Exodus 12:4

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.)

Exodus 12:4 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 12:4

And if the household be too little for the lamb
That they cannot eat it up at once; let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the
number of the souls;
which Josephus ^F5 says were never fewer than ten, and were often twenty, but no man might feast alone; with which agrees the Jewish canon ^F6,

``they do not kill the passover lamb for a single person, nor even for a society consisting of one hundred, that cannot eat the quantity of an olive:''

every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb:
that is, a man must reckon up how many he has in his own house to eat of the lamb, and what their appetites be, by which he will he able to judge whether he can dispense with a lamb himself, or whether he must take in some of his neighbours, and how many, so as to eat up the whole lamb, for, for such persons the lamb was to be slain. The rule is,

``if a man slays it for those that do not eat of it, or for those that are not counted, for the uncircumcised, and the unclean, it was wrong, and not allowed of ^F7.''

The taking in his neighbours may respect the call of the Gentiles to partake of Christ with the Jews, see ( Ephesians 3:5 Ephesians 3:6 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 3.
F6 Misn. Pesach. c. 8. sect. 7.
F7 lbid. c. 5. sect. 3.

Exodus 12:4 In-Context

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.