CHAPTER XII _The month_ Abib _is to be considered as the commencement of_ _the year_, 1, 2. _The_ PASSOVER _instituted; the_ lamb _or_ kid _to be used on the_ _occasion to be taken from the flock the_ tenth _day of the_ _month, and each family to provide one_, 3, 4. _The lamb or kid to be a ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:2. _THIS MONTH_ SHALL BE _UNTO YOU THE BEGINNING OF MONTHS_] It is supposed that God now changed the commencement of the Jewish year. The month to which this verse refers, the month _Abib_, answers to a part of our _March_ and _April_; whereas it is supposed that previously to this... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:3. _IN THE TENTH DAY OF THIS MONTH_] In after times they began their preparation on the _thirteenth_ day or day before the PASSOVER, which was not celebrated till the _fourteenth_ day, see Exodus 12:6: but on the present occasion, as this was their first _passover_, they probably re... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:4. _IF THE HOUSEHOLD BE TOO LITTLE_] That is, if there be not persons enough in one family to eat a whole lamb, then two families must join together. The rabbins allow that there should be at least _ten_ persons to one paschal lamb, and not more than _twenty_. _TAKE_ IT, _ACCORDING... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:5. _WITHOUT BLEMISH_] Having no natural imperfection, no disease, no _deficiency_ or _redundancy_ of parts. On this point the rabbins have trifled most egregiously, reckoning _fifty_ blemishes that render a lamb or kid, or any animal, improper to be sacrificed: _five_ in the _ear, th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:6. _YE SHALL KEEP IT UP UNTIL THE FOURTEENTH DAY_] The lamb or kid was to be taken from the flock on the _tenth_ day, and kept up and fed by itself till the _fourteenth_ day, when it was to be sacrificed. This was never commanded nor practised afterwards. The rabbins mark _four_ thin... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:7. _TAKE OF THE BLOOD, AND STRIKE_ IT _ON THE TWO SIDE POSTS_] This was to be done by dipping a bunch of hyssop into the blood, and thus sprinkling it upon the posts, c. see Exodus 12:22. That this sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb was an emblem of the sacrifice and atonem... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:8. _THEY SHALL EAT THE FLESH - ROAST WITH FIRE_] As it was the ordinary custom of the Jews to _boil_ their flesh, some think that the command given here was in opposition to the custom of the Egyptians, who ate _raw_ flesh in honour of Osiris. The AEthiopians are to this day remarkab... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:9. _WITH THE PURTENANCE THEREOF._] All the intestines, for these were abused by the heathens to purposes of divination; and when roasted in the manner here directed they could not be thus used. The command also implies that the lamb was to be roasted whole; neither the _head_ or _leg... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:10. _YE SHALL LET NOTHING OF IT REMAIN UNTIL THE MORNING_] Merely to prevent _putrefaction_; for it was not meet that a thing offered to God should be subjected to corruption, which in such hot countries it must speedily undergo. Thus the body of our blessed Lord _saw no corruption_,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:11. _AND THUS SHALL YE EAT IT_; WITH _YOUR LOINS GIRDED_] As in the eastern countries they wear long loose garments, whenever they travel they tuck up the fore parts of their garments in the girdle which they wear round their loins. _YOUR SHOES ON YOUR FEET_] This seems particularl... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:12. _AGAINST ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT, C._] As different animals were sacred among the Egyptians, the slaying of the _first-born_ of all the beasts might be called executing judgment upon the _gods_ of Egypt. As this however does not appear very clear and satisfactory, some have imagin... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:13. _THE BLOOD SHALL BE TO YOU FOR A TOKEN_] It shall be the _sign_ to the destroying angel, that the house on which he sees this blood sprinkled is under the protection of God, and that no person in it is to be injured. Exodus 12:11, Exodus 12:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:14. _A MEMORIAL_] To keep up a remembrance of the severity and goodness, or justice and mercy, of God. _Ye shall keep it a_ _feast _- it shall be annually observed, and shall be celebrated with solemn religious joy, _throughout your generations _- as long as ye continue to be a disti... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:15. _SEVEN DAYS SHALL YE EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD_] This has been considered as a distinct ordinance, and not essentially connected with the passover. The passover was to be observed on the fourteenth day of the first month; the feast of unleavened bread began on the _fifteenth_ and last... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:16. _IN THE FIRST DAY AND IN THE SEVENTH DAY THERE SHALL BE_ _A HOLY CONVOCATION_] This is the first place where we meet with the account of an _assembly_ collected for the mere purpose of religious worship. Such assemblies are called _holy convocations_, which is a very appropriate... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:17. _SELF - SAME DAY_] בעצם _beetsem_, in the body of this day, or in the strength of this day; probably they began their march about day-break, called here the _body_ or _strength_ of the day, and in Deuteronomy 16:1, _by night _- sometime before the sun rose.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:19. _NO LEAVEN FOUND IN YOUR HOUSES_] To meet the letter of this precept in the fullest manner possible, the Jews, on the eve of this festival, institute the most rigorous search through every part of their houses, not only removing all leavened bread, but sweeping every part clean,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:21. _KILL THE PASSOVER._] That is, the _lamb_, which was called the _paschal_ or _passover_ lamb. The _animal_ that was to be sacrificed on this occasion got the name of the _institution_ itself: thus the word _covenant_ is often put for the sacrifice offered in making the covenant;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:22. _A BUNCH OF HYSSOP_] The original word אזוב _ezob_ has been variously translated _musk_, _rosemary, polypody of the wall,_ _mint, origanum_, _marjoram_, and HYSSOP: the latter seems to be the most proper. Parkhurst says it is named from its detersive and cleansing qualities, whe... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:26. _WHAT MEAN YE BY THIS SERVICE?_] The establishment of this service annually was a very wise provision to keep up in remembrance this wonderful deliverance. From the remotest antiquity the institution of feasts, games, c., has been used to keep up the memory of past grand events.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:27. _IT_ IS _THE SACRIFICE OF THE LORD'S PASSOVER_] We have already intimated that the paschal lamb was an illustrious type of Christ; and we shall find that every thing in this account is _typical_ or representative. The bondage and affliction of the people of Israel may be conside... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:29. _SMOTE ALL THE FIRST BORN_] If we take the term _first-born_ in its literal sense _only_, we shall be led to conclude that in a vast number of the houses of the Egyptians there could have been no death, as it is not at all likely that every first-born child of every Egyptian fam... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:30. _THERE WAS A GREAT CRY_] No people in the universe were more remarkable for their mournings than the Egyptians, especially in matters of religion; they whipped, beat, tore themselves, and howled in all the excess of grief. When a relative died, the people left the house, ran int... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:31. _CALLED FOR MOSES AND AARON_] That is, he sent the message here mentioned to them; for it does not appear that he had any farther interview with Moses and Aaron, after what is mentioned Exodus 10:28-2, and Exodus 11:8. Exodus 10:28; _"_Exodus 10:29_"_; _"_Exodus 11:8_"_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:33. _THE EGYPTIANS WERE URGENT UPON THE PEOPLE_] They felt much, they feared more; and therefore wished to get immediately rid of a people on whose account they found they were smitten with so many and such dreadful plagues.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:34. _THE PEOPLE TOOK THEIR DOUGH BEFORE IT WAS LEAVENED,_ _c._] There was no time now to make any regular preparation for their departure, such was the universal hurry and confusion. The Israelites could carry but little of their household utensils with them but some, such as they k... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:35. _THEY BORROWED OF THE EGYPTIANS_] Exodus 3:22, Exodus 3:22, where the very exceptionable term _borrow_ is largely explained.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:37. _FROM RAMESES TO SUCCOTH_] Rameses appears to have been another name for _Goshen_, though it is probable that there might have been a chief city or village in that land, where the children of Israel rendezvoused previously to their departure, called Rameses. As the term Succoth s... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:40. _NOW THE SOJOURNING OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, C._] The statement in this verse is allowed on all hands to be extremely difficult, and therefore the passage stands in especial need of illustration. "That the descendants of Israel did not dwell 430 years in _Egypt_," says Dr. Ken... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 42. _A NIGHT TO BE MUCH OBSERVED_] A night to be held in everlasting remembrance, because of the peculiar display of the power and goodness of God, the observance of which annually was to be considered a religious precept while the Jewish nation should continue.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 43. _THIS_ IS _THE ORDINANCE OF THE PASSOVER_] From the last verse of this chapter it appears pretty evident that this, to the 50th verse inclusive, constituted a part of the directions given to Moses relative to the proper observance of the first passover, and should be read conjointly with t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 45. _A FOREIGNER_] תושב _toshab_, from ישב _yashab_, to _sit down_ or _dwell_; one who is a mere _sojourner_, for the purpose of traffic, merchandise, c., but who is neither a proselyte of the _gate_ nor of the _covenant_. _AND A HIRED SERVANT_] Who, though he be bought with money, or has in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 46. _IN ONE HOUSE SHALL IT BE EATEN_] In one family, if that be large enough; if not, a neighbouring family might be invited, Exodus 12:4. _THOU SHALT NOT CARRY FORTH AUGHT OF THE FLESH_] Every family must abide _within doors_ because of the destroying angel, none being permitted to go out of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 48. _AND WHEN A STRANGER - WILL KEEP THE PASSOVER, C._] Let all who sojourn among you, and who desire to partake of this sacred ordinance, not only be circumcised themselves, but all the males of their families likewise, that they may all have an equal right to the blessings of the covenant.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 49. _ONE LAW SHALL BE TO HIM THAT IS HOME-BORN, C._] As this is the first place that the term תורה _torah_ or LAW occurs, a term of the greatest importance in Divine revelation, and on the proper understanding of which much depends, I judge it best to give its genuine explanation once for all.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Exodus 12:51. _BY THEIR ARMIES._] צבאתם _tsibotham_, from צבא _tsaba_, to _assemble, meet together_, in an _orderly_ or _regulated_ manner, and hence to _war_, to act together as troops in battle; whence צבאות _tsebaoth, troops, armies, hosts_. It is from this that the Divine Being calls himse... [ Continue Reading ]