Exodus 12

King James Version

Full text for Exodus Chapter 12

1¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2This month [shall be] unto you the beginning of months: it [shall be] the first month of the year to you.

3Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth [day] of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of [their] fathers, a lamb for an house:

4And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take [it] according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take [it] out from the sheep, or from the goats:

6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

7And they shall take of the blood, and strike [it] on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

8And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; [and] with bitter [herbs] they shall eat it.

9Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast [with] fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

10And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

11And thus shall ye eat it; [with] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it [is] the LORD'S passover.

12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will 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] the LORD.

13And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt.

14And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

15Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

16And in the first day [there shall be] an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save [that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

17And ye shall observe [the feast of] unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

18In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

19Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

20Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

21¶ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

22And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

23For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you].

24And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

25And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

26And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

27That ye shall say, It [is] the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, 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 the head and worshipped.

28And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

29¶ And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

30And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for [there was] not a house where [there was] not one dead.

31And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, [and] get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.

32Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

33And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We [be] all dead [men].

34And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

35And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

36And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them [such things as they required]. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

37¶ And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot [that were] men, beside children.

38And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, [even] very much cattle.

39And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

40Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, [was] four hundred and thirty years.

41And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

42It [is] a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this [is] that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

43¶ And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This [is] the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

44But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

45A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

46In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

47All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

48And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

49One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

50Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

51And it came to pass the selfsame day, [that] the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Exodus 12 details the institution of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The LORD commanded Israel to sacrifice a blemishless lamb, apply its blood to their doorposts, and eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread, as a sign for protection from the coming plague on Egypt's firstborn. This night culminated in the smiting of Egypt's firstborn, prompting Pharaoh to release Israel, leading to their hasty departure after 430 years of sojourning.

Medium Summary

In Exodus 12, the LORD establishes the Passover as the beginning of Israel's calendar year, instructing them to select a blemishless lamb on the tenth day of the month and kill it on the fourteenth. Its blood was to be applied to the doorposts of their houses, serving as a token for the LORD to "pass over" them when He smote Egypt's firstborn. The lamb's flesh was to be eaten roasted with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, with nothing left until morning, consumed in haste as a perpetual ordinance. Immediately following, the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread was commanded, requiring the removal of all leaven from their homes, with severe penalties for disobedience. On the night of the fourteenth, the LORD smote all the firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh's son to the captive's, causing a great cry throughout the land. This compelled Pharaoh to urgently release the Israelites, who departed from Rameses to Succoth, approximately 600,000 men on foot, after 430 years in Egypt. Further ordinances for the Passover included restrictions on who could partake, emphasizing that only the circumcised, whether native-born or sojourning, could eat of it.

Long Summary

Exodus chapter 12 begins with the LORD instituting the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, marking this month as the beginning of the year for Israel. Instructions were given for each household to select a blemishless male lamb or goat on the tenth day, keeping it until the fourteenth, when the whole congregation was to kill it in the evening. The blood of the lamb was to be applied to the two side posts and upper door post of their houses as a token, signifying that the LORD would "pass over" those homes when He smote the firstborn of Egypt. The flesh was to be eaten roasted with fire, accompanied by unleavened bread and bitter herbs, consumed in haste with loins girded and staff in hand, and nothing was to remain until morning. This observance was declared a perpetual memorial and feast to the LORD throughout their generations. Immediately following, the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread was commanded, during which no leaven was to be found in their houses, with the penalty of being "cut off from Israel" for eating leavened bread. Holy convocations were appointed for the first and seventh days of this feast, with no work permitted save for preparing food. Moses relayed these precise instructions to the elders of Israel, emphasizing the protective power of the blood and the perpetual nature of the ordinance for their children. That night, at midnight, the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from Pharaoh's heir to the cattle, resulting in a great cry of lamentation throughout Egypt. Pharaoh, along with his servants and all Egyptians, urgently called for Moses and Aaron, commanding Israel to depart immediately, even urging them to take their flocks and herds and bless him. The Israelites, in their hasty departure, took their unleavened dough and, by the LORD's favour, "spoiled" the Egyptians by borrowing jewels of silver, gold, and raiment. They journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, numbering about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children and a mixed multitude, baking unleavened cakes due to their inability to tarry. This exodus occurred precisely 430 years after their sojourning began, marking a night to be observed forever by all generations of Israel. Further ordinances for the Passover specified that no stranger could eat of it unless circumcised, placing circumcised servants and sojourners under the same law as the homeborn, while forbidding foreigners and hired servants from partaking or breaking a bone of the lamb. The children of Israel meticulously obeyed all the LORD's commands given to Moses and Aaron, thus departing from Egypt.

Core Concepts

  • Passover InstitutionThe divine command to Israel to observe a specific ritual involving a blemishless lamb, its blood applied to doorposts, and its roasted flesh eaten with unleavened bread, serving as a sign for divine protection from the tenth plague.
  • Feast of Unleavened BreadA seven-day observance immediately following the Passover, requiring the complete removal of leaven from Israelite homes and the consumption of unleavened bread, symbolizing their hasty departure from Egypt.
  • Smiting of the FirstbornThe climactic tenth plague upon Egypt, where the LORD struck down every firstborn, both human and animal, throughout the land, except for those Israelite households marked by the lamb's blood.
  • The ExodusThe mass departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, numbering approximately 600,000 men on foot, along with women, children, and a mixed multitude, occurring after 430 years of sojourning.
  • Perpetual OrdinanceThe command that both the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were to be observed as everlasting statutes for Israel throughout all their generations, serving as a memorial of their deliverance.
  • Blood as a TokenThe specific instruction for the blood of the Passover lamb to be applied to the doorposts, serving as a visible sign to the LORD, ensuring that the destroyer would "pass over" those marked houses.
  • Spoiling the EgyptiansThe LORD granting the Israelites favour in the eyes of the Egyptians, who, in their urgency to send them away, gave them jewels of silver, gold, and raiment, effectively enriching Israel at Egypt's expense.