Exodus 12:21-30

21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and select lambs for yourselves 1according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.
22 Take a bunch of 2hyssop and 3dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch 4the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. 5None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
23 6For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on 7the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and 8will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
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, 9as he has promised, you shall keep this service.
26 And 10when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?'
27 you shall say, 11'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 12bowed their heads and worshiped.
28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29 13At midnight the 14LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, 15from 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.
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was 16a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.

Exodus 12:21-30 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 16

  • 1. ver. 3
  • 2. Leviticus 14:6; Numbers 19:18; Psalms 51:7; Hebrews 9:19
  • 3. Hebrews 11:28
  • 4. ver. 7
  • 5. [Isaiah 26:20]
  • 6. ver. 12, 13
  • 7. [See ver. 22 above]
  • 8. Hebrews 11:28; [Ezekiel 9:6; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 9:4]
  • 9. Exodus 3:8, 17
  • 10. Exodus 13:8, 14; Deuteronomy 6:20; Deuteronomy 32:7; Joshua 4:6, 21; Psalms 78:3-6
  • 11. ver. 11, 21
  • 12. Exodus 4:31
  • 13. Exodus 11:4
  • 14. Numbers 8:17; Numbers 33:4; Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36; Psalms 135:8; Psalms 136:10
  • 15. Exodus 4:23; Exodus 11:5
  • 16. Exodus 11:6; [Amos 5:16, 17]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.