Deuteronomy 16:1-8

Passover

1 “Observe the ¹month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for ²in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

2 And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or ³the herd, ⁴at the place that the Lord will choose, to make his name dwell there.

3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. ⁵Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt ⁶in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.

4 ⁷No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days, ⁸nor shall any of the flesh that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain all night until morning.

5 You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you,

6 but at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt.

7 And you shall cook it and eat it at the place that the Lord your God will choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents.

8 For ⁹six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be ¹⁰a solemn assembly to the Lord your God. You shall do no work on it.

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 16

This chapter treats of the three grand yearly festivals, of the feast of passover, when, where, and what was to be sacrificed, how to be dressed, and in what manner to be eaten, De 16:1-8, of the feast of pentecost, when to begin it, where and how it was to be observed, De 16:9-12, and of the feast of tabernacles, when, where, and how long it was to be kept, De 16:13-15, which three times in the year all the males were to appear before the Lord, and not empty, De 16:16,17, an order is given for the appointment of judges in the land, to execute judgment, De 16:18-20, and the chapter is closed with a caution against planting groves, and setting up images, De 16:21,22.

Cross References

• 1. 16:1 For ver. 1-8, see Ex. 12:2-39
• 2. 16:1 Ex. 13:4; 34:18
• 3. 16:2 Num. 28:19
• 4. 16:2 See ch. 12:5
• 5. 16:3 Ex. 13:6
• 6. 16:3 Ex. 12:11; [Isa. 52:12]
• 7. 16:4 Ex. 13:7
• 8. 16:4 Ex. 34:25
• 9. 16:8 [Ex. 13:6]
• 10. 16:8 Lev. 23:8, 36