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"For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; but when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you."
- Exodus 12: 23, New American Standard Bible see link below.
1
And spoke YHWH to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,
This is the final statement of the summary that began at the end of chapter 11.
2 Summary:
This simply states that from now on, forever, the Jewish Calendar begins with its New Year's Day based on the Passover.
There's been some changes in the four thousand years since the First Passover, but, overall, the Jewish Calendar has nothing to do with anybody else's.
3
"dabar" (speak / declare) to all of the "edah" (assembly / congregation) of Israel, saying, on the tenth day of this month, "laqach" (seize / take / acquire (the term is an imperative, a command)) every man "seh" (lamb (young sheep or goat)), according to the "bayith" (house / household) of his "ab" (father), a lamb for his household.
4 - 6 brief summary, discussion:
If the family is too small for a whole lamb, share with your neighbor. The lamb must be without blemish, one year old, male, your own sheep or a goat. You have to keep it until the fourteenth of the month, then everybody kill theirs at sundown.
They couldn't have done all this during the original night of the Exodus. These instructions about holding it for two weeks are for the future. Maybe a small family could share it with the neighbors there in Egypt, but the rest is for later. At this point there isn't even any instructions about how to kill the lamb, which we'll touch on in a moment.
7
And "laqach" (take) some "dam" (blood) and "nathan" (give / apply / put / set) it upon "shenayim" (two / both) "mezuzah" (door posts) and the "mashqoph" (lintel) of the "bayith" (house / dwelling) where they eat it.
8
They shall "akal" (eat) on this night, "tsali" (roasted) in fire, with matstsah and with "maror" (bitter herbs (includes horseradish, romaine lettuce, onions, parsley, and related, see links below for a traditional menu.)).
There's at least five ways to spell the traditional unleavened bread of the Passover: "matzah / matzo / mazzah / matzot / matzos" and that doesn't even consider the plural of the word. Any way it is spelled, or pronounced, it is a flatbread made without yeast or other rising agent. There are several in depth articles at the Chabad.org overview linked below.
9 - 10
"al" (not / nor) "akal" (eat) it "na" (raw) nor "bashel" (boiled) 'or' "bashal" (boil (different form of same word)) with "mayim" (water), but "tsali" (roasted) in "esh" (fire) - "rosh" (head) and "kera" (leg / legs) and its "qereb" (inner parts / inwards). And none "yathar" (remain / be left over / preserved) of it until "boqer" (morning) - what "yathar" (remains...) of it in morning, "esh" (fire) you shall "saraph" (burn) 'it'.
They are not to save any of the meat to take with them, or save for a snack later in the day. The lamb is either to be eaten during the meal, or burned.
11 Summary first:
Be in your 'traveling clothes' ready to go...
... you shall eat in "chippazon" (haste / hurried (includes 'ready to flee')) "pesah / pesach" (passover) "hu" (this) is YHWH.
12
For I will "abar" (pass through / cross) the "erets" (land / country) of Egypt on "layil" (night) this, and will "nakah" (strike / smite (with intent to kill)) "kol" (all) "bekor" (firstborn) in land Egypt, from man and beast - "kol" (all) "'elohim" (gods / divine beings) of Egypt I will "asah" (make / accomplish) "shephet" (judgement / justice) - I Am YHWH.
Special Section: The Egyptian Gods of the Passover.
We're going to look at two sets of the gods of the Egyptians directly impacted by the Tenth Plague. Many of these we've met before, others are new. And there are other minor deities involved, but we're going to go with the major figures here.
The first has to be Ra, and depending on the period, Amun-Ra, the sun god who is the king of the pantheon of Egyptian deities. Ra / Re who was the primary focus of the Darkness from the end of Exodus 10. Ra was also specifically charged with protecting the Pharaoh, and, the heir. While the darkness was an insult, the death of the Pharaoh's firstborn, who may well have been the heir to the throne, which we'll look at in a moment, is a direct repudiation of the power of Ra.
Horus was the god of the sky in general. The pharaoh was seen as the living embodiment of him. And, as the heir would be the 'god to come', the loss of the oldest son of the king would be a slap against Horus.
The famous goddess Isis had guardianship of the royal house, and with her sister, the goddess Nephthys, offered protective spells for them.
The lion headed Maahes was the protector of the kingdom, and by extension, the king.
And of course Set / Seth, was seen as having a special place as a protector of the throne. And all of the above, together, validated and maintained the Pharaoh's right to rule.
Another god associated with this plague, since it also included the firstborn of the livestock would be the sacred animal known as the Apis bull. Worshiped as a symbol of power and vitality throughout the ancient Mediterranean, including in Egypt, and is especially seen in the ancient remains of the Minoan culture of Crete, see link below.
And someone we mentioned in the Fifth Plague, Hathor, a goddess that protected cattle, and Hesat, who was involved with the production of milk from the cows come into play here. In this case, they were supposed to help keep the next generation of livestock alive and healthy. .... oh, well.
And, lastly for our work here, we'll look at a god that represented both humans and animals. Osiris, the green skinned god of life and fertility (including agricultural fertility), the dead, the resurrection, and who is so linked to the kingship that he is usually depicted with the crown and beard associated with the Pharaoh. He was also a member of the ancient group of gods, the Ennead, see link below, with several of the others from the plagues. Sometimes he is depicted with a ram's head, whose young were the main course of the Passover meal.
end special
13
"way hayah" (and become / happens / shall be) the "dam" (blood) to / for you a "oth" (sign / mark / token) on "bayith" (house / dwelling) "asher" (where / which) you are - when I "raah" (see) the blood, I will "pacach" (pass) "al" (over / beside) "we lo" (and not) come on you "negeph" (plague / calamity) to "mashchith" (destroyer / destruction / ruin) when I "nakah" (strike (with intent to harm / kill)) the land of Egypt.
A Bloody Focus
Several years ago, The Desk did an in depth look at the mystery and mystique of Blood. Checking everything from the blood of living creatures that Is Not Red (because it isn't based on iron), the religious significance of blood that is found in ALMOST every religion on earth, some musical interludes that were on topic, to both the power and symbolism of that vital fluid. See link below, it comes with a warning for more sensitive readers. And, yes, it needs that warning.
But that article covered blood from all over the world, or rather, was covered in it, either way. So here and now we are going to look at the symbolism of blood to the Hebrews (later, the Jews), and then to Christians. And given the way we do things, we're not going to pull any punches or 'turn down the heat' (see the Revelation study for an example of that, link below), so if your digestion is easily upset, you may wish to skip to verse 14.
Until the period of The Exodus from Egypt, sacrifices to GOD by the Sons of Israel, and, presumably by those other believers, such as any Melchizedek (Genesis 14) did, and any believers from Esau's line, such as Moses's father in law, consisted of a burnt offerings like Noah's after the flood (Genesis 8) and the most famous one that didn't happen with Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. There is no record in those of what happened with the blood. The focus is on the burning of the sacrifice and the resulting smoke that GOD could smell in heaven, Genesis 8 : 21.
So far in Exodus when Moses makes his speeches about the people going into the wilderness to sacrifice, there is no mention of the blood of the offerings. It isn't being collected, or sprinkled anywhere, that we know of. That all changes in chapter 12 of this book.
From here in, the sacrifice is all about the blood. Yes, burnt offerings are still offered until the day the Romans flatten Jerusalem in around 70 AD, but it is the blood of the offering that is sprinkled on the alter, the curtains and the Ark, and so on, see Leviticus 16. And before that the blood of the sacrificed animal was sprinkled on the people as a symbol of their being part of the Covenant, see Exodus 24. And is restated in Romans 5 : 9 as the "blood that justifies (Greek: dikaioo - acquits / frees) you."
And it is the blood of the sacrifice we see.... hang on, let's change that... it is the Blood of The Sacrifice we see in the symbolism of the Christian adaptation of the Passover that has become The Lord's Memorial Meal / the Last Supper, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 11, which is a restatement of the Command from Christ instituted at His final Earthly Passover meal in three of the four Gospels: Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22.
The symbolism is clear. The Covenant that begins when Moses brings the People of God out of Egypt, where they had some two thousand gods that stood for every aspect of life from cradle to grave, and beyond, the People will now have One Who is The ALMIGHTY GOD, as revealed to Moses, and the rest of humanity as Jehovah (YHWH) 'Elohim.
Later there are some Very specific instructions as to how the lamb that is chosen is to be killed, traditionally done by slitting its throat so as not to break any bones, and the blood which is so important to the symbolism is to be collected. You may begin reading about that in Leviticus 16 (sprinkle seven times) and 17 (on the altar, veil, etc).
The symbolism of the sacrifice in the Law that begins here is that without the shedding of the blood of an Innocent, and what is more innocent than a year old lamb? (trick question there which we have already answered) there IS no Covenant with a Holy God. And without the Covenant, there is no Salvation.
The life of the creature, as mentioned in the in depth article linked below, whether man or beast, is in the blood. Remember, it was the blood of Abel that got Cain in trouble, see Genesis 4. And that is why the command was that the blood was NOT to be eaten, which remains in effect, see Genesis 9: 4 (which predates the Mosaic Law by a thousand years or so) and Acts 15 : 29. And why the doctrine of transubstantiation flies in the face of the Law. Which Christ did not break, nor did He command His Apostles, and by extension us, to break. When God told Peter to not say anything He made was unclean, did not include the blood. That remains the symbol of the covenant and is exclusively the province of God. The cup at the Last Supper and in the Communion service today is the symbol of the Blood of Christ. And the symbolism of the blood of the sacrifice saving, and freeing, the people begins here, at the Passover in Exodus.
In the Exodus account, God sweeps through all of Egypt, the area where the Hebrews are, predominately in Goshen in the Nile Delta, and the rest of the kingdom as well, which at this point would include Upper Egypt (south on the map) and Lower Egypt (the northern third towards the Mediterranean, and where He does not encounter the prescribed blood on the doorposts and lintel, and while tradition maintains that it is only the first born son of the families that was killed, the original Hebrew states that it was the First Born (male or female) of both the Egyptian people, and their animals, that died. See discussion at our analysis of chapter 11 : 5. It was the blood of the innocent, also a first born lamb, and in that specific case, a male, on the door frame that protected those inside, male and female, from death. And later became the symbol of the Messiah, as we see in Revelation 5.
And now back to the Exodus account.
end focus
14 - 16
Extended Summary and Discussion: These verses are obviously not part of the picture on the night of the Original Exodus.
The section opens with the statement that the day will be a memorial for them for generations. The word used is that it is to be for their "dor" (ages of time / generations / posterity) a "chuqqah" (statute / ordinance / regulation (the term is an imperative, an order)) "olam" (eternity / forever / everlasting), they shall keep the "chagag" (celebration / feast).
It is worth noting that right here at the beginning, as the instructions following this part are given, that the original meal was anything but a feast, and was certainly not a celebration or festival. And our verse 15 covers a period of seven days, which could NOT have been part of the Exodus and that first Passover.
They are told to eat unleavened bread for seven days after removing all leaven from their houses. Then there is a penalty for breaking that command, the offending party will be "karath" (cut off (in this context: 'shunned' is an applicable idea)) from Israel for the duration of the seven days.
The next point is that there will be a "miqra" (public assembly or convocation) "qodesh" (holy / sacred) on the first day and the seventh day, and "kol" (all / every) "melakah" (work / service / occupation (the idea of 'employment' is central here)) "lo" (no / none) shall be done, but the food you need to eat may be prepared.
17 - 20
Extended Summary and discussion: Again the phrase opens with a command. So you shall "shamar" (keep / observe) the feast of "matstsah" (unleavened bread), for on this day God brought their "tsaba" (host / army) out of Egypt, so you will "shamar" (keep / observe) this day "dor" (ages of time / generations / posterity) as an "chuqqah" (statute / ordinance / regulation (the term is an imperative, an order)) "olam" (eternity / forever / everlasting). The repetition from verse 14 is for emphasis, that this has been commanded by God.
In the first month on the fourteenth day, in the evening they will eat unleavened bread until the twenty first day. And no leavening (yeast) shall be found in your house - with the same penalty that was listed before, but without a time limit on it, and applies to strangers and natives.
This is another repetition, they may not eat anything leavened, in their houses they shall eat unleavened bread. The entire reason for the prohibition against having a yeast raised bread is that the meal is supposed to be eaten in haste, on their way out the door, and it takes time to kneed and raise dough and then bake it. Which is stated, almost in exactly those words, in a later verse, stay tuned.
And now we are back to the 'live instructions' to the Hebrew people in Goshen.
21 - 22 Summary:
And called Moses all the "zaqen" (elders (literally 'old men')) of "Yisrael" (Israel) and said to them, "mashak" (pull / draw) yourselves "tson" (sheep / goats) by "mishpachah" (family / tribe), and "shachat" (kill / slaughter) "pesach" (Passover). Take a bunch of "ezob" (hyssop) and "tabal" (dip / plunge / immerse) it in the "dam" (blood) that is in the "caph" (basin / bowl)and strike the two doorposts and the lintel with the blood in the basin, and you "lo" (no / none) "yatsa" (go out / come out / depart) the "pethach" (entrance / doorway) of his house until "boqer" (morning).
Note. In verse 21 Moses does not specify that it is supposed to be a perfect male lamb that is only one year old, and then he calls it the "Passover". This is all news to the elders, and they have no idea what is going on. And that the blood of the lamb was supposed to be caught in a basin wasn't mentioned before.
Hyssop is a group of known medicinal shrubs of the mint family with long branches that bloom with small flowers in the summer. One of these is a type of oregano, another has more of a licorice scent and flavor. They have all been used since antiquity for everything from tonics to incense, and, as here, as an applicator. And remember, it was a branch of Hyssop used to hold the sponge to wet Christ's lips on the Cross.
23
for will "abar" (go through / 'travel thru / in' / cross) YHWH to "nagaph" (to strike down / to defeat / to slay (related to the word for beating with intent, as a verb)) Egypt, when he "raah" (sees) the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, will "pasah" (pass) YHWH over the door and not allow "shachath" (the destroyer / 'to cause decay') to "bo" (enter / come into) your house to "nagaph" (strike / slay) you.
The image here of 'the destroyer' is the Angel of Death.
24 - 27(a)
Extended Summary: And now we are back to the description for future generations. As to whether or not Moses made this long speech to the elders as it appears in the text, starting at verse 21, while that thick fog you see in the movie is building just outside of town, is open to discussion. As the story in Exodus is not a 'play by play' narration of the action as it happened, but was, instead, probably dictated by Moses to Joshua during their detour in the desert, so some of the details need to be nodded at while moving on.
This section once again goes into how this feast is an "ordinance" from the Lord to pass on to their children in the land he will give them, and they will keep it. And explain it to their children, and so on. That is is when..... (summary)
... YHWH passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt.... and delivered our households.... (THAT had not happened yet, and it is written in the past tense, so it is for the 'rememberance'.)
NOTE: we have NEVER broken a verse into two parts before. We never had to. Here, it is two parts.
27(b)
(this section of the verse is in the 'present')
... So they "qadad" (bow down / 'bend the head') and "shachah" (prostrate / bow / worship).
If the elders didn't believe Moses and Aaron before. They do now. Which is why this section is written as the 'play by play'.
28 Summary:
The elders went away and did as they were told.
29 - 30 Paraphrase and discussion:
At midnight YHWH struck all the "bekor" (firstborn (the word means 'oldest child' it is not specific to sex, it will also include the oldest offspring who is now an adult)) of Egypt. From the king down to the slave, and the livestock. Pharaoh gets up in the middle of the night, with his servants, and he, and all of Egypt. And a "tseaqah" (cry / outcry / 'for help (same word was used for the cry of Israel for release from bondage was used in chapter 3)) "gadol" (great / mighty) in Egypt, for not a house where there was one dead.
The end of 30 supports the conclusion that those killed included males and females, as not 'every house' would have a first born male in it, even counting livestock.
If you think about it, this is a "Death of the Innocents" on par with that in Judea when the male children 'two and under' (as well as whoever tried to save their baby, and you can bet that not every soldier checked to make sure every baby they killed was a boy) are massacred by a madman in Matthew 2. As to whether Herod the Great had in mind the Exodus account when he sent out his soldiers isn't even relevant. And the similarities in the stories are probably as much a coincidence as you can have in Scripture given Who is calling the plays. However, we, as believers, accept that the two events happened, and that those who had no part in the overall drama, and were truly innocent (at least in the Matthew account, they ALL were) died. What we do with that information is up to us, individually, as believers.
31
and he called for Moses and Aaron at "layil" (night / tonight) and said "qum" (arise / stand), "yatsa" (go out / depart) from "tavek" (midst / among) my people, you and the sons of Israel - and "halak" (go / proceed), "abad" (serve) YHWH as you said.
32
also your "tson" (flocks) and "baqar" (herds) as you have said, and "halak" (go / proceed / move) - and "barak" (bless) "gam" (also / even) me.
33
and "chazaq" ((in this context) prevail upon / urgently / encourage) Egypt - the people, "mahar" (hurry / make haste / be quick) to send them out of the land, for they said we "kol" (all) "muth" (die).
34
so "nasa" (lifted / bear) the people their "batseq" (dough) before "chamets" (to be leavened), their "mishereth" (kneading bowl/trough) having "tsarar" (bind / tied up) in their "simlah" (garments / clothing) on their "shekem" (shoulders / backs).
This explains why this is the feast of unleavened bread. It wasn't intentional on the part of the people. At this time, the only leavening was natural yeast, which takes time to do its thing. The bread for the next day was in the bowl, resting as the yeast worked, and it didn't have time to create the carbon dioxide that made the bread rise. We find out more about this in a moment.
35 - 36 Summary:
This is where Israel asks the Egyptians for gold and silver, and clothing. And they were otherwise favored by the locals and they were given what they asked for.
37
And "nasa" (journey / depart) the sons of Israel from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot "geber" (men), besides children.
The city of Pi-Rameses was on the Nile northeast of today's Cairo. Ancient Sukkot is just outside the region of Goshen in the eastern area of the delta. The census counted only men, it does not mention women or children, so the number of people could easily be close to two million, if not more.
38
And a "ereb" (mixture 'of people') "rab" (many / great / much) "alah" (go up / bring up) "eth" (among) and flocks and herds and livestock, a great deal.
Here we learn that it wasn't just the Hebrews that left that night, and they could have easily been several thousand more people. Were they other slaves of the Egyptians, were they the members of the Pharaoh's court that had believed Moses during the hailstorm (see 9 : 20), were they just regular peasants who lived and worked among the Hebrews? We don't know. But there were a lot of them, that we do know.
39 Summary:
And they "aphah" (bake) the dough they brought out of Egypt, "uggah" (cake / loaf) "matstash" (unleavened) for not was it "chamets" (leavened) because they were "garash" (driven out / expelled (implies 'by force')) of Egypt, and could not wait, and "tsedesh" (provisions / food / supplies) "lo" (no / not) "asah" (make / perform) for themselves.
This is more information about how this flatbread became the symbol of the Exodus. This suggests they took the bread, or at least the dough, with them, while it was prohibited to take any of the meat.
And then we have more details for those who come later... such as us.
40 - 41 Summary:
They were in Egypt for 430 years. At the end of which went out the "tsaba" (host(s) / army(ies)) of YHWH from Egypt.
And yes, the text identifies the Hebrews as the "('-army of God-')".
It really does.
.... all 'fabulous realities' at no extra charge.
42 Summary:
A "layil" (night / nights) solemn "shimmur" (vigil / observance) to YHWH, for "yatsa" (come out / bring out) them "erets" (land / country) Egypt that night, this of YHWH is a solemn vigil / observance for all the Sons of Israel for "dor" (posterity / generations).
The repetition is for emphasis as to the seriousness of the evening.
43 - 45
And said YHWH to Moses and Aaron, this is the "chuqqah" (statute / regulation / ordinance) of the Passover, "kol" (any / every) "ben" (son / child) of a "nekar" (gentile / stranger / foreigner) "lo" (not) "akal" (eat) it. But "kol" (every) "ebed" (servant / slave) "miqnah" (bought / possession / property) "kapseph" (money / silver), and "mul" (circumcise) him, then he may eat it. A "toshab" (traveler / temporary tenant) and a "sakir" (hired worker) not eat it.
These statements are about how special this feast is to be for the people.
46
In "bayith" (house / dwelling) "echad" (one / single) be eaten - "lo" (not) "yatsa" (take out / depart) "min" (out / over) the house any "basar" (flesh) "chuts" (outside / open place / street) - "etsem" (bone / essence) "lo" (not / no) "shabar" (break / shatter) its.
As perhaps a testament of how things have changed, there is a link below to a service where you can have a complete, traditional, Passover meal delivered in a box. How that maintains the spirit of the Divine Commands listed in this chapter, we won't go into. There is also a link below to the ancient symbols associated with the meal.
47
"kol" (all / every) the "edah" (community / assembly / people) of "Yisrael" (Israel) shall "asah" (do / perform / prepare) it.
The order is for the entire nation to observe it as one.
48 Summary:
If you have a foreigner / gentile living with you and wants to "asah" (do / make / perform) the "pesach" (Passover) to YHWH, let be "mul" (circumcised) all his males, "az" (then) let him "qarab" (approach / come near) and do it, and he will be as a "ezrach" (native / citizen) of the land. For "arel" (uncircumcised) "lo" (no / none) "akal" (eat) it.
Once a gentile converts, and the male is circumcised, they are to be treated as a natural born Hebrew.
49
"torah" (law) "echad" (one / single) shall be for the "ezrach" (native / citizen) 'and' the "ger" (stranger / foreigner) who lives "tavek" (among / middle) of you.
50 - 51 Summary:
Thus did all of the sons of Israel as commanded YHWH - Moses and Aaron.
And on that same day YHWH brought the Sons of Israel out of Egypt by their tribes.
End Chapter 12
Selected Resources:
All links will open in a new tab/window, all were working as of original date of posting:
Interlinear English / Hebrew: Chapter 12 https://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/12.htm
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Exodus-Chapter-12/
New American Standard Bible https://biblehub.com/nasb_/exodus/12.htm
Jewish Calendar: Solar and Lunar https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-calendar-solar-and-lunar/
Minoan Bull Leaping at The University of Pennsylvania Museum https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/bulls-and-bull-leaping-in-the-minoan-world/
"The Seder is a feast that includes reading a book called "Haggadah," drinking four cups of wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing, and other Passover traditions. As per Biblical command, it is held after nightfall on the first night of Passover (and the second night if you live outside of Israel), the anniversary of our nation’s miraculous exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago."--
https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1980/jewish/Passover-Seder.htm
These are a sample of the delivery services mentioned above, there are others:
"FreshDirect Leg of Lamb Roast Passover Meal" https://www.freshdirect.com/deli_prepared/d/meals/p/hmr_hlday_leglamb
Passover is a celebration of family tradition, a time to gather around the seder table as generations have before us. This year, whether you’re looking to keep it classic or bring something completely new to the table, Passover seder dinner traditions old & new are shipping nationwide."
https://www.goldbelly.com/foods/passover-seder
As mentioned above, the In Depth study of the Apocalypse of the Apostle John: Revelation http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org/revstudy/revintro.htm
Where we did NOT "turn down the heat"!
NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.
http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org
With the assistance and cooperation of The Media Desk.