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Exodus 12:2

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

This month {H2320} shall be unto you the beginning {H7218} of months {H2320}: it shall be the first {H7223} month {H2320} of the year {H8141} to you.

"You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you.

“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.

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

Commentary

Context

This verse is found in the pivotal twelfth chapter of Exodus, where God is giving Moses and Aaron specific instructions for the final plague against Egypt – the death of the firstborn – and the institution of the Passover. Up to this point, the Israelites likely followed the Egyptian calendar or a traditional agricultural calendar. Here, God establishes a new calendar specifically for Israel, marking their liberation from slavery as the foundational event from which time is reckoned. This month, later known as Abib (or Nisan), becomes the head of their religious year.

Key Themes

  • A New Beginning: God declares a fresh start for the nation of Israel, marked by a new way of measuring time. This signifies their transition from slaves in Egypt to a distinct people under God's covenant.
  • Divine Authority Over Time: God asserts His sovereignty not only over events but also over the very structure of time for His people. He dictates their calendar.
  • The Significance of the Exodus: By making the month of the Exodus the first month, God emphasizes the supreme importance of this event as the birth of the nation and the basis of their relationship with Him.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "beginning of months" and "first month of the year" clearly indicates a resetting of the calendar. The Hebrew month is later identified as Abib (Deuteronomy 16:1), meaning "ear of barley," indicating it was tied to the spring harvest cycle in the land God was bringing them to. This wasn't just a minor adjustment but a fundamental reorientation of their timekeeping around God's redemptive act.

Significance and Cross-References

Establishing this new calendar was crucial for ordering Israel's religious life, particularly the annual festivals. The most important festival, the Passover, was instituted in this very month (Exodus 12:6). This month also included the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:17). While Israel also maintained a civil calendar starting in the fall, this religious calendar beginning in the spring (Abib/Nisan) remained central to their worship and commemoration of the Exodus. This act of God establishing a new order can also be seen as a foreshadowing of the spiritual new beginning experienced by believers in Christ.

Practical Application

Exodus 12:2 reminds us that God is the Lord of time and seasons. For believers, our lives are not merely a continuation of the past, but a new creation in Christ. We can see this verse as a spiritual principle: just as God gave Israel a new start and a new way to mark time based on their redemption, He gives us a new life and calls us to order our time and priorities around our relationship with Him and the redemptive work of Christ. It encourages us to embrace the fresh starts God offers.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

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 13:4 (12 votes)

    This day came ye out in the month Abib.

  • Deuteronomy 16:1 (10 votes)

    ¶ Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

  • Exodus 34:18 (8 votes)

    ¶ The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

  • Exodus 23:15 (6 votes)

    Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

  • Numbers 28:16 (5 votes)

    ¶ And in the fourteenth day of the first month [is] the passover of the LORD.

  • Leviticus 23:5 (5 votes)

    In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD'S passover.

  • Esther 3:7 (3 votes)

    ¶ In the first month, that [is], the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that [is], the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth [month], that [is], the month Adar.