto the bechor of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the bechor behemah.

30 And Pharaoh rose up in the lailah, he, and all his avadim, and kol Mitzrayim; and there was a tze’akah gedolah (great wail) in Mitzrayim; for there was not a bais where there was not one dead.

31 And he called for Moshe and Aharon by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth, leave from among my people, both ye and the Bnei Yisroel; and go, serve Hashem, as ye have said.

32 Also take your tzon and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of ha’aretz in haste; for they said, Kullanu mesim (We are all dead ones).

34 And the people took their batzek (deaf dough, having no indication of fermentation [see 1C 5:7 OJBC]) before it was leavened, their kneading pans being wrapped up in their clothes [and carried] upon their shoulders.

35 And the Bnei Yisroel did according to the devar Moshe; they requested of the Egyptians k’lei kesef, and k’lei zahav, and garments;

36 And Hashem gave the people favor in the sight of the Mitzrayim, so that they granted their request. So they plundered the Egyptians.

37 And the Bnei Yisroel journeyed from Rameses towards Sukkot, about 600,000 gevarim on foot, not counting women and children.

38 And an erev rav (mixed multitude, a mixed company that was large) went along also with them; and tzon, and herds, even very many domestic animals.

39 And they baked the batzek (deaf dough) which they brought forth out of Mitzrayim, into round flat cakes of matzot; ki lo chametz, because they were thrust out of Mitzrayim, and could not tarry (linger), neither had they prepared for tzeidah (supply of food, provision).

40 Now the moshav (time period of residence) of the Bnei Yisroel dwelling in Mitzrayim was four hundred and thirty shanah.

41 And it came to pass at the ketz (end) of the four hundred and thirty shanah, even the exact day it came to pass, that kol Tzivos Hashem went out from Eretz Mitzrayim.

42 It is a night of shimmurim (keepings, watchings, vigils) for Hashem to keep watch to bring them out from Eretz Mitzrayim; this is halailah hazeh unto Hashem; shimmurim (watchings, vigils) for kol Bnei Yisroel in their dorot.

43 And Hashem said unto Moshe and Aharon, This is the Chukkat HaPesach: there shall no ben nekhar eat thereof;

44 But every man’s eved that is bought for kesef, when thou hast given him bris milah, then shall he eat thereof.

45 A toshav and a sachir shall not eat thereof.

46 In bais echad shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth any of the basar outside the bais; neither shall ye break a bone thereof [see Yochanan 19:36 OJBC].

47 Kol Adat Yisroel shall celebrate it.

48 And when a ger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Pesach unto Hashem, let all his zachar receive bris milah, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is native born in ha’aretz; for no arel (uncircumcised person) shall eat thereof.

49 Torah echad shall be to him that is native-born, and unto the ger that sojourneth among you.

50 Thus did kol Bnei Yisroel; as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so did they.

51 And it came to pass the very same day, that Hashem did bring the Bnei Yisroel out of Eretz Mitzrayim by their tzivos.

Shemot 12:29-51 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.