Exodus 12:29-39

29 Forsooth it was done in the midst of the night, the Lord smote all the first begotten thing(s) in the land of Egypt, from the first begotten of Pharaoh, that sat in the throne of him (who sat on his throne), till to the first begotten of a captive woman, that was in (the) prison, and all the first engendered of beasts.
30 And Pharaoh rose (up) in the night, and all his servants, and all Egypt; and a great cry was made in Egypt; for none house was, in which a dead man lay not (for there was not one house in which there was not a dead son).
31 And when Moses and Aaron were called in the night, Pharaoh said, Rise ye, and go ye out from my people, both ye and the sons of Israel; go ye, offer ye to the Lord, as ye say; (And when Moses and Aaron were called for in the night, Pharaoh said, Rise ye up, and go ye out from my people, both ye and the Israelites; go ye, and worship ye the Lord, as ye say that ye want to do;)
32 (and) take ye your sheep and [your] great beasts, as ye asked (for); and go ye, and (also) bless ye me.
33 And the Egyptians constrained the people to go out of the land swiftly, and said, All we shall die! (And the Egyptians compelled the people to swiftly go out of the land, saying, Or else we shall all die!)
34 Therefore the people took meal sprinkled together, before that it was dighted with sourdough (And so the people took the meal, or the flour, before that any yeast was added to it); and they bound it in mantles, and put it on their shoulders.
35 And the sons of Israel did as the Lord commanded to Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians silver vessels and golden, and full much clothing. (And the Israelites did as the Lord commanded to Moses; and they asked the Egyptians for gold and silver jewelry, and for a great deal of clothes.)
36 Forsooth the Lord gave grace to the people before the Egyptians, that the Egyptians lent to them; and they made bare the Egyptians. (And the Lord gave grace to the people before the Egyptians, so that the Egyptians gave them all these things; and so they plundered the Egyptians.)
37 And the children of Israel went forth from Rameses into Succoth, almost six hundred thousand of footmen, without little children and women; (And the Israelites went forth from Rameses unto Succoth, almost six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting the women and the little children;)
38 but also the common people of males and of females unnumberable went up with them; (and) sheep, and oxen, and full many beasts of diverse kind also.
39 And they baked meal, which sprinkled together a while ago they took from Egypt, and made therf loaves baken under ashes; for the loaves might not be dighted with sourdough, for [the] Egyptians compelled them to go out, and suffered not them to make any tarrying, neither it was leisure to make any stew. (And they baked the meal, which they had taken from Egypt, and made unleavened bread baked under ashes; for the loaves did not have any yeast, for the Egyptians compelled them to go out, and did not allow them to tarry, nor was there time to even make any stew.)

Exodus 12:29-39 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.