| 12:2 |
The month is Abib 'ripening ears', (renamed Nisan by the Israelites) at the beginning of the barley harvest. Passover is observed on the 14th day of the 1st month of Nisan, reflecting the Babylonian calendar's influence of starting the year in spring.
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| 12:3 |
Initially the Passover was a household or family celebration, which did not necessitate attendance at the sanctuary. Later, Jewish authorities set a minimum of ten people to be present at the sacrifice. Perhaps the victim had to be examined or 'made holy' and that is why there is need to select on the 10th day and eat on the 14th.
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| 12:5 |
See Leviticus 1:3,10; 3:1,6; 4:23,28,32 where instructions about animals 'without any defect' are found.
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| 12:6 |
The slaughter was to take place in the evening. Different authorities vary on the precise times. Probably it means between the sunset and the appearing of stars. The 15th day starts at sunset in Jewish time.
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| 12:8 |
Deuteronomy 16:7 differs and orders the meat to be boiled. The practice clearly changed at some point. Perhaps roasting was the quickest way of cooking. The prohibition against boiling is difficult to understand, since sacrifices of which the worshippers partook, including Passover, were generally boiled (Leviticus 6:28). Perhaps roasting is the oldest form, since nomads did not always have water available.
The meat was not to be eaten raw because the eating of the blood, the life force, was forbidden (Leviticus 7:26f). The 'bitter herbs' were probably the wild desert plants the nomads used to season the meat. Later tradition claimed this to be in memory of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 10:5; Exodus 1:14). The Mishnah lists five herbs that fulfil this category: lettuce, chicory; pepperwort; snakeroot and dandelion.
Contrast the exodus from the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE where there was no need to hurry (Isaiah 52:11-13).
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| 12:10 |
This is evidence that the festival was originally nocturnal. The moon was probably seen as symbolising the presence of the deity in ancient times. No food was to be left over until morning to avoid profaning flesh which was sacred and burning was the simplest way of disposal.
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| 12:11ff |
Later rabbis believed these injunctions applied only to the Egyptian Passover.
Sandals would normally be left at the door.
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| 12:12 |
See Exodus 4:23. Behind the account of this plague is an awareness of the ancient beliefs regarding the sacredness of the first-born. The first-born men were therefore redeemed, while the firstlings of cattle were sacrificed. God is presented as more powerful than the gods of the Egyptians.
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| 12:13 |
The word 'pasah' meaning 'to pass over' does not occur elsewhere. It may be connected to 'pasah' to limp or the Accadian 'pasahu' to be soothed.
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| 12:14 |
The importance of the Passover was its reminder to Israel of deliverance from Egypt.
'This day' is not the 14th but the 15th and ran until the 21st.
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| 12:15 |
At the beginning of the barley harvest, before new grain was consecrated and used, all leavened bread had to be removed. So unleavened cakes were eaten for seven days. Seven is a holy number symbolising wholeness or completeness. Leaven was the piece of fermented dough from the previous batch. It was frequently used in the Bible to symbolise corruption. 'No longer considered one of my people' meant that anyone eating yeast will be either exiled or executed. See also 12:19
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| 12:16 |
'Assembly' means at a sanctuary.
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| 12:21-28 |
This is an independent account from the J source. It adds hyssop, the basin and confinement to the house.
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| 12:22 |
Marjoram or hyssop (a type of marjoram) was freely available. It was a small bushy, aromatic plant used like a sponge to sprinkle liquids in religious ceremonies. (1 Kings 4:33).
The doorway was regarded as the most sacred part of the house, and thus was in need of special protection. The prohibition to leave the house indicates the original domestic nature of the Passover. The lamb was probably slaughtered at the threshold where there may have been a special hollow to catch the blood.
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| 12:23 |
'The destroyer' probably refers to the destroying angel mentioned in 1 Samuel 24:16, Isaiah 37:36. He is the agent of God's work, or personified power of God, not his rival. God himself will not kill the Egyptian first-born. However, it is suggested the 'destroyer' originally was a destructive demon; the destroyer's power becomes God's power. The character of the deity had changed from the earlier ritual.
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| 12:25-27 |
This is a duplication and may come from source D. These verses are didactic and stress the historical meaning of the Passover and its perpetual obligation.
The question and answer is repeated still today as the Jewish families celebrate Passover. The questions are:
- 'Why do we eat only unleavened bread?'
- 'Why do we eat bitter herbs?'
- 'Why do we dip the vegetables twice?'
- 'Why do we preserve a certain posture?'
The instruction of children is often mentioned (10:2;13: 8;14-15) and was one of the means by which tradition was transmitted.
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| 12:37 |
cf. Num 11:21(J) and 1:46(P). Such figures are not credible in the light of the number of Hebrews who went down to Egypt, the number that could be employed in Egypt and the number that could be supported in the desert between Egypt and Palestine. It is more likely to be a few thousand. 600,000 can be viewed as an ideal number, arrived at by the use of consonants to symbolise numbers. 'The children of Israel' gives 603 x 1,000 which is roughly 600,000.
'Sukkoth' s precise location is unknown but it is suggested it was about 30 miles from Rameses. 'Rameses', also called the 'land of Goshen' is identified with the Wadi Tumilat, a narrow valley 30-40 miles long stretching eastwards from the easternmost branch of the Nile to the present Lake Timsah.
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| 12:38 |
Non-Hebrew slaves from Egypt or even Egyptians may have identified themselves with the Israelites, seeking a better life outside Egypt.
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| 12:39 |
vv. 34 and 39 and 13:13-16 are intended to be an explanation of the Egyptian origin of the feast of Unleavened Bread which was the spring festival of Canaan and was doubtless added to the Passover Festival as a result of the syncretism of Israel and Canaan after the settlement.
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| 12:40 |
The 430 years is a late calculation and probably inaccurate. Genesis 15:13 states 400 years.
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| 12:42 |
On this night, God watched over Israel to bring her safely out of Egypt: on Passover night the Israelites are to watch for God by keeping his festival and obeying him.
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| 12:43-49 |
Obviously this was written much later when the Israelites were settled in Palestine with foreigners living amongst them. The Israelites themselves had no scruples about buying foreign slaves! The close tie between religion and nationality is shown here, where rules are set out concerning who may participate in the Passover meal. A foreigner may participate in the meal provided he is circumcised: he becomes virtually an Israelite, sharing in its religion and life.
The unity of Israel is highlighted here as well, in the feast which was to be kept by all Israel and celebrated with one lamb in each house. No bone was to be broken in the lamb and no Israelite was to fail to eat. It is uniformity expressing solidarity. Similar regulations to these in v.46 appear in Numbers 9:12. The regulation about not breaking bones is cited in John 19:36, with reference to Jesus as the Passover lamb. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
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| 13:11-16 |
The link of the Dedication of the Firstborn to the Exodus is rather confused. Exodus 12:11ff connects Passover with the killing of the firstborn of the Egyptians while 12:27 connects it with the sparing of Israel (God's firstborn).
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| 13:12 |
The word for 'offering' or 'setting apart' is the same word used for sacrificing children to Molech (see 2 Kings 16:3). But this Canaanite practice was abhorrent to Israel. Israel uses this word in a different way. Though in Israel the firstborn were to be set apart for God as his, they were not to be given to him by sacrifice, but were to be 'ransomed' from him, suggesting they were sacrificed in theory but not in practice. The sanctification of the firstborn is the claim and recognition that all life, of men and cattle, is sacred to God.
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| 13:13 |
The ass or donkey was the one unclean animal that could not be sacrificed because it was unclean (Leviticus 11:3). It had to be bought back therefore from God by a lamb. If it was not redeemed with a lamb, its neck was to be broken - that would not involve the shedding of blood and therefore not sacrifice. The price of the redemption of the firstborn of human beings, not stated here, was fixed at five shekels (Numbers 18:15f;13:16).
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| 13:16 |
'A sign on your hand' would be something like a man's signet ring.
'A reminder on your forehead' Many primitive races tattoo or brand a mark on the body as a symbol of their devotion to their god. Here it is intended figuratively. Later on, influenced by Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18, four passages from the Torah, representing fundamental doctrines of Judaism, were written on small scrolls of parchment and put in cases and bound with leather straps to the brow and left arm. They were the tephillin, the prayers or phylacteries.
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