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Deuteronomy 16:4

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And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there [any thing] of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.

And there shall be no leavened bread {H7603} seen {H7200} with thee in all thy coast {H1366} seven {H7651} days {H3117}; neither shall there any thing of the flesh {H1320}, which thou sacrificedst {H2076} the first {H7223} day {H3117} at even {H6153}, remain {H3885} all night until the morning {H1242}.

No leaven is to be seen with you anywhere in your territory for seven days. None of the meat from your sacrifice on the first day in the evening is to remain all night until morning.

No leaven is to be found in all your land for seven days, and none of the meat you sacrifice in the evening of the first day shall remain until morning.

And there shall be no leaven seen with thee in all thy borders seven days; neither shall any of the flesh, which thou sacrificest the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.

Commentary

Deuteronomy 16:4 provides specific instructions for the observance of the Passover and the subsequent Feast of Unleavened Bread, emphasizing purity and timely consumption. This verse commands that no leavened bread (chametz) should be seen anywhere within Israel's territory for seven days, and that none of the sacrificial flesh from the first evening should remain until morning.

Context

This verse is part of a larger section in Deuteronomy (chapter 16) outlining the annual feasts that the Israelites were to observe. The commands here directly relate to the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which commemorated God's miraculous deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The hasty departure from Egypt meant the Israelites had no time for their bread to rise, leading to the tradition of eating unleavened bread (Exodus 12:39). The strict prohibitions against leaven and leftover meat underscored the urgency of their liberation and the need for complete obedience to God's commands.

Key Themes

  • Purity and Holiness: The complete removal of leaven symbolizes the purging of sin and corruption from the community. Leaven in Scripture often represents sin, pride, or corrupting influences.
  • Obedience and Remembrance: The detailed commands ensure that Israel would faithfully remember and reenact the events of the Exodus, fostering a deep sense of gratitude and dependence on God.
  • Urgency and Completeness: The command not to leave any of the sacrificial flesh until morning emphasizes the swiftness of God's judgment and deliverance, and the need for prompt and complete obedience without hoarding or delaying. This also prevented potential spoilage in a hot climate and discouraged any pagan practices of leaving offerings overnight.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "leavened bread" is chametz (חָמֵץ), referring to dough that has fermented and risen. Its absence during Passover signified a break from the ordinary and a commitment to spiritual purity. The "flesh" (Hebrew: basar, בָּשָׂר) refers to the roasted lamb sacrificed for the Passover meal, which was to be consumed entirely by the family or group participating.

Practical Application

For believers today, Deuteronomy 16:4 carries significant spiritual lessons:

  • Purging Sin: The command to remove all leaven serves as a powerful metaphor for the necessity of spiritual cleansing. Just as a small amount of leaven can affect a whole batch of dough, so can a small amount of sin corrupt a life or community. This spiritual cleansing is echoed in the New Testament, where leaven often symbolizes sin or false doctrine, as seen in Paul's exhortation to "purge out therefore the old leaven" because Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.
  • Living in Remembrance: We are called to continually remember God's redemptive acts, particularly the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our true Passover Lamb (John 1:29).
  • Complete Devotion: The instruction to consume the sacrifice completely and not leave anything until morning can symbolize a call to full devotion and not to hold back from God what is due to Him. It speaks to the urgency of living out our faith and not delaying obedience.

This verse, though rooted in ancient Israelite ritual, continues to teach profound truths about holiness, obedience, and the transformative power of remembering God's salvific work.

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Cross-References

  • Exodus 34:25 (5 votes)

    Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

  • Exodus 12:10 (5 votes)

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

  • Exodus 13:7 (4 votes)

    Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.

  • Exodus 12:15 (3 votes)

    Seven 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.

  • Exodus 12:8 (2 votes)

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