Exodus 12:5

5 Forsooth the lamb shall be a male of one year, without wem; by which custom ye shall take also a kid, if a lamb may not be had in good manner; (And the lamb shall be a male of one year, without blemish, or without fault; for which rite ye may also take a goat kid, if a lamb cannot be had in good manner;)

Exodus 12:5 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 12:5

Your lamb shall be without blemish
Without any spot or defect in it. Maimonides F8 reckons no less than fifty blemishes in a creature, anyone of which makes it unfit for sacrifice, see ( Leviticus 21:21-24 ) . This lamb was a type of Christ, who is therefore said to be our passover sacrificed for us, ( 1 Corinthians 5:7 ) comparable to a lamb for his innocence and harmlessness, for his meekness, humility, and patience, for usefulness both for food and raiment, as well as for being fit for sacrifice; and who is a lamb without spot and blemish, either of original sin, or actual transgression, holy in his nature, harmless in his life: a male of the first year;
anyone within that time, but not beyond it; denoting the strength and vigour of Christ, in the flower of his age, his short continuance among men, and his being tender and savoury food for the faith of his people: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats;
it might be either a lamb, or a kid of the goats; for the most part, or generally, it was a lamb that was taken; so the Jewish canon runs F9,

``he that says to his servant, go and slay for me the passover, if he slays a kid he may eat it; if he slays a lamb he may eat of it; if he slays a kid and a lamb, he may eat of the first.''
The goat being of an ill smell may denote Christ being made sin, and a sin offering for his people; and the taking of a lamb from these may signify the choice of Christ from among the people in the council and covenant of God; the preordination of him to be the lamb slain from the foundation of the world; the preservation of him from the infection of sin in his incarnation, and the separation of him from sinners in his conversation.
FOOTNOTES:

F8 Hilchot Biath Hamikdash, c. 7. sect. 1.
F9 Misn. Pesach. c. 8. sect. 2.

Exodus 12:5 In-Context

3 Speak ye to all the company of the sons of Israel, and say ye to them, In the tenth day of this month, each man take a lamb by his families and houses; (Speak ye to all the Israelites, and say ye to them, On the tenth day of this month, each man take a lamb for his family, one for each household;)
4 but if the number (of people) is less, that it may not suffice to eat the lamb, he shall take (it with) his neighbour, which is joined to his house, by the number of souls, that may suffice to the eating of the lamb. (but if the number of people in his family is too small to eat the lamb, he shall eat it with his neighbour who is near to his house, yea, with the number of souls who shall suffice to eat all of the lamb.)
5 Forsooth the lamb shall be a male of one year, without wem; by which custom ye shall take also a kid, if a lamb may not be had in good manner; (And the lamb shall be a male of one year, without blemish, or without fault; for which rite ye may also take a goat kid, if a lamb cannot be had in good manner;)
6 and ye shall keep him till to the fourteenth day of this month; and all the multitude of the sons of Israel shall offer him at eventide.
7 And they shall take of his blood, and they shall put it on ever either (door-)post, and in the lintels, or higher thresholds, of the houses, in which they shall eat him; (And they shall take some of his blood, and they shall put it on both door-posts, and on the lintels, or the upper thresholds, of the houses, in which they shall eat the lamb;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.