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| 1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, |
The Lord's Passover |
| 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. |
The beginning of months...the first month – That this refers to the month of Nisan is confirmed by Est. 3:7. |
| 3 Speak unto all the assembly of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month let them take themselves each a lamb, for a father's house, a lamb for a house. |
The congregation of Israel – Typical of those in the world of mankind kept in bondage by sin and death in the world (Egypt) yet desiring to be free.
The tenth day – Jesus was taken into the house of Israel 4 days prior to his being killed.
A lamb – Jesus, "The lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." 1 Cor. 5:7
For an house – For the household of faith. This statement is much broader that saying the Little Flock (144,000), or the Spirit-begotten. This would seem to include all of those pictured as being on plane N of the Chart of the Ages, i.e., those (during the Gospel Age) in a (tentatively) justified condition. |
| 4 And if the household be too small for a lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; each according to the measure of his eating shall ye count for the lamb. |
This verse shows how in the midst of giving this wonderful type for the Lord's people during the Gospel Age, our Heavenly Father also took care of the practical matters, realizing that not every household would be able to eat an entire lamb in that one night. |
| 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a yearling male; ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats. |
Your lamb – Jesus is "the lamb of God," for every individual of the human race.
Without blemish – Picturing the perfect humanity of the man Christ Jesus.
A male – In order to fitly represent that our Lord was to be the replacement for father Adam.
Of the first year – A yearling, in its full vitality. |
| 6 And ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; and the whole congregation of the assembly of Israel shall kill it between the two evenings. |
Ye – The nation of Israel.
Shall keep it – Jesus spent every day from the 10th to the 14th in Jerusalem, returning to Bethany (about 2 miles away) each evening (except for the 14th).
Until the fourteenth day – Thus Jesus, the "lamb of God", was taken into their house by the Jews on the 10th day and was kept until the 14th day.
The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel – This, in the type, helps us to understand what took place in the antitype. It was the nation of Israel that rejected Jesus, except for the few. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not, But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God." John 1:11,12
It was the people of Israel who said "Let His blood be on us and on our children." Matt. 27:25
Shall kill it – The Jews killed our Lord on Nisan 14, 33 A.D.
In the evening – Literally, "between evenings," i.e., between sunset and sunset. Sunset to the Jews is like midnight to us. It marks the end of one day and the beginning of the next. R2270; R2283; R2917; R2918; R5191
Jewish Publication Society 1917 edition (JPS) translates the phrase 'in the evening' as 'at dusk.'
Dusk is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as "The darker stage of twilight, especially in the evening," and by WordNet (Princeton University) as "The time of day immediately following sunset." |
| 7 And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two door-posts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. |
And they – Those in the house wherein is the lamb.
Take of the blood – The shed blood of the lamb. The life is in the blood. Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11, 14; Deut. 12:23.
Strike it – Please see additional comments for vs. 22.
On the two side posts and the upper post – Showing that those in the house are protected by the blood of the lamb. Another way to say this is that on that Passover night, all in the house had faith that they would be protected from danger by the blood of the lamb.
It is worth noting that this was a three-sided covering. Why not make it complete and put the blood on the threshold or entrance to the house? Because that would then put the blood of the lamb under the feet of those who entered and you do not want to trample under foot the blood of the son of God. - Heb. 10:28-29.
Wherein ye shall eat it – Only those under the blood were allowed to feast upon the lamb (of God).
According to vs. 22 the blood was applied with hyssop. This shows that having the blood on the door-posts also indicates the occupants are cleansed - picturing justification by faith. - Psa. 51:7. |
| 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs shall they eat it. |
Eat the flesh – To eat is to appropriate to one's self the value of that which is being eaten. In this case those who eat of the flesh (perfect humanity) of the lamb (Jesus) are appropriating that perfection, i.e., they are appropriating Justification.
In that night – The night when the death angel passed over the firstborn. This pictures the Gospel Age when the firstborn (little flock) are in danger of (second) death but are passed over or spared alive.
Roast with fire – Showing the fiery trials of our Lord.
Unleavened bread – Leaven is a symbol for sin, therefore this bread is without sin and pictures "sincerity and truth." 1 Cor. 5:8
Bitter herbs – Picturing the bitter experiences of the faithful during the Gospel Age. These bitter experiences only serve to wet our appetite for the Lamb of God, even as, to Israel, the bitter herbs served to wet the appetite for the Passover lamb. |
| 9 Ye shall eat none of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with its in-wards. |
Eat it not raw – None can gain the value of eating (appropriating) the flesh of the lamb (justification from the perfect man Christ Jesus) before the lamb was properly prepared (before the man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all - 1 Tim. 2:5-6).
Nor boiled with water – It was not scalding truth (boiled water) that prepared Jesus to be man's redeemer.
Roast with fire – Jesus was prepared by His fiery experiences. |
| 10 And ye shall let none of it remain until the morning; and what remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. |
Nothing of it remain – The Church is to eat ALL of the lamb, i.e., our consecration is to be full and complete AND the Little Flock will completely eat (feast fully) on the antitypical lamb, the Lamb of God.
The church will be fully developed during the Gospel age.
Until morning – When the new (Millennial) day is come. This is when the church is completed.
That which remaineth of it until the morning – Nothing was supposed to remain until the morning, so what is this? We suggest that this may refer to the Great Company who have to be compelled to fulfill their covenant of sacrifice. We see them, as a class, shown in the Millennial Morning (Rev. 7:9-17), after the sealing of the 144,000.In any case there are spirit begotten new creatures in Christ (both little flock and great company) still remaining in the flesh during the morning of the Millennial Age.
Burn with fire – The fire of the Time of Trouble. 1 Cor. 3:15
This may also apply to the Little Flock who go through the same fire (Time of Trouble) as does the Great Company. In the case of the church class they finish their course in glorious victory as more than overcomers. – Remember, this fire of trouble takes place in the Millennial Morning. |
| 11 And thus shall ye eat it: your loins shall be girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; it is Jehovah's passover. |
With your loins girded – Prepared for an effort. Girt with truth - Eph. 6:14
Shoes on your feet – Prepared to walk the narrow way.
Staff in your hand – Ready for the long journey to the promised land.
Eat it in haste – This is the business the Lord, our King has given us to do, and the kings business requires haste. 1 Sam. 21:8
The LORD's – This is strictly designed by Jehovah God Himself.
Passover – So-called because on that night the LORD (through his angel) passed over all those who were under the blood of the lamb. |
| 12 And I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Jehovah. |
I – Jehovah God. Whether it was Jehovah God Himself or an angel acting as His representative matters not. It was done at His command.
The land of Egypt – Typical of the world.
This night – The 14th of Nisan.
Will smite all the firstborn – It is the firstborn only who are in danger of death during the nighttime of the Gospel Age.
In the land of Egypt – In the world. We are in the world but not of the world. |
| 13 And the blood shall be for you as a sign on the houses in which ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be among you for destruction, when I smite the land of Egypt. |
The blood – The blood of the lamb, the blood of Christ.
For a token upon the houses where you are – As long as the Lord's people were in the house and under the blood then the houses (and those within) were spared.
This would seem to indicate that as long as the antitypical firstborn are within some of the houses of Christendom, those houses would be spared. Or to reverse the viewpoint, if houses (denominations) of Christendom have been destroyed it would seem to indicate that all the Lord's people (the antitypical firstborn) have come out of those houses (denominations).
When I see the blood – That there are still those who are under the blood of Christ in that house.
I will pass over you – Those firstborn who remain under the blood of Christ during this night (Gospel Age) will be spared.
This seems to be a consistent theme with the Lord. He does not destroy something until all of His people are out. Here, he does not destroy their houses because there are those under the blood within those houses. God did not destroy Sodom until Lot and his family were out of the city. It would seem that Christendom is not fully destroyed until all the spirit-begotten have left. Any who choose to remain would loose their begetting, i.e., be subject to the second death. Compare with Rev. 16:15. |
| 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall celebrate it as a feast to Jehovah; throughout your generations as an ordinance for ever shall ye celebrate it. |
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| 15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread: on the very first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day--that soul shall be cut off from Israel. |
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| 16 And on the first day ye shall have a holy convocation, and on the seventh day a holy convocation: no manner of work shall be done on them, save what is eaten by every person--that only shall be done by you. |
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| 17 And ye shall keep the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; and ye shall keep this day in your generations as an ordinance for ever. |
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| 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, ye shall eat unleavened bread until the one and twentieth day of the month in the evening. |
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| 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eateth what is leavened--that soul shall be cut off from the assembly of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or born in the land. |
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| 20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened: in all your dwellings shall ye eat unleavened bread. |
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| 21 And Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said to them, Seize and take yourselves lambs for your families, and kill the passover. |
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| 22 And take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and smear the lintel and the two door-posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. |
Bunch of hyssop – Symbolic of cleansing. Psa. 51:7.
The blood that is in the basin – The blood of the lamb (the lamb of God - Jesus)
Strike – The oil of hyssop is used as a cleansing agent and was believed by many Jews of the past to ward off evil spirits. By striking (not just spreading the blood on the doorposts, but 'striking' it) the oil of the hyssop was released. This reminds us that 'by His stripes we are healed.' Isa. 53:5. Also we find that both the church (Rev. 1:5) and the Great Company (Rev. 7:14) are washed in the blood of the lamb.
The lintel and the two side posts – The blood is spread in such fashion as to completely cover the entrance to the house. John 10:1, 9; Acts 4:10, 12
The blood was not spread on the threshold. Heb. 10:28-29.
None of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning – This makes it clear that the Jews did NOT leave Egypt on the night of the 14th. It also establishes the Passover supper was indeed on the 14th and not the 15th. If it were the 15th and they stayed inside until the morning how could they have left that night. (Deut. 16:1) |
| 23 And Jehovah will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two door-posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you2. |
Tenth Plague – Death of Firstborn – Described |
| 24 And ye shall observe this as an ordinance for thee and for thy sons for ever. |
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| 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye are come into the land that Jehovah will give you, as he has promised, that ye shall keep this service. |
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| 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you, What mean ye by this service? |
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| 27 that ye shall say, It is a sacrifice of passover to Jehovah, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses. And the people bowed their heads and worshipped. |
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| 28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron; so did they. |
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| 29 And it came to pass that at midnight Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. |
Tenth Plague – Death of Firstborn |
| 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his bondmen, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house in which there was not one dead. |
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| 31 And he called Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, Rise up, go away from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve Jehovah, as ye have said. |
He – Pharoah
Calleth for Moses – The translation here is faulty. The general understanding of this verse seems to be that the defeated Pharoah "summoned" or commanded the victorious Moses. This clearly is NOT what is intended here. Other uses of this word (Strong's 7121) include Gen. 4:26 "..then began men to call upon the name of the LORD;" Gen. 12:8 "..(Abram) .. builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD."
What happened is that Pharoah went to see Moses. Not only is this the way such things normally are done, but this is the way it had to be done! Remember God's instruction to Moses found in verse 22. "None of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning." Then also note what we are told in verse 35, i.e., "the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses." And this is repeated in verse 50: "Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they."
Think about it. If (as depicted in the 1956 movie "The Ten Commandments") Pharaoh "called for" Moses and Moses left Goshen and went to see Pharaoh in his palace, then Moses would have been in violation of God's instruction in verse 22 that "none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning." How much more accurate and consistent the account becomes when we simply recognize that the defeated Pharaoh left his palace and "called upon" Moses.
The parallel account of verses 31 and 32 in the book of Jasher (chapter 80 verses 55 and 56) is supportive of the above conclusions. We present verses 49, 55 and 56 here as follows:"[49] And Bathia the daughter of Pharaoh went forth with the king on that night to seek Moses and Aaron in their houses, and they found them in their houses, eating and drinking and rejoicing with all Israel. .. [55] And Pharaoh king of Egypt approached Moses and Aaron, and some of the children of Israel who were with them in that place, and he prayed to them, saying, [56] Rise up and take your brethren, all the children of Israel who are in the land, with their sheep and oxen, and all belonging to them, they shall leave nothing remaining, only pray for me to the Lord your God." |
| 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and go; and bless me also. |
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| 33 And the Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We are all dead men ! |
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| 34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened; their kneading-troughs bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. |
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| 35 And the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked of the Egyptians utensils of silver, and utensils of gold, and clothing. |
The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses – This would include the instructions in vs. 22 that "none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning."
They borrowed of the Egyptians – Poor translation. It should read: "They asked of the Egyptians.." The word is Strong's H7592.Throughout the Book of Genesis this word is translated by some form of the word "ask." |
| 36 And Jehovah had given the people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they gave to them; and they spoiled the Egyptians. |
They lent unto them such things as they required – JPS translation is much better: "They let them have what they asked." |
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| 37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children. |
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| 38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks and herds--very much cattle. |
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| 39 And they baked the dough that they brought forth out of Egypt into unleavened cakes, for it was not leavened; for they were driven out of Egypt, and could not wait; neither had they prepared for themselves any food. |
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| 40 And the residence of the children of Israel that they resided in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. |
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| 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that same day it came to pass that all the hosts of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt. |
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| 42 It is a night of observance to Jehovah, because of their being brought out from the land of Egypt: that same night is an observance to Jehovah for all the children of Israel in their generations. |
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| 43 And Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: No stranger shall eat of it; |
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| 44 but every man's bondman that is bought for money--let him be circumcised: then shall he eat it. |
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| 45 A settler and a hired servant shall not eat it. |
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| 46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth any of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. |
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| 47 All the assembly of Israel shall hold it. |
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| 48 And when a sojourner sojourneth with thee, and would hold the passover to Jehovah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and hold it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. |
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| 49 One law shall be for him that is home-born and for the sojourner that sojourneth among you. |
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| 50 And all the children of Israel did as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron; so did they. |
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| 51 And it came to pass on that same day, that Jehovah brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their hosts. |
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