Exodus 12:21

¶ 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.

Then Moses {H4872} called {H7121} for all the elders {H2205} of Israel {H3478}, and said {H559} unto them, Draw out {H4900} and take {H3947} you a lamb {H6629} according to your families {H4940}, and kill {H7819} the passover {H6453}.

Then Moshe called for all the leaders of Isra'el and said, "Select and take lambs for your families, and slaughter the Pesach lamb.

Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Go at once and select for yourselves a lamb for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb.

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

Commentary

Exodus 12:21 marks a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, detailing Moses' direct instructions to the elders regarding the first Passover. The verse reads: "¶ 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."

Context

This verse is set against the dramatic backdrop of the tenth and final plague God brought upon Egypt: the death of the firstborn. After nine devastating plagues, Pharaoh remained obstinate, refusing to release the Israelites from their bondage. God, through Moses, provided a specific, detailed instruction for the Israelite families to protect their firstborn sons from the coming judgment. This instruction involved preparing a special lamb, applying its blood, and eating its roasted flesh. Moses, as God's chosen leader, gathers the elders – representatives and leaders of the Israelite families – to communicate these life-saving commands with urgency and precision. This event established the annual Passover feast, a lasting memorial of God's redemptive power and faithfulness.

Key Themes

  • Obedience to Divine Command: The immediate and precise action required by God through Moses highlights the critical importance of obedience. The elders were to ensure every family followed the instructions exactly to avoid judgment.
  • Substitutionary Sacrifice: The lamb chosen for each family served as a substitute, its life taken so that the firstborn of the household might be spared. This act profoundly illustrates the principle of atonement, where an innocent life is given for the guilty.
  • The Institution of the Passover: This verse initiates the ritual of the Passover, a foundational event in Israelite history and religious practice. It was a memorial of God's "passing over" the homes marked by the blood of the lamb.
  • Family Unit as the Basis of Covenant: The instruction to "take you a lamb according to your families" underscores the family as the primary unit through which God's covenant blessings and protection were extended.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "kill the passover" refers to the ritual slaughter of the lamb for the feast. The Hebrew word for "Passover" is Pesach ( –זב), which means "to pass over," "to skip," or "to spare." This concept is central to the entire event, as God's judgment would "pass over" the homes protected by the blood of the lamb, sparing those within. The lamb itself, specified in earlier verses (e.g., Exodus 12:5) as being without blemish, points to its purity and suitability as a sacrifice.

Related Scriptures

The instructions in this verse are foundational to understanding the Passover. The immediate follow-up details the application of the blood on the doorposts, which was the visible sign for God to "pass over." The Passover lamb, whose blood provided salvation from death, serves as a powerful foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, who is called "our passover" in the New Testament. His sacrificial death provides salvation from sin and eternal death for all who believe.

Practical Application

Exodus 12:21 teaches us about the necessity of obedience to God's specific commands, especially in times of crisis. Just as the Israelites were saved by their faith demonstrated through specific actions (applying the blood), believers today are saved by faith in God's provision through Christ. The Passover reminds us that salvation is not earned but is a gracious gift from God, received through a substitutionary sacrifice. It calls us to remember God's mighty acts of deliverance and to trust in His continued protection and provision for our lives, recognizing Jesus as the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Exodus 12:3

    Speak 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:

  • Exodus 3:16

    ¶ Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and [seen] that which is done to you in Egypt:

  • Numbers 11:16

    ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

  • Exodus 12:11

    And 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.

  • 2 Chronicles 30:15

    Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth [day] of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

  • 2 Chronicles 30:17

    For [there were] many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one [that was] not clean, to sanctify [them] unto the LORD.

  • Joshua 5:10

    ¶ And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
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