Exodus 12:5

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

Your lamb {H7716} shall be without blemish {H8549}, a male {H2145} of the first {H1121} year {H8141}: ye shall take {H3947} it out from the sheep {H3532}, or from the goats {H5795}:

Your animal must be without defect, a male in its first year, and you may choose it from either the sheep or the goats.

Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old: ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:

Commentary

Exodus 12:5 provides crucial instructions for the selection of the Passover lamb, setting the stage for the redemption of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. This verse emphasizes the perfection required for the sacrificial animal, foreshadowing a greater, ultimate sacrifice.

Context

This verse is part of God's detailed instructions to Moses and Aaron regarding the first Passover, an event ordained just before the tenth and final plague—the death of the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 12:1). The lamb's blood, applied to the doorposts, would signal to the angel of death to "pass over" the homes of the Israelites, sparing their firstborn. The selection of the lamb was a foundational step in this pivotal moment of deliverance for the nation of Israel.

Key Themes

  • Perfection and Purity: The requirement for the lamb to be "without blemish" (Hebrew: tamim, meaning "whole," "sound," "perfect") signified that the sacrifice had to be unblemished and faultless. This was not merely for aesthetic reasons but for ritual purity, representing an offering worthy of God.
  • Youth and Vitality: "A male of the first year" implies a young, strong, and healthy animal, at the peak of its vitality. This emphasizes the value and quality of the sacrifice being offered to God.
  • Accessibility and Substitution: The instruction to take it "from the sheep, or from the goats" made the sacrifice accessible to every household, whether they primarily raised sheep or goats. This sacrificial animal served as a substitute, its life for the life of the firstborn, highlighting the core principle of substitutionary atonement.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "without blemish" is tamim (תָּמִים). It denotes completeness, soundness, and integrity, implying physical perfection as well as moral purity in broader biblical contexts. Here, it underscores the absolute flawlessness required for the sacrificial animal, setting a high standard for the offering.

Related Scriptures

The specifications for the Passover lamb powerfully foreshadow the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is often referred to as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Just as the Passover lamb had to be "without blemish," so too was Christ "a lamb without blemish and without spot", signifying His sinless perfection. Paul explicitly calls Christ "our passover" who has been sacrificed for us.

Practical Application

Exodus 12:5 reminds us of the profound significance of Christ's perfect sacrifice. The requirement for a spotless lamb underscores the absolute necessity of a sinless redeemer to atone for humanity's sin. For believers, this means that redemption is not achieved through human effort or flawed offerings, but solely through the perfect, unblemished sacrifice of Jesus. His life, given willingly, provides complete and eternal deliverance from the penalty of sin, just as the Passover lamb provided deliverance from death for the Israelites.

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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

  • 1 Peter 1:18 (8 votes)

    Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;

  • 1 Peter 1:19 (8 votes)

    But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

  • Hebrews 9:13 (8 votes)

    For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

  • Hebrews 9:14 (8 votes)

    How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

  • Malachi 1:14 (7 votes)

    But cursed [be] the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I [am] a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name [is] dreadful among the heathen.

  • Deuteronomy 17:1 (6 votes)

    ¶ Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God [any] bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, [or] any evilfavouredness: for that [is] an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

  • Leviticus 1:10 (5 votes)

    ¶ And if his offering [be] of the flocks, [namely], of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.