Exodus 12:1-10

1 Also the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,

2 This month, the beginning of months to you, shall be the first in the months of the year. (This month shall be the beginning of months for you, yea, it shall become the first month of the new year.)

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;)

8 and in that night they shall eat (the) flesh, roasted with fire, and therf loaves, with the herb lettuce of the field/with bitternesses of the field. (and on that night they shall eat the flesh, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread, and bitter herbs of the field.)

9 Ye shall not eat thereof any raw thing, neither sodden in water, but roasted only by fire; ye shall devour the head with the feet, and with the entrails thereof; (Ye shall not eat any of it raw, or boiled in water, but only that which is roasted in the fire; ye shall devour the head with the feet, and all its entrails;)

10 neither anything thereof shall abide till to the morrowtide; if anything thereof is left (over), ye shall burn it in the fire.

Exodus 12:1-10 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.