Exodus 12:29-51

29 And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharao that sat on the throne, to the first-born of the captive-maid in the dungeon, and the first-born of all cattle.

30 And Pharao rose up by night, and his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in all the land of Egypt, for there was not a house in which there was not one dead.

31 And Pharao called Moses and Aaron by night, and said to them, Rise and depart from my people, both ye and the children of Israel. Go and serve the Lord your God, even as ye say.

32 And take with you your sheep, and your oxen: bless me also, I pray you.

33 And the Egyptians constrained the people, so that they cast them out of the land with haste, for they said, We all shall die.

34 And the people took their dough before their meal was leavened, bound up in their garments, on their shoulders.

35 And the children of Israel did as Moses commanded them, and they asked of the Egyptians articles of silver and gold and apparel.

36 And the Lord gave his people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, and they lent to them; and they spoiled the Egyptians.

37 And the children Israel departed from Ramesses to Socchoth, to six hundred thousand footmen, even men, besides the baggage.

38 And a great mixed went up with them, and sheep and oxen and very much cattle.

39 And they baked the dough which they brought out of Egypt, unleavened cakes, for it had not been leavened; for the Egyptians cast them out, and they could not remain, neither did they prepare provision for themselves for the journey.

40 And the sojourning of the children of Israel, while they sojourned in the land of Egypt and the land of Chanaan, four hundred and thirty years.

41 And it came to pass after the four hundred and thirty years, all the forces of the Lord came forth out of the land of Egypt by night.

42 It is a watch kept to the Lord, so that he should bring them out of the land of Egypt; that very night is a watch kept to the Lord, so that it should be to all the children of Israel to their generations.

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, This is the law of the passover: no stranger shall eat of it.

44 And every slave or servant bought with money—him thou shalt circumcise, and then shall he eat of it.

45 A sojourner or hireling shall not eat of it.

46 In one house shall it be eaten, and ye shall not carry of the flesh out from the house; and a bone of it ye shall not break.

47 All the congregation of the children of Israel shall keep it.

48 And if any proselyte shall come to you to keep the passover to the Lord, thou shalt circumcise every male of him, and then shall he approach to sacrifice it, and he shall be even as the original inhabitant of the land; no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.

49 There shall be one law to the native, and to the proselyte coming among you.

50 And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron for them, so they did.

51 And it came to pass in that day that the Lord brought out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt with their forces.

Exodus 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. lumps of meal.
• [b]. having departed.
• [c]. which.
• [d]. ?ste seems to be given for ?, instead of 'when he brought,' etc.