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Commentary on Exodus 12 verses 1–20
Moses and Aaron here receive of the Lord what they were afterwards to deliver to the people concerning the ordinance of the passover, to which is prefixed an order for a new style to be observed in their months (Exo 12:1, Exo 12:2): This shall be to you the beginning of months. They had hitherto begun their year from the middle of September, but henceforward they were to begin it from the middle of March, at least in all their ecclesiastical computations. Note, It is good to begin the day, and begin the year, and especially to begin our lives, with God. This new calculation began the year with the spring, which reneweth the face of the earth, and was used as a figure of the coming of Christ, Sol 2:11, Sol 2:12. We may suppose that, while Moses was bringing the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, he was directing the Israelites to prepare for their departure at an hour's warning. Probably he had be degrees brought them near together from their dispersions, for their are here called the congregation of Israel (Exo 12:3), and to them as a congregation orders are here sent. Their amazement and hurry, it is easy to suppose, were great; yet now they must apply themselves to the observance of a sacred rite, to the honour of God. Note, When our heads are fullest of care, and our hands of business, yet we must not forget our religion, nor suffer ourselves to be indisposed for acts of devotion.
I. God appointed that on the night wherein they were to go out of Egypt they should, in each of their families, kill a lamb, or that two or three families, if they were small, should join for a lamb. The lamb was to be got ready four days before and that afternoon they were to kill it (Exo 12:6) as a sacrifice; not strictly, for it was not offered upon the altar, but as a religious ceremony, acknowledging God's goodness to them, not only in preserving them from, but in delivering them by, the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians. See the antiquity of family-religion; and see the convenience of the joining of small families together for religious worship, that it may be made the more solemn.
II. The lamb so slain they were to eat, roasted (we may suppose, in its several quarters), with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, because they were to eat it in haste (Exo 12:11), and to leave none of it until the morning; for God would have them to depend upon him for their daily bread, and not to take thought for the morrow. He that led them would feed them.
III. Before they ate the flesh of the lamb, they were to sprinkle the blood upon the doorposts, Exo 12:7. By this their houses were to be distinguished from the houses of the Egyptians, and so their first-born secured from the sword of the destroying angel, Exo 12:12, Exo 12:13. Dreadful work was to be made this night in Egypt; all the first-born both of man and beast were to be slain, and judgment executed upon the gods of Egypt. Moses does not mention the fulfillment, in this chapter, yet he speaks of it Num 33:4. It is very probable that the idols which the Egyptians worshipped were destroyed, those of metal melted, those of wood consumed, and those of stone broken to pieces, whence Jethro infers (Exo 18:11), The Lord is greater than all gods. The same angel that destroyed their first-born demolished their idols, which were no less dear to them. For the protection of Israel from this plague they were ordered to sprinkle the blood of the lamb upon the door-posts, their doing which would be accepted as an instance of their faith in the divine warnings and their obedience to the divine precepts. Note, 1. If in times of common calamity God will secure his own people, and set a mark upon them; they shall be hidden either in heaven or under heaven, preserved either from the stroke of judgments or at least from the sting of them. 2. The blood of sprinkling is the saint's security in times of common calamity; it is this that marks them for God, pacifies conscience, and gives them boldness of access to the throne of grace, and so becomes a wall of protection round them and a wall of partition between them and the children of this world.
IV. This was to be annually observed as a feast of the Lord in their generations, to which the feast of unleavened bread was annexed, during which, for seven days, they were to eat no bread but what was unleavened, in remembrance of their being confined to such bread, of necessity, for many days after they came out of Egypt, Exo 12:14-20. The appointment is inculcated for their better direction, and that they might not mistake concerning it, and to awaken those who perhaps in Egypt had grown generally very stupid and careless in the matters of religion to a diligent observance of the institution. Now, without doubt, there was much of the gospel in this ordinance; it is often referred to in the New Testament, and, in it, to us is the gospel preached, and not to them only, who could not stedfastly look to the end of these things, Heb 4:2; Co2 3:13.
1.The paschal lamb was typical. Christ is our Passover, Co1 5:7. (1.) It was to be a lamb; and Christ is the Lamb of God (Joh 1:29), often in the Revelation called the Lamb, meek and innocent as a lamb, dumb before the shearers, before the butchers. (2.) It was to be a male of the first year (Exo 12:5), in its prime; Christ offered up himself in the midst of his days, not in infancy with the babes of Bethlehem. It denotes the strength and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus, on whom our help was laid. (3.) It was to be without blemish (Exo 12:5), denoting the purity of the Lord Jesus, a Lamb without spot, Pe1 1:19. The judge that condemned him (as if his trial were only like the scrutiny that was made concerning the sacrifices, whether they were without blemish or no) pronounced him innocent. (4.) It was to be set apart four days before (Exo 12:3, Exo 12:6), denoting the designation of the Lord Jesus to be a Saviour, both in the purpose and in the promise. It is very observable that as Christ was crucified at the passover, so he solemnly entered into Jerusalem four days before, the very day that the paschal lamb was set apart. (5.) It was to be slain, and roasted with fire (Exo 12:6-9), denoting the exquisite sufferings of the Lord Jesus, even unto death, the death of the cross. The wrath of God is as fire, and Christ was made a curse for us. (6.) It was to be killed by the whole congregation between the two evenings, that is, between three o'clock and six. Christ suffered in the end of the world (Heb 9:26), by the hand of the Jews, the whole multitude of them (Luk 23:18), and for the good of all his spiritual Israel. (7.) Not a bone of it must be broken (Exo 12:46), which is expressly said to be fulfilled in Christ (Joh 19:33, Joh 19:36), denoting the unbroken strength of the Lord Jesus.
2.The sprinkling of the blood was typical. (1.) It was not enough that the blood of the lamb was shed, but it must be sprinkled, denoting the application of the merits of Christ's death to our souls; we must receive the atonement, Rom 5:11. (2.) It was to be sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop (Exo 12:22) dipped in the basin. The everlasting covenant, like the basin, in the conservatory of this blood, the benefits and privileges purchased by it are laid up for us there; faith is the bunch of hyssop by which we apply the promises to ourselves and the benefits of the blood of Christ laid up in them. (3.) It was to be sprinkled upon the door-posts, denoting the open profession we are to make of faith in Christ, and obedience to him, as those that are not ashamed to own our dependence upon him. The mark of the beast may be received on the forehead or in the right hand, but the seal of the Lamb is always in the forehead, Rev 7:3. There is a back-way to hell, but no back-way to heaven; no, the only way to this is a high-way, Isa 35:8. (4.) It was to be sprinkled upon the lintel and the sideposts, but not upon the threshold (Exo 12:7), which cautions us to take heed of trampling under foot the blood of the covenant, Heb 10:29. It is precious blood, and must be precious to us. (5.) The blood, thus sprinkled, was a means of the preservation of the Israelites from the destroying angel, who had nothing to do where the blood was. If the blood of Christ be sprinkled upon our consciences, it will be our protection from the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the damnation of hell, Rom 8:1.
3.The solemnly eating of the lamb was typical of our gospel-duty to Christ. (1.) The paschal lamb was killed, not to be looked upon only, but to be fed upon; so we must by faith make Christ ours, as we do that which we eat, and we must receive spiritual strength and nourishment from him, as from our food, and have delight and satisfaction in him, as we have in eating and drinking when we are hungry or thirsty: see Joh 6:53-55. (2.) It was to be all eaten; those that by faith feed upon Christ must feed upon a whole Christ; they must take Christ and his yoke, Christ and his cross, as well as Christ and his crown. Is Christ divided? Those hat gather much of Christ will have nothing over. (3.) It was to be eaten immediately, not deferred till morning, Exo 12:10. Today Christ is offered, and is to be accepted while it is called today, before we sleep the sleep of death. (4.) It was to be eaten with bitter herbs (Exo 12:8), in remembrance of the bitterness of their bondage in Egypt. We must feed upon Christ with sorrow and brokenness of heart, in remembrance of sin; this will give an admirable relish to the paschal lamb. Christ will be sweet to us if sin be bitter. (5.) It was to be eaten in a departing posture (Exo 12:11); when we feed upon Christ by faith we must absolutely forsake the rule and dominion of sin, shake off Pharaoh's yoke; and we must sit loose to the world, and every thing in it, forsake all for Christ, and reckon it no bad bargain, Heb 13:13, Heb 13:14.
4.The feast of unleavened bread was typical of the Christian life, Co1 5:7, Co1 5:8. Having received Christ Jesus the Lord, (1.) We must keep a feast in holy joy, continually delighting ourselves in Christ Jesus; no manner of work must be done (Exo 12:16), no care admitted or indulged, inconsistent with, or prejudicial to, this holy joy: if true believers have not a continual feast, it is their own fault. (2.) It must be a feast of unleavened bread, kept in charity, without the leaven of malice, and in sincerity, without the leaven of hypocrisy. The law was very strict as to the passover, and the Jews were so in their usages, that no leaven should be found in their houses, Exo 12:19. All the old leaven of sin must be put far from us, with the utmost caution and abhorrence, if we would keep the feast of a holy life to the honour of Christ. (3.) It was by an ordinance for ever (Exo 12:17); as long as we live, we must continue feeding upon Christ and rejoicing in him, always making thankful mention of the great things he has done for us.
Then too the unleavened bread is commanded to be eaten with bitter herbs; nor is it possible to attain the promised land unless we pass through bitterness. For just as physicians put bitter substances in medicines with a view to the health and healing of the infirm, so also the Physician of our souls with a view to our salvation has wished us to suffer the bitterness of this life in various temptations. [He knows] that the end of this bitterness gains the sweetness of salvation for our soul, just as, on the contrary, the end of the sweetness found in corporeal pleasure, as the example of that rich man teaches, brings a bitter end: torments in hell.
Christians eat the flesh of the lamb every day, that is, they consume daily the flesh of the Word. “For Christ our pasch is sacrificed.” And because the law of the pasch is such that it is eaten in the evening, for this reason the Lord suffered in the evening of the world, that you may always eat of the flesh of the Word, because you are always in the evening until the morning comes. And if in this evening you shall be anxious and “in weeping and fasting” and shall lead your life in every labor of justice, you shall be able to say, “In the evening weeping shall have place and in the morning gladness.” For you shall rejoice in the morning, that is, in the world to come, if in this world you have gathered “the fruit of justice” in weeping and labor.
But we eat the flesh of the lamb and the unleavened bread with bitter herbs either by being grieved with a godly grief because of repentance for our sins, a grief which produces in us a repentance unto salvation which brings no regret, or by seeking and being nurtured from the visions of the truth which we discover because of our trials.
And we must eat the meat roasted with fire with unleavened bread. For the Word of God is not only flesh. He says, indeed, “I am the bread of life,” and “This is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eat of this bread he shall live forever.”36We must not, however, fail to remark that all food is loosely said to be bread, as it is written in the case of Moses in Deuteronomy: “He did not eat bread for forty days, and he did not drink water,” instead of saying he partook of neither dry nor wet nourishment.
Now I have noted this because it is also said in the Gospel according to John, “And also the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Yet they were also completely ignorant of the commands of Moses himself, who ordered them specially to eat this bitterness when he established the paschal sacraments for them to observe and said, “You will eat it with bitterness, for it is the pasch of the Lord.” For he did not order, as they think, the consuming of the very bitter juices of insignificant herbs with the roasted flesh of a lamb. Rather, he commanded the fruitful devouring of the bitter words of Christ’s precepts with the sacrament of the Lord’s passion. For do not the words of the Lord seem to be bitter when he says: “If you wish to be perfect, leave all that you have and come, follow me?” And when he says that one is not to possess two tunics or a wallet or sandals, that bitterness of such words is a medicine for souls.
Concerning this lamb it is added further: "And they shall eat the flesh that night roasted with fire." Indeed we eat the lamb at night, because we now receive the Lord's body in the sacrament when we do not yet see one another's consciences. Yet these meats must be roasted with fire, because fire indeed dissolves the meats that water has boiled; but those that fire cooks without water, it strengthens. And so fire cooked the meats of our Lamb, because the very power of His passion rendered Him stronger for resurrection and strengthened Him for incorruption. For He who recovered from death—clearly His flesh was hardened by fire. Hence also through the Psalmist He says: "My strength has dried up like a potsherd." For what is a potsherd before fire except soft clay? But it is subjected to fire so that it may become solid. Therefore the strength of His humanity dried up like a potsherd, because from the fire of passion it grew into the power of incorruption.
But having received the sacraments of our Redeemer alone is not sufficient for the true solemnity of the mind, unless good works are also joined to them. For what does it profit to receive His body and blood with the mouth, and to oppose Him with perverse conduct? Hence it is well added concerning the eating: "And unleavened bread with wild lettuce." For he eats bread without leaven who performs righteous works without the corruption of vainglory, who shows the commands of mercy without admixture of sin, lest he wickedly seize what he seems to dispense rightly. They had also mixed this leaven of sin into their good action, to whom the Lord spoke through the voice of the prophet in rebuke: "Come to Bethel and act impiously." And after a few words: "And sacrifice praise from what is leavened." For he offers praise from what is leavened who prepares a sacrifice to God from robbery. Wild lettuces are indeed very bitter. Therefore the flesh of the Lamb must be eaten with wild lettuces, so that when we receive the body of the Redeemer, we afflict ourselves with weeping for our sins, so that the very bitterness of repentance may cleanse from the stomach of the mind the humor of a perverse life.
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SUMMARY
Exodus 12:8 provides the foundational dietary components for the inaugural Passover meal: roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. These divinely ordained elements were not merely sustenance but deeply symbolic, serving as a perpetual, multi-sensory reminder of God's swift and powerful deliverance of Israel from centuries of Egyptian bondage, the urgency of their departure, and the enduring bitterness of their former enslavement, all pointing forward to a greater, ultimate redemption.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Exodus 12:8 precisely details the three core components of the Passover meal, each carrying profound significance in the context of Israel's liberation and their ongoing covenant relationship with God.
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The entire passage, particularly Exodus 12:8, employs Symbolism extensively, where each physical element of the meal—the lamb, the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, and even the method of preparation—serves as a powerful mnemonic device and a profound theological teaching tool. The meal itself functions as a Type or Typology, foreshadowing future redemptive acts and ultimately pointing to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The specific instructions also create a Ritual, a repeated act designed to embed historical and theological truths into the communal memory and practice of the people of Israel across generations. The vivid sensory details (taste, sight, smell of fire) contribute to the meal's effectiveness as a Mnemonic Device, ensuring the lessons of the Exodus are not forgotten.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Exodus 12:8 teaches profound theological truths about God's character and humanity's redemption. It reveals God as a sovereign, active deliverer who acts decisively to rescue His people from bondage, establishing a covenant relationship founded on His grace and their obedience. The emphasis on the lamb's flesh, consumed after its blood provided protection, highlights the foundational biblical principle of substitutionary atonement—life for life, where an innocent substitute bears the consequence to save others. The meal serves as a perpetual act of remembrance, ensuring that Israel would never forget the cost of their freedom and God's unwavering faithfulness. This pattern of divine deliverance, involving sacrifice and a call to remember, resonates throughout the biblical narrative, setting the stage for all subsequent redemptive acts.
This theme of divine deliverance and remembrance is deeply woven into the fabric of biblical theology:
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Exodus 12:8 calls us to a profound act of remembrance and reflection on God's redemptive work, both corporately and individually. Just as the Israelites were commanded to vividly recall their deliverance from physical slavery, we, as believers, are called to remember our spiritual liberation from the bondage of sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The elements of the Passover meal provide a timeless template for understanding and living out our own spiritual journey:
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the lamb to be roasted with fire, not boiled or raw?
Answer: The divine command to roast the lamb quickly and thoroughly ("roast with fire") served several practical and symbolic purposes critical to the Passover's meaning. Practically, it ensured rapid preparation, essential for a people on the verge of a hasty departure, leaving no time for slower cooking methods like boiling. It also prevented the consumption of blood, which was sacred and reserved for atonement, as roasting would cause the blood to drain or be consumed by the fire. Symbolically, fire often represents purification, judgment, and the consuming holiness of God in the Bible, suggesting a complete, pure, and acceptable offering. This method ensured the meal was consumed entirely and expediently, reflecting the urgency of God's deliverance and the need for Israel to be ready to move at a moment's notice.
Why was unleavened bread (matstsâh) required for the Passover meal?
Answer: The unleavened bread (matstsâh) was required primarily to symbolize the urgency and haste of the Exodus. The Israelites left Egypt so quickly that they had no time for their bread dough to rise (Exodus 12:34). Spiritually, leaven often represents corruption, sin, or hypocrisy in biblical thought (e.g., Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8). Thus, unleavened bread also came to symbolize purity, sincerity, and a new, clean start for a people redeemed by God, leaving behind the "leaven" of their past life in bondage. It was a tangible reminder of the suddenness and purity of God's intervention.
What was the purpose of the bitter herbs in the Passover meal?
Answer: The bitter herbs (mᵉrôr) served as a tangible and sensory reminder of the harshness and bitterness of the Israelites' slavery and severe affliction under Egyptian rule (Exodus 1:14). By tasting the bitterness, the participants would vividly recall the suffering from which God had miraculously delivered them. This element was crucial for fostering profound gratitude for their newfound freedom and for God's powerful, redemptive intervention. It ensured that the memory of their oppression would remain sharp, highlighting the stark contrast between their former bondage and their divinely granted liberation.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Exodus 12:8, detailing the essential components of the Passover meal, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Passover lamb, whose blood provided protection from death for Israel, is a profound and direct type of Jesus, whom John the Baptist declared to be "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Just as the lamb was sacrificed to deliver Israel from physical bondage and the angel of death, Jesus, the perfect and sinless Lamb, offered Himself as the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice to deliver humanity from the spiritual bondage of sin and eternal death (1 Peter 1:18-19). The unleavened bread, symbolizing purity and the haste of deliverance, points to Christ's sinless nature and the call for believers to live a life free from the "leaven" of sin and malice, reflecting the new creation they are in Him (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). The bitter herbs, reminding Israel of their past suffering, connect profoundly to the bitterness of sin and its devastating consequences, from which Christ delivers us, prompting ongoing and profound gratitude for His grace and the freedom He purchased. The Passover meal itself is reinterpreted and transformed into the Lord's Supper (Communion) in the New Testament, where Jesus Himself institutes this new covenant meal on the night He was betrayed, inviting His followers to remember His body broken and His blood shed for the forgiveness of sins, and to anticipate His glorious return (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Thus, the ancient Passover meal becomes a powerful, prophetic lens through which to understand the core gospel message of Jesus's life, atoning death, and resurrection, which brings true and eternal freedom to all who believe.