Exodus 12:1-9

1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,

2 "This month will be the very first month of the year for you.

3 Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth [day] of this month each man must take a lamb or a young goat for his family--one animal per household.

4 A household may be too small to eat a whole animal. That household and the one next door can share one animal. Choose your animal based on the number of people and what each person can eat.

5 Your animal must be a one-year-old male that has no defects. You may choose a lamb or a young goat.

6 Take care of it until the fourteenth [day] of this month. "Then at dusk, all the assembled people from the community of Israel must slaughter their animals.

7 They must take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they will eat the animals.

8 The meat must be eaten that same night. It must be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.

9 Don't eat any of it raw or boiled but roast the whole animal over a fire.

Exodus 12:1-9 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.