Passover
Gill
INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 12
This chapter begins with observing, that the month in which the above wonders
were wrought in Egypt, and the following ordinance appointed to the Israelites,
should hereafter be reckoned the first month in the year, Ex 12:1
on the tenth day of which a lamb here described was to be taken and kept till
the fourteenth, and then slain, and its blood sprinkled on the posts of the
houses of the Israelites,
Ex 12:3, the manner
of dressing and eating it is shown,
Ex 12:8 and the
reason of the institution of this ordinance being given, Ex 12:12, and an
order to eat unleavened bread during seven days, in which the feast was to be
kept, Ex 12:15,
directions are also given for the immediate observance of it, and particularly
about the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb, and the use of it, Ex 12:21, and this
ordinance, which they were to instruct their children in, was to be kept by
them in succeeding ages for ever, Ex 12:24 about the
middle of the night it was first observed, all the firstborn in Egypt were
slain, which made the Egyptians urgent upon the Israelites to depart in haste, Ex 12:28 and which
they did with their unleavened dough, and with great riches they had borrowed
of the Egyptians, Ex
12:34, the number of the children of Israel at the time of their departure,
the mixed multitude and cattle that went with them, their baking their
unleavened cakes, the time of their sojourning in Egypt, and of their coming
out of it that night, which made it a remarkable one, are all particularly
taken notice of, Ex
12:37, laws and rules are given concerning the persons that should partake
of the passover, Ex
12:43 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that it was kept
according to the command of God, and that it was on the same day it was first instituted
and kept that Israel were brought out of Egypt, Ex 12:50.
Ver. 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the
land of Egypt,.... Before they and the children of Israel
came out of it, before the slaying of the firstborn, yea, before Moses came
from the presence of Pharaoh, and had given him notice of it; and it is very
probable even before the three days darkness, seeing it seems necessary it
should be four days before the passover, since on the tenth day the lamb was to
be taken, and on the fourteenth slain, Ex 12:3 and by what
follows it looks as if it was at the beginning or first day of the month, and
so the words may be rendered, "the Lord had spoke" {y}; and the
following account is deferred to this place, that there might be no
interruption of the history of the plagues, and that the passover, with all its
rites and ceremonies, both at the first institution and observance of it, and
in later times, might be laid together.
{y} rmayw
"alloquutus antem fuerat", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator;
"dixerat autem"; so some in Drusius, and Ainsworth.
Exodus 12:2
Ver. 2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of
months,.... Not only the first, as after expressed,
but the chief and principal of them, now famous for their coming out of Egypt
in it, and would be more so for the sufferings and death of the Messiah, and
redemption by him from sin, Satan, and the world, law, hell, and death, for he
suffered at the time of the passover. This month was called Abib, Ex 13:4, which
signifies an ear of corn, and at this time we find that the barley was in ear, Ex 9:31 which
clearly shows in what month the above things were transacted; afterwards it was
called Nisan, which seems to be the Chaldean name for it, Ne 2:1: it shall
be the first month of the year to you; which before was the seventh; while the
Israelites were in Egypt they observed the same beginning of the year and
course of months as the Egyptians, as Josephus {z} intimates; and with the
Egyptians, the month Thot was the first month, which answered to Tisri with the
Jews, and both to our September, or a part of it, so that the beginning of the
year was then in the autumnal equinox, at which season it is thought the world
was created; but now to the Israelites it was changed unto the vernal equinox,
for this month of Abib or Nisan answers to part of our March and part of April;
though indeed both beginnings of the year were observed by them, the one on
ecclesiastic, the other on civil accounts; or, as Josephus {a} expresses it,
the month of Nisan was the beginning with respect to things divine, but in
buying and selling, and such like things, the ancient order was observed; and
so the Targum of Jonathan here paraphrases it,
"from hence ye shall begin to reckon the feasts, the times, and the
revolutions.''
Indeed the Jews had four beginnings of the year according to their Misnah {b};
the first of Nisan (or March) was the beginning of the year for kings and for
festivals; the first of Elul (or August) for the tithing of cattle; the first
of Tisri (or September) for the sabbatical years, jubilees, and planting of
trees and herbs; and the first of Shebet (or January) for the tithing the fruit
of trees.
{z} Antiqu. l. 1. c. 3. sect. 3. {a} Antiqu. l. 1. c. 3. sect. 3. {b} Misn.
Roshhashanah, c. 1. sect. 1.
Exodus 12:3
Ver. 3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel,....
That is, to the elders of the people, and heads of families; unless we can
suppose that they had been gradually gathered, and were now gathered together
in a body by the direction of Moses, by whom they were assured that their
departure was at hand; and the rather it may be thought that so it was, since
the following order concerned the whole and every individual:
saying, in the tenth [day] of this month;
the month Abib or Nisan, which shows that this direction must be given before
that day, and so very probably on the first of the month, as before observed:
they shall take to them every man a lamb;
not every individual person, but every master of a family, or head of an house,
as follows:
according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house;
if large enough to eat up a whole lamb, otherwise they were to do as next
directed: the Targum of Jonathan suggests, that this direction of taking a lamb
to them on the tenth day of the month was only for this time, and not for
following ages; and so the Jewish doctors {c} commonly understand it as being
peculiar to the passover in Egypt, and not in later times; for they {d} say,
"what difference is there between the passover in Egypt, and the passover
in later ages? the passover in Egypt was taken within the tenth day, and was
obliged to sprinkling with a bunch of hyssop upon the lintel, and upon the two
side posts, and was eaten with haste in one night, but the passover in later
ages was kept all the seven days.''
The ground and reason of this special direction for taking up a lamb on the
tenth day was, that they might have a lamb ready; and that through the
multiplicity of business, and the hurry they would be in at their departure,
they might not forget it, and neglect it; and that they might have time enough
to examine whether it had all the prerequisites and qualifications that were
necessary; and that while they had it in view, they might be led to meditate
upon, and talk of, expect and firmly believe their deliverance; yea, that their
faith might be directed to a far greater deliverance by the Messiah, which this
was only typical of, Heb
11:28 but some of these reasons would hold good in later times, and it
seems by some circumstances that this rule was attended to.
{c} Ben Gersom in loc. Maimon. Korban Pesach. c. 10. sect. 15. {d} Misn.
Pesach. c. 9. sect. 5.
Exodus 12:4
Ver. 4. And if the household be too little for the lamb,....
That they cannot eat it up at once;
let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it
according to the number of the souls; which Josephus {e}
says were never fewer than ten, and were often twenty, but no man might feast
alone; with which agrees the Jewish canon {f},
"they do not kill the passover lamb for a single person, nor even for a
society consisting of one hundred, that cannot eat the quantity of an olive:''
every man according to his eating shall make your count for
the lamb: that is, a man must reckon up how many he has
in his own house to eat of the lamb, and what their appetites be, by which he
will he able to judge whether he can dispense with a lamb himself, or whether
he must take in some of his neighbours, and how many, so as to eat up the whole
lamb, for, for such persons the lamb was to be slain. The rule is,
"if a man slays it for those that do not eat of it, or for those that are
not counted, for the uncircumcised, and the unclean, it was wrong, and not
allowed of {g}.''
The taking in his neighbours may respect the call of the Gentiles to partake of
Christ with the Jews, see Eph 3:5.
{e} De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 3. {f} Misn. Pesach. c. 8. sect. 7. {g}
lbid. c. 5. sect. 3.
Exodus 12:5
Ver. 5. Your lamb shall be without blemish,....
Without any spot or defect in it. Maimonides {h} reckons no less than fifty
blemishes in a creature, anyone of which makes it unfit for sacrifice, see
Le 21:21. This
lamb was a type of Christ, who is therefore said to be our passover sacrificed
for us, 1Co
5:7 comparable to a lamb for his innocence and harmlessness, for his
meekness, humility, and patience, for usefulness both for food and raiment, as
well as for being fit for sacrifice; and who is a lamb without spot and
blemish, either of original sin, or actual transgression, holy in his nature,
harmless in his life:
a male of the first year; anyone within that
time, but not beyond it; denoting the strength and vigour of Christ, in the
flower of his age, his short continuance among men, and his being tender and
savoury food for the faith of his people:
ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats;
it might be either a lamb, or a kid of the goats; for the most part, or
generally, it was a lamb that was taken; so the Jewish canon runs {i},
"he that says to his servant, go and slay for me the passover, if he slays
a kid he may eat it; if he slays a lamb he may eat of it; if he slays a kid and
a lamb, he may eat of the first.''
The goat being of an ill smell may denote Christ being made sin, and a sin
offering for his people; and the taking of a lamb from these may signify the
choice of Christ from among the people in the council and covenant of God; the
preordination of him to be the lamb slain from the foundation of the world; the
preservation of him from the infection of sin in his incarnation, and the
separation of him from sinners in his conversation.
{h} Hilchot Biath Hamikdash, c. 7. sect. 1. {i} Misn. Pesach. c. 8. sect. 2.
Exodus 12:6
Ver. 6. And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day
of the same month,.... In their houses; this may denote the
preservation of Christ in his infancy, and to the appointed time of his
sufferings and death; and it is remarkable, that on this very day, the tenth of
Nisan, four days before the passover, and so as many days before his sufferings
and death, he made his entry into Jerusalem, near to which he was to be offered
up, Joh 12:1:
and the whole assembly of the congregation shall kill it in
the evening; that is, of the fourteenth of Nisan; not
between the two suns, as the Targum of Jonathan, between the sun setting and
the sun rising; nor between the setting of the sun, and the entire
disappearance of its rays of light reflecting in the air and clouds after it, as
Aben Ezra; so it is said in the Talmud {k}, after the sun is set, all the time
that the face of the east is red; others say as long as a man can walk half a
mile after sun setting; and others, the twinkling of an eye; but "between
the two evening's" {l}, as it may be rendered; which respects that space
of time after the sun begins to decline, and the entire setting of it; when the
sun begins to decline, as it does after noon, that is the first evening, and
when it is set, that is the second; and the middle space between the one and
the other is about the nineth hour of the day, according to the Jewish
computation, and, with us, about three o'clock in the afternoon, about which
time the passover used to be killed; for they say {m},
"the daily sacrifice was slain at eight and a half, and offered at the
nineth; but on the evening of the passover it was slain at seven and a half,
and offered at eight and a half, whether on a common day, or on a sabbath; and
if the evening of the passover happened to be on the evening of the sabbath, it
was slain at six and a half, and offered up at seven and a half, and after that
the passover;''
which was done, that there might be time before the last evening for the
slaying of the passover lamb. Josephus {n} says, at the passover they slew the
sacrifice from the nineth hour to the eleventh;
See Gill on "Mt 26:17", and it being at the nineth hour that our Lord
was crucified, the agreement between him and the paschal lamb in this
circumstance very manifestly appears, Mt 27:46 though it
may also in general denote Christ's appearing in the last days, in the end of
the world, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself: the slaying of the
paschal lamb is ascribed to the "whole assembly of the congregation",
because it was to be slain by their order, and in their name, for their use,
and they present; and thus the crucifixion of Christ, his sufferings and death,
are attributed to the men of Israel, and all the house of Israel, Ac 2:22.
{k} T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 34. 2. {l} Mybreh Nyb "inter duas vesperas",
Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Ainsworth. {m} Misn.
Pesach. c. 5. sect. 1. {n} De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 3.
Exodus 12:7
Ver. 7. And they shall take of the blood,....
Of the lamb, being received into a basin, Ex 12:22:
and strike it on the two side posts;
with a bunch of hyssop dipped into it:
and on the upper doorpost of the houses, wherein they shall
eat it; but not on the posts of those houses, the
inhabitants of which joined with their neighbours in eating it; though Levi Ben
Gersom thinks they were sprinkled as the rest; but to what purpose, when there
were no Israelites, and no firstborn in them? the two side posts were the posts
of a folding door, on which the two folds were hung, and the upper doorpost is
what is afterwards called the lintel, Ex 12:23 and has its
name in Hebrew from looking out; for, as Aben Ezra says, there was a window
over the door, as is the custom throughout the whole country of the Ishmaelites
or Arabians; and so Schindler says {o}, which perhaps he took from him, that
the word signifies either a lintel, or a little window over the door, through which
it might be seen who called or knocked at the door; and adds, in Egypt, as now
in Arabia, there were windows over the doors of houses. The sprinkling the
blood of the paschal lamb was typical of the sprinkling of the blood of Christ
upon the hearts and consciences of his people, and of their peace, safety, and
security by it from the wrath of God, and the vengeance of divine justice; of
the further use of this rite, see
Ex 12:22, Aben Ezra
mentions it as the opinion of some, that the sprinkling of the blood on those
places was to show that they slew the abomination of the Egyptians openly; but
he himself gives a much better reason for this rite, namely, that it was to be
a propitiation for everyone that ate in the house, and was a sign to the
destroyer, that he might look upon it in like manner, as it is said Eze 9:4, "set
a mark, &c." this seems to be peculiar to the passover in Egypt, and
was not used in later times.
{o} Lex. Pentaglott. col. 1938.
Exodus 12:8
Ver. 8. And they shall eat the flesh in that night,
roast with fire,.... The night of the fourteenth of Nisan; and
as the Jews reckoned their days from the evening preceding, this must be the
beginning of the fifteenth day, which being observed, will serve to reconcile
some passages relating to this ordinance. The lamb was to be roasted, not only because
its flesh thereby would be more palatable and savoury, but because soonest
dressed that way, their present circumstances requiring haste; but chiefly to
denote the sufferings of Christ, the antitype of it, when he endured the wrath
of God, poured out as fire upon him; and also to show, that he is to be fed
upon by faith, which works by love, or to be received with hearts inflamed with
love to him:
and unleavened bread; this also was to be
eaten at the same time, and for seven days running, even to the twenty first
day of the month,
Ex 12:15, where
see more concerning this: the reason of this also was, because they were then
in haste, and could not stay to leaven the dough that was in their troughs; and
was significative of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, with which
the true passover lamb is to be eaten, in opposition to the leaven of error,
hypocrisy, and malice, 1Co 5:7:
and with bitter herbs they shall eat it;
the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "with wild lettuces", which are
very bitter; and the worst sort of which, for bitterness, Pliny says {p}, is
what they call "picris", which has its name from the bitterness of
it, and is the same by which the Septuagint render the word here: the Targum of
Jonathan is,
"with horehound and endive they shall eat it;''
and so the Targum on So 2:9.
Wild endive; of which Pliny says {q}, there is a wild endive, which in Egypt
they call cichory, and bids fair to be one of these herbs; according to the
Misnah {r} and Maimonides {s}, there were five sorts of them, and anyone, or
all of them, might be eaten; their names with both are these, Chazoreth,
Ulshin, Thamcah, Charcabinah, and Maror; the four first of which may be the
wild lettuce, endive, horehound, or perhaps "tansie"; and cichory the
last. Maror has its name from bitterness, and is by the Misnic commentators {t}
said to be a sort of the most bitter coriander; it seems to be the same with
"picris": but whatever they were, for it is uncertain what they were,
they were expressive of the bitter afflictions of the children of Israel in Egypt,
with which their lives were made bitter; and of those bitter afflictions and
persecutions in the world, which they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must
expect to endure; as well as they may signify that as a crucified Christ must
be looked upon, and lived upon by faith, so with mourning and humiliation for
sin, and with true repentance for it as an evil and bitter thing, see
Zec 12:10.
{p} Nat. Hist. l. 19. c. 8. & 21. 17. & 32. 22. {q} Ibid. {r} Misn.
Pesach. c. 2. sect. 6. {s} Hilchot, Chametz Umetzah, c. 7. sect. 13. {t}
Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Pesach. ut supra. (c. 2. sect. 6.)
Exodus 12:9
Ver. 9. Eat not of it raw,.... Not
roasted enough; and so Jarchi says, that what is not sufficiently roasted, or
is not thoroughly and down roasted, is in the Arabic language called an {u}, the word here
used; and so Maimonides {w} says it signifies flesh, on which the fire begins
to operate, and is roasted a little, but not enough for eating. And indeed
there seems to be no necessity of a prohibition of eating the flesh quite raw:
some {x} derive the word from a root which signifies to break, and suppose that
this rule forbids the breaking or cutting it in pieces; that as it was to be
roasted whole, and not a bone of it to be broken, so it was to be brought to
table whole, and the whole to be eaten; but then it could not be eaten without
being cut to pieces. Abarbinel {y} takes the word in the usual signification of
it, "now", as if the sense was, ye shall not eat of it now, not
before the evening of the fourteenth day; but whereas Moses had told them,
Ex 12:6, that the
lamb was to be kept up until the fourteenth day, it was needless to tell them
that they should not eat it now or immediately; the first sense is best, and
this shows that Christ, the antitype of this lamb, is not to be eaten in a
carnal but spiritual manner, of which our Lord treats in Joh 6:31, nor sodden
at all with water; the Targum of Jonathan is,
"neither boiled in wine, nor in oil, nor in other liquor, nor boiled in
water.''
This, with respect to the antitype, shows, that Christ is not to be received in
a cold lukewarm manner, and with indifference; and that nothing is to be mixed,
added, and joined unto him, but he alone is to be regarded in the business of
our acceptance, justification, and salvation:
but roast with fire; for the reasons
before given: the manner of roasting it, according to the Jewish canons {z},
was this, they bring a spit made of the wood of pomegranate, and thrust it into
its mouth quite through it, and put the thighs and entrails within it; they do
not roast the passover lamb on an iron spit, nor on an iron grate. Maimonides
{a} is a little more particular and exact in his account; to the question, how
do they roast it? he replies,
"they transfix it through the middle of the mouth to its posteriors, with
a wooden spit, and they hang it in the midst of a furnace, and the fire
below:''
so that it was not turned upon a spit, according to our manner of roasting, but
was suspended on a hook, and roasted by the fire underneath, and so was a more
exact figure of Christ suspended on the cross, and enduring the fire of divine
wrath. And Justin Martyr {b} is still more particular, who was by birth a
Samaritan, and was well versed in Jewish affairs; he, even in conversing with
Trypho the Jew, who could have contradicted him had he said what was wrong,
says, the lamb was roasted in the form of a cross; one spit, he says, went
through from the lower parts to the head, and again another across the
shoulders, to which the hands (or rather the legs) of the lamb were fastened
and hung; and so was a very lively emblem of Christ crucified:
his head, with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof; or with its inwards
{c}, these were all to be roasted together, the whole lamb with all that
belonged to it, with which the above canon of the Jews agrees.
{u}
Exodus 12:10
Ver. 10. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning,.... It was to
be all ate up; a whole Christ is to be received and fed upon by faith; Christ
in both his natures, divine and human, united in his person, in all his offices
of prophet, priest, and King, and with all the benefits and blessings of his
grace, and which come by his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice:
and that which remaineth of it until the morning, ye shall burn with fire: what
of the flesh which remaineth not ate, and what of it that could not be eaten,
as the bones, which were not broken, and the nerves and sinews, which might not
be eaten; and so runs the Jewish canon {d},
"the bones, and the sinews, and what remains, they shall burn on the
sixteenth day; and if the sixteenth happens on the sabbath, they shall burn on
the seventeenth.''
The reason of this law was, that what was left might not be converted to common
or superstitious uses, as also that the Israelites might not be burdened with
it in their journey, nor the Egyptians have an opportunity of treating it with
contempt.
{d} Misn. ut supra, (Persch. c. 7.) sect. 10.
Exodus 12:11
Ver. 11. And thus shall ye eat it,.... After the following manner, in the habit
and posture described: the Targum of Jonathan adds,
"at this time, and not in ages following;''
for these rites were peculiar to the passover in Egypt, and not to be observed
in later times:
with your loins girded; that is, with their garments girt about their loins,
for the better convenience in travelling; for in those countries they wore long
loose garments, which reached to their feet, and unless girt up, were a great
hinderance in walking; and may denote the saints being girt with the girdle of
truth, and their readiness and fitness to perform every good work:
your shoes on your feet; which used to be put off at feasts, in order to have
their feet washed, which was frequently done at such times, as we learn from
many instances in Scripture, which could not be done unless the shoes were off,
Ge 18:4, besides,
it is highly probable that the Israelites in Egypt did not wear shoes in
common, it being a hot country, and they in a state of poverty and bondage; but
now being about to depart the land, and to take a journey, they are ordered to
have their shoes on, to be ready for it: and was a token of their deliverance
and freedom, and joy on that occasion; and may, in an evangelic sense, denote
the feet of the saints being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, Eph 6:15,
and your staff in your hand; such as travellers make use of to support and
assist, protect and defend them, in their journey, and may be expressive of
faith in the word and promises of God, which are the support of his people in
their passage through this world, Ps 23:4
and ye shall eat it in haste; because upon slaying the firstborn the Egyptians
would be urgent upon them to depart immediately. Aquila renders it, "with
fear", and so the Targum of Jonathan; but the other sense suits best with
the circumstances of the Israelites:
it [is] the Lord's passover; which he has commanded, and is a sign and token of
his passing over the houses of the Israelites, when he destroyed the firstborn
in all the houses of the Egyptians, and which is explained in the following
verse, and the reason of its name given; the act of passing was his, the ordinance
was appointed by him, and it was typical of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true
passover, 1Co 5:7.
Exodus 12:12
Ver. 12. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night,..... Which must
be understood consistent with his omnipresence, and of the manifestation of his
powerful presence, or of the exertion of his mighty power in the following
event: and will smite all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; as had been declared to
Pharaoh, Ex 11:5
and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; meaning either
figuratively, the nobles, princes, judges and civil magistrates, who are
sometimes called Elohim, gods; but since the firstborn of these, as of others,
and so the judgment on them, are comprehended in the preceding clause, this is,
rather to be understood literally of the idols of the Egyptians, their images
of gold and silver, or of whatever they were made of: the Targum of Jonathan
is,
"on all the idols of the Egyptians I will exercise four judgments; the
molten idols shall be melted, the idols of stone shall be cut asunder, the
idols of earth shall be broke to pieces, and the idols of wood shall become
ashes;''
see Nu 33:4 and
there are some traces of this in Heathen writers; Artapanus {e} says, that by
an earthquake most of the temples in Egypt fell; and Justin {f} reports, that
Moses, being the leader of the exile Israelites, stole away the sacred things
of the Egyptians, i.e. their gods, which they endeavoured to regain by force of
arms:
I am the Lord; God Almighty, faithful and true, and therefore what was
threatened should certainly be performed, and thereby the Egyptians and all
others might know that he was Jehovah alone, and that there is no God beside
him.
{e} Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27. p. 436. {f} E Trogo, l. 36. c.
2.
Exodus 12:13
Ver. 13. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you
are,.... The blood of the passover lamb being sprinkled on the two sideposts
and upper doorposts of the houses inhabited by the Israelites, or where they
were eating the passover; this should be a sign or token to them of the Lord's
making good his promises, to them, and so of their safety, and to the
destroying angel not to enter therein, but pass by and save them:
and when I see the blood, I will pass over you; for which reason this ordinance
now instituted was called the passover, because the Lord, on sight of the blood
sprinkled, passed over the houses of the Israelites to those of the Egyptians;
or "leaped", as Jarchi says, the word signifies, skipped from one
Egyptian house to another, passing by that of the Israelites:
and the plague shall not be upon you, to destroy you, when I smite the land of
Egypt, the pestilence with which the firstborn should be destroyed.
Exodus 12:14
Ver. 14. And this shall be unto you for a memorial,.... To be remembered, and
that very deservedly, for the destruction of the firstborn of the Egyptians,
and for the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and as
memorable a day it is, and much more so, for the redemption of the spiritual
Israel by the Messiah; for it was on this selfsame day that he suffered for the
redemption and salvation of his people: the Jews not only having a saying,
"that in the month Nisan they were redeemed, and in the month Nisan they
will be redeemed {g}''
but they expressly say,
"on the same day, the fifteenth of Nisan, Israel is to be redeemed, in the
days of the Messiah, as they were redeemed on that day, as it is said,
according to the days, &c. Mic 7:15 {h}:''
and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; as the
fifteenth day was properly the Chagigah; or festival day, when they made a
feast both of the flock and of the herd, of both sheep and oxen, De 16:2
you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever; unto the end of the Jewish
economy and church state, until the Messiah come, the true passover, and be
sacrificed for us.
{g} Roshhashanah, fol. 11. 1. 2. {h} Cabalistae apud Fagium in loc.
Exodus 12:15
Ver. 15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread,.... From the evening of the
fourteenth day to the evening of the twenty first; and this was a distinct
festival from what was properly called the feast of the passover, and does not
respect the first passover in Egypt; for though the passover lamb was eaten
with unleavened bread, and the Israelites ate no other, not only for seven
days, but for thirty days following; yet this was not only by the divine
command, but through necessity, they having no other bread to eat; but in later
times they were commanded to keep a feast for seven days, in which they were
not to eat leavened bread, in commemoration of their hasty departure out of
Egypt, not having time to leaven the dough in their troughs, and of their
distress and want of savoury bread:
even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; out of their
dwelling houses, which were to be diligently searched for that purpose, and
every hole and crevice in them; and not only their lower rooms, their dining
rooms and parlours, but their upper rooms and bedchambers; because it was
possible a man might sometimes go into them with a piece of bread in his hand,
and drop or leave some of it behind him: yea, synagogues and schools were to be
searched, since children might carry thither leavened breads {i}: and this
search was to be made by the light of a lamp or candle, not by the light of the
moon, if in the night; nor by the light of the sun, if in the day, but by the
light of a lamp or candle, and not by the light of a torch, or of a lump of
fat, or grease, or oil, but by a lamp or candle of wax {k}: and this search was
to be made at the beginning of the night of the fourteenth of Nisan; yea, it is
said that leavened bread was forbidden from the seventh hour of the day, that
is, one o'clock in the afternoon and upwards, which is the middle of the day
{l}: the account of the Misnic doctors is {m},
"R. Meir says, that they may eat leaven the whole fifth hour, i.e. eleven
o'clock in the morning, and burn it the beginning of the sixth, or twelve
o'clock; R. Judah says, they may eat it all the fourth hour, or tenth o'clock,
and suspend it the whole fifth hour, and burn it the beginning of the sixth:''
for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day;
from the first of the seven days to the last of them, beginning at the night at
the fourteenth, and ending at the night of the twenty first:
that soul shall be cut off from Israel; either from the commonwealth of Israel,
and be disfranchised, and not accounted as an Israelite; or from the
Israelitish church state, and have no communion in it, or partake of the
ordinances at it; or if it is to be understood of cutting off by death, it is
either by the hand of the civil magistrate, or by the immediate hand of God;
and is sometimes by the Jews interpreted of a man dying either without
children, or before he is fifty years of age, and some even understand it of
destruction of soul and body, or of eternal damnation.
{i} Lebush, par. 1. No. 433. sect. 1. 3. 10. Schulcan Aruch, par. 1. No. 433.
sect. 3. 10. {k} Lebush & Schulcan ib. sect. 1. {l} Lebush & Schulcan
No. 431. sect. 1. {m} Misn. Pesach c. 1. sect. 4.
Exodus 12:16
Ver. 16. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation,.... An holy
day, in which the people be called to holy exercises, and wholly abstain from
worldly business, done on other days:
and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation unto you; observed in
a festival way, and in the like religious manner the first day was, the day of
their going out of Egypt; and the seventh was the day in which Pharaoh and his
host were drowned in the Red sea, as Aben Ezra observes; for which reason those
days are distinguished from the rest, and appointed to be holy convocations,
and which appear from the journeying of the children of Israel, as computed by
Junius: they came to Succoth on the fifteenth, to Etham the seventeenth, to
Pihahiroth the eighteenth, where they were ordered to stay, and wait the coming
of their enemies, on the twentieth the army of Pharaoh came up to them, and the
night following the Israelites passed through the sea and the Egyptians were
drowned:
no manner of work shall be done in them; as used to be done on other days, and
as were on the other five days of this festival: the Jewish canons are,
"it is forbidden to do any work on the evening of the passover, from the
middle of the day and onward, and whoever does work from the middle of the day
and onward, they excommunicate him; even though, he does it for nothing, it is
forbidden {n}: R. Meir says, whatever work anyone begins before the fourteenth
(of Nisan) he may finish it on the fourteenth, but he may not begin it on the
beginning of the fourteenth, though he could finish it: the wise men say, three
workmen may work on the evening of the passover unto the middle of the day, and
they are these, tailors, barbers, and fullers: R. Jose bar Judah says, also
shoemakers {o},''
but in the text no exception is made but the following:
save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you; so that
kindling fire and preparing food might be done on those days, which might not
be done on sabbath days; and the prohibition of work was not so strict on those
days as on that.
{n} Lebush, par. 1. No. 468. sect. 1. Schulcan Aruch, par. 1. No. 468. sect. 1.
{o} Misn. Pesach. c. 4. sect. 6.
Adam Clark
CHAPTER XII
The month Abib is to be
considered as the commencement of the year, 1, 2. The PASSOVER instituted; the lamb or kid to
be used on the occasion to be taken from the flock the tenth
day of the month, and each family to provide one, 3,
4. The lamb
or kid to be a male of the first year without blemish, 5. To
be killed on
the fourteenth day, 6, and the blood to be
sprinkled on the side posts and lintels of the doors, 7. The flesh to be
prepared by roasting, and not to be eaten either sodden or raw, 8, 9; and no
part of it to be left till the morning, 10. The people to eat it with their
loins girded, &c., as persons prepared for a journey, 11.
Why called the PASSOVER, 12. The blood sprinkled
on the door
posts, &c., to be a token to them of preservation from the destroying angel, 13. The
fourteenth day of the month Abib to be a feast for ever,
14. Unleavened
bread to be
eaten seven days, 15. This also to be observed in all their generations for
ever, 17-20. Moses
instructs
the elders of
Israel how
they are to offer the lamb and sprinkle his blood, and for
what purpose, 21-23. He binds them to instruct their children in the nature of this
rite, 24-27. The children
of Israel
act as commanded, 28. All the first-born of Egypt
slain, 29, 30.Pharaoh
and the Egyptians urge Moses, Aaron, and the
Israelites to depart, 31-33. They prepare for their departure, and get gold, silver, and raiment from
the Egyptians, 34-36. They journey from
Rameses to Succoth, in number six hundred thousand men,
besides women
and children,
and a mixed multitude, 37, 38. They bake unleavened
cakes of the dough they brought with them out of Egypt, 39. The time in which
they sojourned
in Egypt, 40-42. Different ordinances
concerning the PASSOVER, 43-49; which are all punctually observed by the
people, who are brought out of Egypt the same day, 50, 51.
NOTES ON CHAP. XII
Verse 2. This month shall be
unto you the beginning of months] It is supposed that God now changed
the commencement of the Jewish year.
The month to which this verse
refers, the month Abib, answers to a part of our March and April; whereas it is
supposed that previously to this the year began with Tisri, which answers to a
part of our September; for in this month the Jews suppose God created the world, when the
earth
appeared at once with all its fruits in perfection.
From this circumstance the Jews have
formed a twofold commencement of the year, which has given rise to a twofold
denomination of the year itself, to which they afterwards attended in all their
reckonings: that which began with Tisri or September was called their civil year; that
which began with Abib or March was called the sacred or
ecclesiastical year.
As the exodus of the
Israelites formed a particular era, which is referred to in Jewish
reckonings down to the building of the temple, I have
marked it as such in the chronology in the margin; and shall carry it down to
the time in which it ceased to be acknowledged.
Some very eminently learned men
dispute this; and especially Houbigant, who contends with
great plausibility of argument that no new commencement of the year is noted in
this place; for that the year had always begun in this month, and that the
words shall be, which are inserted by different versions, have nothing
answering to them in the Hebrew, which he renders literally thus. Hic mensis
vobis est caput mensium; hic vobis primus est anni mensis. "This month is
to you the head or chief
of the months; it is to you the first month of the year." And he observes
farther that God
only marks it thus, as is evident from the context, to show the people that
this month, which was the beginning of their year, should be so designated as
to point out to their posterity on what month and on what day of the month they
were to celebrate the passover and
the fast of unleavened
bread. Hi
words are these: "Ergo superest, et Hebr. ipso ex contextu efficitur, non
hic novi ordinis annum constitui, sed eum anni mensem, qui esset primus, ideo
commemorari, ut posteris constaret, quo mense, et quo die mensis
paseha et azyma celebranda essent."
Verse 3. In the tenth day of
this month] In after times they began their preparation on
the thirteenth day or day before the PASSOVER, which was not celebrated till
the fourteenth day, see ver. 6: but on the present occasion, as this was their
first passover,
they probably required more time to get ready in; as a state of very
great confusion must have prevailed at
this time. Mr. Ainsworth remarks that on this day the Israelites did afterwards
go through Jordan
into the land
of Canaan; Josh. iv. 19. And Christ, our Paschal
Lamb, on
this day entered Jerusalem,
riding on an ass; the people bearing palm branches, and
crying, Hosanna,
John xii. 1, 12,
13, &c.: and in him this type was truly fulfilled.
A lamb] The
original word h seh signifies the young of sheep and of goats, and may
be indifferently translated either lamb or kid.
See ver. 5.
A lamb for a house] The whole
host of Israel was
divided into twelve tribes, these tribes into families, the families into houses, and the houses into
particular persons; Numbers 1., Josh. vii. 14. -
Ainsworth.
Verse 4. If the household be
too little] That is, if there be not persons enough in one family to eat a
whole lamb,
then two families
must join together. The rabbins allow that there should be at least ten persons
to one paschal lamb,
and not more than twenty.
Take it, according to the
number of the souls]
The persons who were to eat of it were to be first ascertained, and then the lamb was to be
slain and dressed
for that number.
Verse 5. Without blemish] Having
no natural
imperfection, no disease,
no deficiency or redundancy of parts. On this point the rabbins have trifled
most egregiously, reckoning fifty blemishes that
render a lamb
or kid, or any animal,
improper to be sacrificed: five in the ear, three in
the eyelid, eight in the eye, three in
the nose, six in the mouth, &c., &c.
A male of the first year]
That is, any age in the first year between eight days and twelve months.
From the sheep, or from
the goats]
The h seh means either; and either was equally proper if without blemish. The
Hebrews however in general preferred the lamb to the
kid.
Verse 6. Ye shall keep it up
until the fourteenth day] The lamb or kid was
to be taken from the flock on the
tenth day, and kept up and fed by itself till the fourteenth day, when it was
to be sacrificed. This was never commanded nor practiced afterwards. The
rabbins mark four things that were required in the first passover that
were never required afterwards: 1.
The eating of the lamb in their houses dispersed
through Goshen.
2. The taking the lamb
on the tenth day. 3. The striking of its blood on the door posts and
lintels of their houses.
And, 4. Their eating it in haste. These
things were not required of the succeeding generations.
The whole assembly-shall kill it] Any
person might kill
it, the sacrificial act in this case not being confined to the priests.
In the evening] µybr[h yb
beyn haarbayim, "between the two evenings." The Jews divided
the day into morning and evening: till the sun passed the meridian all was
morning or fore- noon; after that, all was afternoon or evening. Their first
evening began just after twelve o'clock, and continued till sunset; their
second evening began at sunset and continued till night, i.e.,
during the whole time of twilight; between twelve o'clock, therefore, and the
termination of twilight, the passover was to
be offered.
"The day among the Jews had twelve
hours, John xi. 9.
Their first hour was about six o'clock in the morning with us. Their sixth hour
was our noon. Their ninth hour answered to our three o'clock in the afternoon.
By this we may understand that the time in which Christ was
crucified began at the third hour, that is, at nine o'clock in the morning, the
ordinary time for the daily morning sacrifice, and
ended at the ninth hour, that is, three o'clock in the afternoon, the time of
the evening sacrifice,
Mark xv. 25, 33, 34,
37. Wherefore their ninth hour was their hour of prayer, when they used to
go into the temple
at the daily
evening sacrifice,
Acts iii. 1; and
this was the ordinary time for the passover. It is
worthy of remark that God sets no
particular hour for the killing of the passover: any
time between the two evenings, i.e., between twelve o'clock in the day and the
termination of twilight, was lawful. The daily sacrifice (see
chap. xxix. 38, 39) was killed at half
past the eighth hour, that is, half an hour BEFORE three in the afternoon; and
it was offered up at half past the ninth hour, that is, half an hour AFTER
three. In the evening of the passover it was
killed at
half past the seventh hour, and offered at half past the eighth, that is, half
an hour BEFORE three: and if the evening of the passover fell
on the evening of the Sabbath, it was
killed at
half past the SIXTH hour, and offered at half past the SEVENTH, that is, half
an hour BEFORE two in the afternoon. The reason of this was, they were first
obliged to kill
the daily sacrifice, and
then to kill
and roast the paschal lamb, and also
to rest the
evening before the passover.
Agreeably to this Maimonides says 'the killing of the passover is
after mid-day, and if they kill it before
it is not lawful;
and they do not kill
it till after the daily
evening sacrifice,
and burning of incense:
and after they have trimmed the lamps they
begin to kill
the paschal lambs
until the end of the day.' By this time of the day God foreshowed
the sufferings of Christ
in the evening of times or in the last days, Heb. i. 2; 1 Pet. i. 19, 20:
and about the same time of the day, when the paschal lamb ordinarily
died, HE died also, viz.,
at the ninth hour; Matthew xxvii. 46-50." See Ainsworth.
Verse 7. Take of the blood, and
strike it on the two side posts] This was to be done by dipping a bunch of hyssop into the blood, and thus
sprinkling it upon the posts, &c.; see ver. 22. That this sprinkling of the
blood of the
paschal lamb
was an emblem of the sacrifice and atonement made
by the death
of Jesus Christ, is most
clearly intimated in the sacred
writings, 1 Pet. i.
2; Heb. ix. 13,
14; viii. 10. It is remarkable that no blood was to be
sprinkled on the threshold, to teach, as Mr.
Ainsworth properly observes, a reverent regard for the blood of Christ, that men
should not tread under foot the Son of
GOD, nor count
the blood of
the covenant
wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing;
Heb. x. 29.
Verse 8. They shall eat the flesh-roast with
fire] As it
was the ordinary custom
of the Jews
to boil their flesh,
some think that the command given here was in opposition to the custom of the
Egyptians, who ate raw flesh in honour
of Osiris. The AEthiopians are to this day remarkable for eating raw flesh, as is the
case with most savage nations.
Unleavened bread] twxm
matstsoth, from hxm matsah, to squeeze or compress, because the bread prepared
without leaven
or yeast was generally compressed, sad or heavy,
as we term it. The word here properly signifies unleavened
cakes; the word for leaven in
Hebrew is Åmj chamets, which simply signifies to ferment. It is supposed that leaven was
forbidden on this and other occasions, that the bread being less
agreeable to the taste,
it might be emblematical of their bondage and bitter
servitude, as this seems to have been one design of the bitter herbs which were
commanded to be used on this occasion; but this certainly was not the sole
design of the prohibition: leaven itself
is a species of corruption,
being produced by fermentation, which in such cases tends to putrefaction. In
this very light
St. Paul
considers the subject in this place; hence, alluding to the passover as a
type of Christ,
he says: Purge
out therefore the old leaven- for Christ our passover is
sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with
old leaven,
neither with the leaven
of malice
and wickedness,
but with the unleavened
bread of sincerity and truth; 1
Corinthians v. 6-8.
Bitter herbs] What kind of herbs or salad
is intended by the word µyrrm merorim, which literally signifies bitters, is
not well known. The Jews think
chicory, wild
lettuce, horehound, and the like are intended. Whatever may be implied under
the term, whether bitter
herbs or bitter
ingredients in general, it was designed to put them in mind of their bitter and
severe bondage
in the land
of Egypt, from which God was now
about to deliver
them.
Verse 9. With the purtenance
thereof.] All the intestines, for these were abused by the
heathens to purposes of divination; and
when roasted in the manner here directed they could not be thus used. The
command also implies that the lamb was to be
roasted whole; neither the head or legs were to be separated, nor the
intestines removed. I suppose that these last simply included the heart, lungs,
liver, kidneys, &c., and not the intestinal canal.
Verse 10. Ye shall let
nothing of it remain until the morning] Merely to prevent putrefaction; for it
was not meet that a thing offered to God should be
subjected to corruption,
which in such hot
countries it
must speedily undergo. Thus the body of our blessed Lord saw no corruption, Psa. xvi. 10; Acts ii. 27,
because, like the paschal lamb, it was a sacrifice
offered to God.
It appears that from the Jewish passover the
heathens borrowed
their sacrifice
termed PROPTER VIAM. It was their custom
previously to their undertaking a journey, to
offer a sacrifice
to their gods, and to eat the whole if possible, but if any part was left they burned it with fire; and this
was called propter viam, because it was made to procure a prosperous journey. It was
in reference to this that Cato is said to have rallied a person called Q.
Albidius, who, having eaten up all his goods, set fire to his house, his only
remaining property. "He has offered his sacrifice
propter viam," says Cato, "because he has burned what he
could not eat." This account is given by Macrobius, Saturn., lib. ii., 2,
edit. Bipont., vol. 1., p. 333; and is a remarkable instance how closely some
of the religious
observances of the people of God have been
copied by the heathen
nations.
Verse 11. And thus shall ye
eat it; with your loins girded] As in the eastern countries they
wear long loose garments,
whenever they travel
they tuck up the fore parts of their garments in the girdle which
they wear round their loins.
Your shoes on your feet] This seems
particularly mentioned because not customary. "The easterns throw off
their shoes when they eat, because it would be troublesome," says Sir J.
Chardin, "to keep their shoes upon their feet, they
sitting cross-legged
on the floor, and having no hinder quarters
to their shoes, which are made like slippers; and as they do not use tables and
chairs as we do in Europe, but have their floors covered with carpets, they
throw off their shoes when they enter their apartments, lest they should soil
those beautiful
pieces of furniture." On the contrary the Israelites were to have their
shoes on, because now about to commence their journey. It was
customary among the Romans to lay
aside their shoes when they went to a banquet. The servants took
them off them when they entered the house, and
returned them when they departed to their own habitations.
Your staff in your hand] The same
writer observes that the eastern people universally make use of a staff when they
travel on foot.
Ye shall eat it in haste] Because
they were suddenly to take their departure: the destroying angel was at hand, their enemies were
coming against them, and they had not a moment to lose.
It is the Lord's passover.] That
is, Jehovah
is now about to pass over the land, and the houses only
where the blood
is sprinkled shall be safe from the
stroke of death.
The Hebrew word jsp pesach, which we very properly translate PASSOVER, and
which should always be pronounced as two words, has its name from the angel of God passing by
or over the houses
of the Israelites, on the posts and lintels of which the blood of the lamb was
sprinkled, while he stopped at the houses of the
Egyptians to slay
their first-born.
Verse 12. Against all the
gods of Egypt, &c.] As different animals were sacred among
the Egyptians, the slaying of the first-born of all the beasts might be
called executing judgment
upon the gods of Egypt. As this however does not appear very clear and
satisfactory, some have imagined that
the word yhla elohey should be translated princes, which
is the rendering in our margin; for as these princes, who
were rulers
of the kingdom
under Pharaoh,
were equally hostile to the Hebrews with Pharaoh himself,
therefore these judgments fell equally heavy on them also. But we may ask, Did
not these judgments fall equally on all the families of
Egypt, though multitudes of them had no particular part either in the evil counsel against
the Israelites or in their oppression? Why then distinguish those in calamities
in which all equally shared? None of these interpretations therefore appear
satisfactory. Houbigant, by a very simple and natural
emendation, has, he thinks, restored the whole passage to sense and reason. He
supposes that yhla elohey, GODS, is a mistake for ylha ahley, TENTS or habitations, the
h he and the l lamed being merely interchanged. This certainly gives a very
consistent sense, and points out the universality of the desolation to which
the whole context continually refers. He therefore contends that
the text should be read thus: And on all the TENTS (or HABITATIONS) of Egypt I
will execute judgment; by
which words the Lord
signified that not one dwelling in the whole land of Egypt
should be exempted from the judgment here
threatened. It is but justice to say
that however probable this criticism may appear, it is not supported by any of
the ancient versions, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and
Deuteronomy Rossi. The parallel place also, Num. xxxiii. 4, is
rather against Houbigant's interpretation: For the Egyptians buried all their
first-born,
which the Lord
had smitten among them: upon their gods also [ µhyhlabw ubeloheyhem] the Lord executed
judgments. But Houbigant amends the word in this place in the same way as he
does that in Exodus. There appears also to be an allusion to this former judgment in Isa. xix. 1:
Behold, the Lord-shall
come into Egypt, and the idols [ ylyla
eliley] of Egypt shall be moved at his presence. And in Jer. xliii. 13: The
houses of the
gods [ yhla ytb bottey elohey] of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire. The
rabbins say that "when Israel came out
of Egypt, the holy blessed
God threw
down all the images of their abominations, and
they were broken to pieces." When a nation was conquered, it
was always supposed that their gods had either abandoned them or were overcome.
Thus Egypt was ruined, and their gods confounded and destroyed by Jehovah. See
the note on "chap. xi. 7".
Verse 13. The blood shall be
to you for a token] It shall be the sign to the destroying angel, that the house on which
he sees this blood
sprinkled is under the protection of God, and that no
person in it is to be injured. See on
"ver. 11".
Verse 14. A memorial] To
keep up a remembrance of the severity and goodness, or justice and mercy, of God. Ye shall
keep it a feast
- it shall be annually observed, and shall be celebrated with solemn religious joy, throughout
your generations - as long as ye continue to be a distinct people; an ordinance - a Divine
appointment, an institution of God himself,
neither to be altered nor set aside by any human authority.
For ever] µlw[ tqj chukkath
olam, an everlasting
or endless
statute, because representative of the Lamb of God who taketh
away the sin
of the world;
whose mediation, in consequence of his sacrifice,
shall endure
while time itself lasts; and to whose merits and efficacy the salvation of
the soul
shall be ascribable throughout eternity. This,
therefore, is a statute and ordinance that
can have no end, either in this world or in the
world to
come. It is remarkable that though the Jews have
ceased from the whole of their sacrificial system, so that sacrifices are no
longer offered by them in any part of the world, yet they
all, in all their generations and in all countries, keep
up the remembrance of the passover, and
observe the feast
of unleavened
bread. But no
lamb is
sacrificed. Their sacrifices have all totally ceased, ever since the destruction of Jerusalem by
the Romans.
Even the flesh that is
used on this occasion is partly roasted and partly boiled, that it may not even
resemble the primitive sacrifice; for
they deem it unlawful
to sacrifice
out of Jerusalem.
The truth
is, the true Lamb
of God that
taketh away the sin
of the world
has been offered, and they have no power to
restore the ancient type. See on "ver. 27".
Verse 15. Seven days shall ye
eat unleavened
bread] This
has been considered as a distinct ordinance, and
not essentially connected with the passover. The passover was to
be observed on the fourteenth day of the first month; the feast of unleavened bread began on
the fifteenth and lasted seven days, the first and last of which were holy
convocations.
That soul shall be cut off] There
are thirty-six places in which this excision or cutting off is threatened
against the Jews
for neglect of some particular duty; and what
is implied in the thing itself is not well known.
Some think it means a violent
death, some a
premature death,
and some an eternal
death. It is
very likely that it means no more than a separation from the rights and
privileges of an Israelite; so that after this excision the person was
considered as a mere stranger, who
had neither lot nor part in Israel, nor any
right to the blessings of the covenant. This
is probably what St. Paul means, Rom. ix. 3. But we
naturally suppose this punishment was
not inflicted
but on those who had showed a marked and obstinate contempt for the Divine authority. This punishment
appears to have been nearly the same with excommunication among the Christians; and
from this general notion of the cutting off, the Christian
excommunication seems to have been borrowed.
Verse 16. In the first day
and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation] This is the first
place where we meet with the account of an assembly
collected for the mere purpose of religious worship. Such assemblies are
called holy convocations, which is a very appropriate appellation for a religious assembly; they
were called together by the express command of God, and were to
be employed in a work
of holiness.
arqm mikra, convocation, is a
word of similar import with the Greek ekklhsia,
which we commonly translate Church, and
which properly signifies an assembly
convened by public
call.
Verse 17. Self-same day] µx[b
beetsem, in the body of this day, or in the strength of
this day; probably they began their march about day-break, called
here the body or strength
of the day, and in Deut.
xvi. 1, by night
- sometime before the sun rose.
Verse 19. No leaven found in
your houses]
To meet the letter of this precept in the
fullest manner possible, the Jews, on the eve of this
festival, institute the most rigorous search through every part of their houses, not only
removing all leavened bread, but
sweeping every part clean, that no crumb of bread shall be
left that had any leaven
in it. And so strict
were they in the observance of the letter of this law, that if
even a mouse was seen to run across the
floor with a crumb
of bread in
its mouth, they considered the whole house as
polluted, and began their purification afresh.
We have already seen that leaven was an
emblem of sin,
because it proceeded from corruption; and
the putting away of this implied the turning to God with
simplicity and uprightness of heart. See on
ver. 8, and See the note on "Exodus xii. 27".
Verse 21. Kill the passover.] That
is, the lamb,
which was called the paschal or passover lamb. The animal that was
to be sacrificed on this occasion got the name of the institution itself: thus
the word covenant
is often put for the sacrifice
offered in making the covenant; so the
rock was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 4; bread and wine the body
and blood of Christ, Mark xiv. 22, 24.
St. Paul
copies the expression, 1 Cor. v. 7: Christ our passover (that
is, our paschal lamb)
is sacrificed for us.
Verse 22. A bunch of hyssop] The
original word bwza ezob has been variously translated musk, rosemary, polypody
of the wall, mint,
origanum, marjoram, and HYSSOP: the latter seems to be the most proper.
Parkhurst says it is named
from its detersive and cleansing qualities, whence it was used in sprinkling
the blood of
the paschal lamb,
in cleansing the leprosy,
Lev. xiv. 4, 6, 51,
52; in composing the water of
purification, Num.
xix. 6, and sprinkling it, Num. xix. 18. It
was a type of the purifying virtue of the bitter
sufferings of Christ.
And it is plain, from Psa.
li. 7, that the psalmist understood its meaning. Among botanists hyssop is
described as "a genus of the gymnospermia (naked-seeded)
order, belonging to the didynamia class of plants. It has
under-shrubby, low, bushy stalks, growing a foot and a half
high, small,
spear-shaped,
close- sitting, opposite leaves, with
several smaller ones rising from the same joint; and all the stalks and branches
terminated by erect whorled spikes of flowers of
different colours, in the varieties of the plant. The leaves have an
aromatic smell, and a warm pungent taste. The leaves of this plant are
particularly recommended in humoural asthmas, and other disorders of the breast and
lungs, and greatly promote expectoration." Its medicinal qualities were
probably the reason why this plant was so
particularly recommended in the Scriptures.
Verse 26. What mean ye by
this service?] The establishment of this service annually was a very wise provision
to keep up in remembrance this wonderful deliverance. From the remotest antiquity the
institution of feasts,
games, &c., has been used to keep up the memory of past grand events. Hence
God
instituted the Sabbath,
to keep up the remembrance of the creation; and
the passover
to keep up the remembrance of the deliverance from Egypt. All the other feasts were
instituted on similar reasons. The Jews never took
their sons to the tabernacle
or temple
till they were twelve years of age, nor suffered them
to eat of the flesh
of any victim till they had themselves offered a sacrifice at
the temple,
which they were not permitted to do before the twelfth year of their age. It
was at this age that Joseph and Mary took our blessed Lord to the temple,
probably for the first time, to offer his sacrifice. See
Calmet.
Verse 27. It is the sacrifice of
the Lord's passover] We
have already intimated that the paschal lamb was an
illustrious type of Christ; and we
shall find that every thing in this account is typical or representative. The bondage and affliction of the
people of Israel
may be considered as emblems of the hard slavery and
wretchedness consequent on a state of sinfulness. Satan reigns over
both body and soul,
bringing the whole into subjection to the law of sin and death; while
various evil
tempers, passions, lusts, and
irregular appetites, act as subordinate tormentors,
making the lives of the vassals of sin bitter, because
of the rigour by which they are obliged to serve. Reader, is this thy case? The
mercy of God projects the
redemption of man from this cruel bondage and
oppression; and a sacrifice
is appointed
for the occasion by God himself, to
be offered with particular and significant rites and ceremonies, all of which
represent the passion and death of our blessed Lord, and the
great end for which he became a sacrifice,
viz., the redemption of a lost world from the power, the
guilt, and the pollution
of sin,
&c. And it is worthy of remark, 1. That the anniversary or annual
commemoration of the passover was
strictly and religiously kept by the Jews on the
day, and hour of the day, on which the original transaction took place,
throughout all their succeeding generations.
2. That on one of these
anniversaries, and, as many suppose, on the very day and hour on which the
paschal lamb
was originally offered, our blessed Lord expired on the cross for the salvation of
the world.
3. That after the destruction
of Jerusalem
the paschal lamb
ceased to be offered by the Jews throughout
the world,
though they continue to hold the anniversary of the passover, but
without any sacrifice,
notwithstanding their deep-rooted,
inveterate antipathy against the author and grace of the Gospel. 4. That
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was
instituted to keep this true paschal sacrifice in
commemoration, and that this has been religiously observed by the whole Christian world (one very
small class
of Christians
excepted) from the foundation
of Christianity to the present day! 5. That the Jews were
commanded to eat the paschal lamb; and our Lord,
commemorating the passover,
commanded his disciples,
saying, Take, eat, THIS is my body, which is given for you; do this in
remembrance of ME. In the communion
service of the Church
of England, the spirit and design both of the type and antitype are most
expressly condensed into one point of view, in the address to the communicant:
"Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for THEE;
and FEED upon HIM, in thy heart, by FAITH
with THANKSGIVING. Thus God continues
the memorial
of that grand transaction which he has said should be an ordinance for
ever; evidently meaning thereby, that the paschal lamb should be
the significator till the passion and death of Christ; and that
afterwards bread
and wine
taken sacramentally, in commemoration of his crucifixion,
should be the continual representatives of that sacrifice till
the end of the world.
Thus the passover
in itself, and in its reference, is an ordinance for
ever; and thus the words of the Lord are
literally fulfilled. Reader, learn from
this, 1. That if thou art not rescued from
the thraldom of sin,
thou must perish
for ever.
2. That nothing less than the
power and mercy of God can set thee
free. 3.
That God will save thee in no
other way than by bringing thee out of thy sinful state, and from
thy wicked
practices and companions. 4. That in order to thy redemption it was absolutely
necessary that the Son of God should take
thy nature
upon him, and die
in thy stead. 5. That unless the blood of this sacrifice be
sprinkled, in its atoning efficacy and merits, on thy heart and
conscience, the guilt and power of thy sin cannot be
taken away. 6. That as the blood of the
paschal lamb
must be sprinkled on every house, in order
to the preservation of its inhabitants, so
there must be a personal application of the blood of the cross to thy
conscience, to take away thy sins. 7. As it
was not enough that the passover was
instituted, but the blood must be sprinkled
on the lintels and door
posts of every house
to make the rite effectual to the salvation of
each individual, so it is not enough that Christ should
have taken human nature
upon him, and died
for the sin
of the world;
for no man who has the opportunity of hearing the Gospel is saved by that death, who does
not, by faith,
get a personal application of it to his own heart. 8. That those
who wish for an application of the atoning blood, must
receive this spiritual
passover
with a perfect
readiness to depart from the land of their captivity, and travel to the rest that
remains for the people of God; it being impossible, not
only to a gross sinner,
continuing such, to be finally saved, (however
he may presume upon the mercy of God,) but also
to a worldly-minded man to
get to the kingdom
of God; for Christ died to save us from
the present evil
world,
according to the will of God. 9. That in
order to commemorate aright, in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the
great atonement
made for the sin
of the world,
all leaven
of malice, bitterness, and
insincerity, must be put away; as God will have no
man to partake of this mystery who
does not fully enter into its spirit and meaning. See 1 Corinthians v. 7, 8.
Verse 29. Smote all the first
born] If we
take the term first-born in its
literal sense only, we shall be led to conclude that in a vast number of the houses of the
Egyptians there could have been no death, as it is
not at all likely that every first-born child of every
Egyptian family
was still alive, and that all the first-born of their cattle still
remained. And yet it is said, ver. 30, that there was not a house where
there was not one dead.
The word therefore must not
be taken in its literal sense only. From its use in a great variety of places
in the Scriptures it is evident that it means the chief, most
excellent, best
beloved, most
distinguished, &c. In this sense our blessed Lord is called
the FIRST-BORN of every creature, Co i. 15, and the FIRST-BORN among many brethren, Rom. viii. 29; that
is, he is more excellent than all creatures, and greater than all the children of men.
In the same sense we may understand Rev. i. 5, where
CHRIST is called the FIRST-BEGOTTEN from the dead, i.e., the chief of all
that have ever visited the empire of death, and on
whom death
has had any power;
and the only one who by his own might quickened himself. In the same sense wisdom is
represented as being brought forth before all the creatures, and being possessed by
the Lord in
the beginning of his ways, Prov. viii. 22-30;
that is, the wisdom
of God is
peculiarly conspicuous in the production, arrangement, and government of
every part of the creation.
So Ephraim is
called the Lord's
FIRST-BORN, Jer.
xxxi. 9. And the people of Israel are
often called by the same name, see chap. iv. 22: Israel is my
son, my FIRST-BORN; that is, the people in whom I particularly delight, and
whom I will especially support and defend. And
because the first-born
are in general peculiarly dear to their parents, and
because among the Jews
they had especial and peculiar
privileges, whatever was most dear, most valuable, and most prized, was thus
denominated. So Micah
vi. 7: Shall I give my FIRST-BORN for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Shall I
give up the most beloved
child I have,
he that is most dear and most necessary to me, in order to make an atonement for my
sins! In
like manner the Prophet
Zechariah, speaking of the conversion of the Jews to the Gospel of Christ,
represents them as looking on him whom they have pierced, and being as one that
is in bitterness
for his FIRST-BORN; that is, they shall feel distress and anguish as those
who had lost their most beloved child. So the Church
triumphant in the kingdom
of God are
called, Heb. xii. 23,
the general assembly
and Church of
the FIRST-BORN, i.e., the most noble and
excellent of all human if not created beings.
So Homer, Il. iv., ver. c2: arnwn prwtogonwn rexein kleithn ekatombhn? "A
hecatomb of lambs
all firstlings of the flock."
That is, the most excellent of their kind.
In a contrary sense, when the
word first-born
is joined to another that signifies any kind of misery
or disgrace, it then signifies the depth of misery,
the utmost disgrace. So the FIRST-BORN of the poor, Isa. xiv. 30,
signifies the most abject, destitute, and
impoverished. The FIRST-BORN of death, Job xviii. 13, means
the most horrible kind
of death. So
in the threatening against Pharaoh, chap.
xi. 5, where he informs him that he will slay all the
first-born,
from the first-born
of Pharaoh
that sitteth upon the throne; to the
first born of
the maid-servant that is
behind the mill, he takes in the very highest and lowest conditions of life. As there
was no state
in Egypt superior to the throne, so
there was none inferior to that of the female slave that
ground at the mill. The Prophet
Habakkuk seems to fix
this as the sense in which the word is used here; for speaking of the plagues of
Egypt in general, and the salvation which
God afforded
his people, he says, Hab.
iii. 13: Thou wentest forth for the salvation of
thy people-thou woundedst the HEAD ( ar rosh, the chief, the most
excellent) of the house
of the wicked
- of Pharaoh
and the Egyptians.
And the author of the
book of Wisdom
understood it in the same way: The master and the servant were punished after
one manner; and like as the king, so suffered the
common people- for in one moment the NOBLEST OFFSPRING of them was destroyed, Wisdom xviii.
11, 12. And in no other sense can we understand the word in Psa. lxxxix. 27,
where, among the promises
of God to David, we find
the following: Also I will make him my FIRST-BORN, higher than the kings of the
earth; in
which passage the latter clause explains the former; David, as king,
should be the FIRST-BORN, of God, i.e., he should
be higher than the kings of the earth - the MOST
EMINENT potentate in the universe. In this sense, therefore, we should
understand the passage in question; the
most eminent person in every family in Egypt,
as well as those who were literally the first-born, being
slain in this plague.
Calmet and some other critics particularly contend for this
sense.
Verse 30. There was a great cry] No people
in the universe were more remarkable for their mournings than the Egyptians,
especially in matters of religion; they
whipped, beat, tore themselves, and howled in all
the excess of grief.
When a relative died,
the people left the house, ran into the streets, and howled in the
most lamentable and frantic manner. See Diod.Sicul., lib. i., and Herod., lib.
ii., c. 85, 86. And this latter author happening
to be in Egypt on one of their solemnities, saw myriads of people whipping and
beating themselves in this manner, lib. ii., c. 60; and see Mr. Bryant on the Plagues of
Egypt, where many examples are given, p. 162, &c. How dreadful then must
the scene of horror and distress appear
when there was not one house or family in Egypt
where there was not one dead; and according to their custom, all the family running
out into the streets
bewailing this calamity!
Verse 31. Called for Moses and Aaron] That is, he
sent the message here mentioned to them; for it does not appear that he had any
farther interview with Moses and Aaron, after what
is mentioned chap. x. 28, 29, and chap. xi. 8.
Verse 33. The Egyptians were
urgent upon the people] They felt much, they feared more; and
therefore wished to get immediately rid of a people on whose account they found
they were smitten with so many and such dreadful plagues.
Verse 34. The people took
their dough before it was leavened, &c.] There was no time now to make any
regular preparation
for their departure, such was the universal hurry and confusion. The Israelites
could carry but little of their household utensils with them; but some, such as
they kneaded their bread
and kept their meal in, they were obliged to carry with them. The kneading
troughs of the Arabs
are comparatively small
wooden bowls,
which, after kneading their bread in, serve
them as dishes out of which they eat their victuals. And as to these being
bound up in their clothes,
no more may be intended than their wrapping them up in their long, loose garments, or in
what is still used among the Arabs, and called
hykes, which is a long kind of
blanket, something resembling a highland plaid, in which they often carry their
provision, wrap themselves by day, and sleep at night. Dr. Shaw
has been particular in his description of this almost entire wardrobe of an Arab. He says
they are of different sizes and of different qualities, but generally about six
yards in length, and five or six feet broad. He
supposes that what we call Ruth's veil, Ruth iii. 15, was a
hyke, and that the same is to be understood of the clothes of the
Israelites mentioned in this verse. See his Travels, p.
224, 4to edition.
Verse 35. They borrowed of the
Egyptians] See the note on "chap. iii. 22", where the very
exceptionable term borrow
is largely explained.
Verse 37. From Rameses to
Succoth] Rameses appears to have been another name for Goshen, though
it is probable that there might have been a chief city or village in that
land, where
the children
of Israel
rendezvoused previously to their departure, called Rameses. As the term Succoth
signifies booths or tents, it is probable that this place was so named from its
being the place of the first encampment of the Israelites.
Six hundred thousand] That
is, There was this number of effective men, twenty years old and upwards, who
were able to go out to war. But this
was not the whole number, and therefore the sacred writer
says they were about 600, 000; for when the numbers were taken about thirteen
months after this they were found to be six hundred and three
thousand
five hundred
and fifty, without reckoning those under twenty years of age, or any of the tribe of Levi; see Num. i. 45, 46. But
besides those on foot,
or footmen, there were no doubt many old and comparatively infirm persons, who
rode on camels,
horses, or
asses, besides the immense number of women and children, which
must have been at least three to one of the others; and the mixed multitude,
ver. 38, probably of refugees in Egypt, who came to sojourn there,
because of the dearth
which had obliged them to emigrate from their own countries; and
who now, seeing that the hand of Jehovah was
against the Egyptians and with the Israelites, availed themselves of the
general consternation, and took their leave of Egypt, choosing Israel's God for their
portion, and his people for their companions. Such a company moving
at once, and emigrating from their own country, the world never
before nor since witnessed; no doubt upwards of two millions of souls, besides
their flocks
and herds,
even very much cattle;
and what but the mere providence of God could support
such a multitude, and in the wilderness,
too, where to this day the necessaries of life are not to
be found? Suppose we take them at a rough
calculation thus, two millions will be found too small a number.
Effective men, 20 years old
and upward. 600, 000 Two-thirds of whom we may suppose were married, in
which case their wives would
amount to .400, 000 These, on an average, might have 5 children under
20 years of age, an estimate which falls considerably short of the number of children each family must have
averaged in order to produce from 75 persons, in A. M. 2298, upwards of 600,
000 effective men in A. M. 2494, a period of only 196 years 2, 000, 000 The Levites, who
probably were not included among the effective men 45, 000 Their wives 33, 000
Their children
165, 000 The mixed multitude probably not less than 20, 000 - Total 3, 263, 000
Besides a multitude of old and infirm persons who would be obliged to ride on camels and
asses, &c., and who must, from the proportion that such bear to the young
and healthy,
amount to many thousands
more! Exclude even the Levites and
their families,
and upwards of three millions will be left.
"In Num. iii. 39 the
male Levites,
aged one month and upwards, are reckoned 22, 000, perhaps the females did not
much exceed this number, say 23, 000, and 500 children, under
one month, will make 45, 500."-Anon.
Had not Moses the
fullest proof
of his Divine
mission, he never could have put himself at the head of such an immense
concourse of people, who, without the most especial and effective providence,
must all have perished
for lack of food.
This single circumstance, unconnected with all others, is an ample
demonstration of the Divine mission
of Moses,
and of the authenticity and Divine inspiration of
the Pentateuch.
To suppose that an impostor,
or one pretending only to a Divine call,
could have ventured to place himself at the head of such an immense body of
people, to lead them through a trackless wilderness,
utterly unprovided for such a journey, to a land as yet in
the possession of several powerful nations whom
they must expel before they could possess the country, would
have implied such an extreme of madness and folly as has
never been witnessed in an individual, and such a blind credulity
in the multitude as is unparalleled in the annals of mankind! The
succeeding stupendous events proved that Moses had the authority of God to do what
he did; and the people had at least such a general conviction that
he had this authority,
that they implicitly followed his directions, and received their law from his
mouth.
Verse 40. Now the sojourning
of the children
of Israel,
&c.] The statement in this verse is allowed on all hands to be
extremely difficult, and therefore the passage stands in especial need of
illustration. "That the descendants of Israel did not
dwell 430 years in Egypt," says Dr. Kennicott, "may be easily proved, and has
often been demonstrated. Some therefore imagine that by
Egypt here both it and Canaan are to be
understood. But this greater latitude of place will not solve the difficulty,
since the Israelites, including Israel their father, did not sojourn 430
years in both countries
previous to their departure from Egypt. Others, sensible of the still remaining
deficiency, would not only have Egypt in the text to signify it and Canaan, but by a
figure more comprehensive would have the children of Israel to mean Israel's children, and Israel their father, and Isaac the father of Israel, and
part of the life
of Abraham,
the father of
Isaac.
"Thus indeed," says
Dr. Kennicott, "we arrive at the exact sum, and by this method of
reckoning we might arrive at any thing but truth, which we
may presume was never thus conveyed by an inspired writer." But can the
difficulty be removed without having recourse to such absurd shifts? Certainly
it can. The Samaritan Pentateuch, in
all its manuscripts and printed copies,
reads the place thus:- [Samaritan] Umoshab beney Yishrael veabotham asher yashebu
baarets Cenaan, ubaarets mitsraim sheloshim shanah vearba meoth shanah.
"Now the sojourning of
the children
of Israel,
and of their fathers, which they sojourned in
the land of Canaan and in
the land of
Egypt, was 430 years." This same sum is given by St. Paul, Gal. iii. 17, who
reckons from the promise
made to Abraham,
when God
commanded him to go to Canaan, to the
giving of the law,
which soon followed the departure from Egypt; and this chronology of the apostle is
concordant with the Samaritan Pentateuch,
which, by preserving the two passages, they and their fathers, and in the land of Canaan, which
are lost out of the present copies of the Hebrew text, has rescued this
passage from all obscurity and contradiction.
It may be necessary to
observe that the Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint has the same reading as
that in the Samaritan. The Samaritan Pentateuch is
allowed by many learned
men to exhibit the most correct copy of the five books of Moses; and the
Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint must also be allowed to be one of the most
authentic as well as most ancient copies of this version which we possess. As
to St. Paul,
no man will dispute the authenticity of his statement; and thus in the mouth of
these three most respectable witnesses the whole account is indubitably
established. That these three witnesses have the truth, the
chronology itself proves:
for from Abraham's
entry into Canaan
to the birth
of Isaac was
25 years, Gen. xii.
4; xvii. 1-21; Isaac was 60
years old at the birth
of Jacob, Gen. xxv. 26; and Jacob was 130
at his going down into Egypt, Gen. xlvii. 9;
which three sums make 215 years. And then Jacob and his children having
continued in Egypt 215 years more, the whole sum of 430 years is regularly
completed. See Kennicott's Dissertation on the Hebrew Text.
Verse 42. A night to be
much observed] A night
to be held in everlasting
remembrance, because of the peculiar
display of the power
and goodness
of God, the
observance of which annually was to be considered a religious precept while
the Jewish nation should
continue.
Verse 43. This is the ordinance of
the passover]
From the last verse of this chapter it appears pretty evident that this, to the
50th verse inclusive, constituted a part of the directions given to Moses relative
to the proper observance of the first passover, and
should be read conjointly with the preceding account beginning at ver. 21. It
may be supposed that these latter parts contain such particular directions as God gave to Moses after he
had given those general ones mentioned in the preceding verses, but they seem
all to belong
to this first passover.
There shall no stranger eat
thereof] rkn b ben
nechar, the son of a stranger or
foreigner, i.e., one who was not of the genuine Hebrew stock, or one who had
not received circumcision;
for any circumcised person might eat the passover, as
the total exclusion extends only to the uncircumcised,
see ver. 48. As there are two sorts of strangers
mentioned in the sacred
writings; one who was admitted to all the Jewish ordinances, and
another who, though he dwelt among the Jews, was not
permitted to eat the passover or
partake of any of their solemn feasts; it may
be necessary to show what was the essential point of distinction through which
the one was admitted and the other excluded.
In treatises on the religious customs of the Jews we
frequently meet with the term proselyte, from the Greek
proshlutov, a stranger
or foreigner; one who is come from his own people and country to sojourn with
another. All who were not descendants of some one of the twelve sons of Jacob, or of Ephraim and
Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph, were
reputed strangers
or proselytes among the Jews. But of
those strangers
or proselytes there were two kinds, called among them proselytes of the gate, and
proselytes of injustice
or of the covenant.
The former were such as wished to dwell among the Jews, but would
not submit to be circumcised; they, however, acknowledged the true God, avoided all idolatry, and
observed the seven precepts of Noah, but were
not obliged to observe any of the Mosaic institutions. The latter submitted to
be circumcised, obliged themselves to observe all the rites and ceremonies of
the law, and
were in nothing different from the Jews but merely
in their having once been heathens. The former, or proselytes of the gate, might not
eat the passover
or partake of any of the sacred
festivals; but the latter, the proselytes of the covenant, had
the same rights, spiritual
and secular, as the Jews
themselves. See ver. 48.
Verse 45. A foreigner] bwt
toshab, from by yashab, to sit down or dwell; one who is a mere sojourner, for
the purpose of traffic, merchandise,
&c., but who is neither a proselyte of the gate nor of the covenant.
And a hired servant] Who,
though he be bought
with money,
or has indented himself for a certain term to serve a Jew, yet has
not become either a proselyte of the gate or of the covenant. None
of these shall eat of it, because not circumcised - not brought under the bond of the covenant; and
not being under obligation to observe the Mosaic law, had no
right to its privileges and blessings. Even under the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is
the author of
eternal salvation only
to them who OBEY him, Heb.
v. 9; and those who become Christians are
chosen to salvation
through SANCTIFICATION of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, 2 Thess.
ii. 13; for the grace
of God, that bringeth
salvation to
all men, hath appeared, teaching us that, DENYING UNGODLINESS and WORLDLY LUSTS
we should live
SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, and GODLY, in this present world; Tit. ii. 11, 12.
Such persons only walk
worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called.
Verse 46. In one house shall it
be eaten] In one family,
if that be large enough; if not, a neighbouring family might be
invited, ver. 4.
Thou shalt not carry forth
aught of the flesh]
Every family
must abide
within doors
because of the destroying angel, none being
permitted to go out of his house till the
next day, ver. 22.
Neither shall ye break a bone thereof.]
As it was to be eaten in haste, (ver.
11,) there was no time either to separate the bones, or to break them in
order to extract the marrow; and lest they should be tempted to consume time in
this way, therefore this ordinance was
given. It is very likely that, when the whole lamb was
brought to table,
they cut off
the flesh
without even separating any of the large joints, leaving the skeleton, with
whatever flesh
they could not eat, to be consumed with fire, ver. 10.
This precept
was also given to point out a most remarkable circumstance which 1500 years
after was to take place in the crucifixion of
the saviour of mankind,
who was the true Paschal Lamb, that Lamb of God that takes
away the sin
of the world;
who, though he was crucified as a common malefactor, and
it was a universal custom
to break the
legs of such on the cross, yet so
did the providence of God order it
that a bone
of HIM was not broken. See the fulfillment of this wondrously expressive type,
John xix. 33, 36.
Verse 48. And when a stranger-will
keep the passover,
&c.] Let all who sojourn among
you, and who desire to partake of this sacred ordinance, not
only be circumcised themselves, but all the males of their families
likewise, that they may all have an equal right to the blessings of the covenant.
Verse 49. One law shall be to
him that is home-born, &c.]
As this is the first place that the term hrwt torah or LAW occurs, a term of
the greatest importance in Divine
revelation, and on the proper understanding of which much depends, I judge it best to give its
genuine explanation once for all.
The word hrwt torah comes
from the root hry yarah, which signifies to aim at, teach, point
out, direct, lead, guide,
make straight, or even; and from these significations of the word (and in all
these senses it is used in the Bible) we may
see at once the nature,
properties, and design of the law of God. It is a
system of INSTRUCTION in righteousness;
it teaches
the difference between moral good and evil; ascertains
what is right and fit to be done, and what should be left undone, because
improper to be performed. It continually aims at the glory of God, and the happiness of his
creatures; teaches
the true knowledge
of the true God,
and the destructive nature of sin; points out
the absolute necessity of an atonement as the
only means by which God can be reconciled to transgressors;
and in its very significant rites and ceremonies points out the Son of God, till he
should come to put away iniquity by the
sacrifice of
himself. It is a revelation of God's wisdom and goodness,
wonderfully well calculated to direct the hearts of men
into the truth,
to guide
their feet
into the path of life,
and to make straight, even, and plain that way which leads to God, and in
which the soul
must walk in
order to arrive at eternal
life. It is
the fountain
whence every correct notion relative to God-his
perfections, providence, grace, justice, holiness,
omniscience, and omnipotence, has been derived. And it has been the origin
whence all the true principles of law and justice have
been deduced. The pious study of it was the grand means of producing the
greatest kings, the most enlightened statesmen, the most accomplished poets, and the
most holy and useful men, that ever adorned the world. It is
exceeded only by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is
at once the accomplishment of its rites and predictions, and the fulfillment of
its grand plan and outline. As a system of teaching or instruction, it
is the most sovereign and most effectual; as by it is the knowledge of sin, and it
alone is the schoolmaster, pai dagwgov, that leads men to Christ, that
they may be justified through faith.
Gal. iii. 24. Who
can absolutely ascertain the exact quantum of obliquity in a crooked line,
without the application of a straight one? And could sin, in all its
twistings, windings, and varied involutions, have ever been truly ascertained,
had not God
given to man this perfect
rule to judge
by? The nations
who acknowledge this revelation of God have, as far as they
attained to its dictates, the wisest, purest,
most equal, and most beneficial laws. The nations that do
not receive it have laws at once
extravagantly severe and extravagantly indulgent. The
proper distinctions between moral good and evil, in such states, are not
known: hence the penal sanctions are not founded on the principles of justice,
weighing the exact proportion of moral
turpitude; but on the most arbitrary caprices, which in many cases show the
utmost indulgence to first-rate crimes, while
they punish
minor offenses with rigour and cruelty. What is
the consequence? Just what might be reasonably expected: the will and caprice
of a man being put in the place of the wisdom of God, the government is oppressive, and
the people, frequently goaded to distraction, rise up in a mass and overturn
it; so that the monarch, however powerful for a
time, seldom lives out half his days. This was the case in Greece, in Rome, in the
major part of the Asiatic governments, and
is the case in all nations of the world to the
present day, where the governor is
despotic, and the laws
not formed according to the revelation of God.
The word lex, law, among the Romans, has
been derived from lego, I read; because when a law or statute
was made, it was hung up in the most public places,
that it might be seen, read, and known by all men, that those who were to obey
the laws
might not break
them through ignorance, and thus incur the penalty. This was called promulgatio
legis, q. provulgatio, the promulgation of the law, i.e., the
laying it before the common people. Or from ligo, I bind, because
the law binds men to the
strict
observance of its precepts.
The Greeks
call a law
nomov nomos, from nemw, to divide, distribute, minister to, or
serve, because the law divides to
all their just rights, appoints or
distributes to each his proper duty, and thus
serves or ministers
to the welfare of the individual and the support of society.
Hence where there are either
no laws, or
unequal and unjust
ones, all is distraction, violence,
rapine, oppression, anarchy, and ruin.
Verse 51. By their armies.] µtabx
tsibotham, from abx tsaba, to assemble, meet
together, in an orderly or regulated manner, and hence to war, to act
together as troops in battle; whence
twabx tsebaoth, troops, armies, hosts. It is
from this that the Divine
Being calls himself twabx hwhy Yehovah tsebaoth, the LORD OF HOSTS or armies, because
the Israelites were brought out of Egypt under his direction, marshalled and
ordered by himself, guided by his wisdom,
supported by his providence, and protected by his might. This is the true and
simple reason why God
is so frequently styled in Scripture the Lord of hosts; for the
LORD did bring the children
of Israel
out of the land
of Egypt by their ARMIES.
ON this chapter the notes
have been so full and so explicit, that little can be added to set the subject
before the reader in a clearer light. On the ordinance of
the PASSOVER, the reader is requested to consult the
notes on verses 7, 14, and 27. For the display of God's power and
providence in supporting so great a multitude where, humanly speaking, there
was no provision, and the proof that the
exodus of the Israelites gives of the truth of the
Mosaic history, he is referred to ver. 37. And for the meaning of the term LAW,
to ver. 49.
On the ten plagues it may
be but just necessary, after what has been said in the notes, to make a few
general reflections. When the nature of the
Egyptian idolatry
is considered, and the plagues which
were sent upon them, we may see at once the peculiarity of the judgment, and
the great propriety of its being inflicted in
the way related by Moses. The plagues were
either inflicted
on the objects of their idolatry, or by
their means.
1. That the river Nile was
an object of their worship and one
of their greatest gods, we have already seen. As the FIRST plague, its
waters were therefore turned into blood; and the fish, many of
which were objects also of their adoration, died. Blood was
particularly offensive
to them, and the touch of any dead animal rendered
them unclean.
When then their great god, the river, was
turned into blood,
and its waters became putrid, so that all the fish, minor
objects of their devotion,
died, we see
a judgment
at once calculated to punish,
correct, and reform them. Could they ever more trust in gods
who could neither save
themselves nor their deluded worshippers? 2. Mr. Bryant has endeavoured to prove that frogs, the
SECOND plague,
were sacred animals in Egypt,
and dedicated
to Osiris: they certainly appear on many ancient Egyptian monuments, and in
such circumstances and connections as to show that they were held in religious
veneration.
These therefore became an
awful scourge;
first, by their numbers, and their intrusion into every place; and, secondly,
by their death,
and the infection of the atmosphere which took place in consequence.
3. We have seen also that the
Egyptians, especially the priests,
affected great cleanliness, and would not wear woollen garments lest
any kind of
vermin should harbour about them. The THIRD plague, by
means of lice or such like vermin, was wisely calculated both to humble and confound them.
In this they immediately saw a power superior
to any that could be exerted by their gods or their magicians; and the latter
were obliged to confess, This is the finger of God! 4. That flies were held sacred among
the Egyptians and among various other nations, admits
of the strongest proof.
It is very probable that Baal-zebub
himself was worshipped under the form of a fly or great
cantharid. These, therefore, or some kind of winged
noxious insects, became the prime agents in the FOURTH plague; and if
the cynomyia or dog-fly be intended,
we have already seen in the notes with what propriety and effect this judgment was inflicted.
5. The murrain or mortality
among the cattle
was the FIFTH plague,
and the most decisive mark of the power and
indignation of Jehovah.
That dogs,
cats, monkeys, rams, heifers, and bulls, were all objects of their most religious
veneration, all the world knows.
These were smitten in a most singular manner by the hand of God; and the
Egyptians saw themselves deprived at once of all their imaginary helpers. Even
Apis, their ox-god, in whom
they particularly trusted, now suffers, groans, and dies under the hand of Jehovah. Thus
does he execute
judgment
against all the gods of Egypt. See ver. 12.
6. The SIXTH plague, viz.,
of boils and blains, was as appropriate as any of the preceding; and the
sprinkling of the ashes,
the means by which it was produced, peculiarly significant. Pharmacy, Mr.
Bryant has observed, was in high repute among the Egyptians; and Isis, their
most celebrated goddess,
was considered as the preventer or healer of all diseases.
"For this goddess,"
says Diodourus, Hist., lib. i., "used to reveal herself
to people in their sleep when they
laboured under any disorder, and afford them relief.
Many who placed their confidence in
her influence, paradoxwv ugiainesqai, were miraculously restored. Many likewise
who had been despaired of and given over by the physicians on
account of the obstinacy of the distemper, were saved by this goddess. Numbers
who had been deprived of their eyes, and of
other parts of their bodies, were all restored on their application to
Isis." By this disorder, therefore, which no application to their gods
could cure,
and which was upon the magicians also, who were supposed to possess most power and
influence, God
confounded
their pride,
showed the folly
of their worship,
and the vanity
of their dependence. The means by which these boils and blains were inflicted,
viz., the sprinkling of ashes from the furnace, was
peculiarly appropriate. Plutarch assures us, Deuteronomy Iside et Osiride, that
in several cities of Egypt they were accustomed to sacrifice human
beings to Typhon, which they burned alive
upon a high altar;
and at the close of the sacrifice the priests
gathered the ashes
of these victims, and scattered them in the air: "I
presume, says Mr. Bryant, "with this view, that where an atom of their dust was wafted,
a blessing
might be entailed. The like was done by Moses with the ashes of the furnace, that
wherever any, the smallest portion, alighted, it might prove a plague and a curse to this
cruel, ungrateful, and infatuated people. Thus there was a designed contrast in
these workings of Providence, an apparent opposition to the superstition of
the times." 7. The grievous hail, the SEVENTH plague,
attended with rain, thunder, and lightning, in a
country where
these scarcely ever occur, and according to an express prediction of Moses, must in
the most signal manner point out the power and justice of God. Fire and water were some
of the principal objects of Egyptian idolatry; and fire, as Porphyry
says, they considered megan einai qeon, to be a great god. To find,
therefore, that these very elements, the
objects of their adoration, were, at the command of a servant of Jehovah,
brought as a curse
and scourge
on the whole land,
and upon men also and cattle, must
have shaken their belief in these imaginary deities, while it proved to the
Israelites that there was none like the God of Jeshurun.
8. In the EIGHTH plague we see
by what insignificant creatures God can bring
about a general destruction.
A caterpillar is beyond all animals the most
contemptible, and, taken singly, the least to be dreaded in the whole empire of
nature; but
in the hand
of Divine justice it
becomes one of the most formidable foes of the human race. From the examples in
the notes we see how little human power,
industry, or art, can avail against this most awful scourge. Not
even the most contemptible animal should be
considered with disrespect, as in the hand of God it may
become the most terrible
instrument
for the punishment
of a criminal individual or a guilty land.
9. The NINTH plague, the
total and horrible darkness
that lasted for three days, afforded both Israelites and Egyptians the most illustrious
proof of the
power and
universal dominion
of God; and
was particularly to the latter a most awful yet instructive lesson against a
species of idolatry
which had been long prevalent in that and other countries, viz.,
the worship
of the celestial luminaries. The sun and moon were both
adored as supreme
deities, as the sole dispensers of light and life; and the
sun was invoked as the giver of
immortality and eternal
blessedness.
Porphyry, Deuteronomy Abstin., l. 4, preserves the
very form used by the Egyptian priests in
addressing the sun on behalf of a deceased person,
that he might be admitted into the society of the gods: w despota Æhlie, kai
qeoi pantev, oi rhn zwhn toiv anqrwpoiv dontev, prosdexasqe me, kai paradote
toiv aidioiv qeoiv sunoikon, "O sovereign lord the sun,
and all ye other deities who bestow life on mankind!
Receive me, and grant that I may be admitted as a companion with the immortal
gods!" These objects of their superstitious worship Jehovah showed
by this plague
to be his creatures, dispensing or withholding their light merely at
his will and pleasure;
and that the people might be convinced that all this came by his appointment
alone, he predicted this awful darkness; and
that their astronomers might have the fullest proof that this
was no natural
occurrence, and could not be the effect of any kind of
eclipse, which even when total could endure only
about four minutes, (and this case could happen only once in a thousand
years,) he caused this palpable darkness to
continue for three days! 10. The TENTH and last plague, the
slaying of the first-born or chief person in
each family,
may be considered in the light of a Divine
retribution: for after that their nation had been
preserved by
one of the Israelitish family,
"they had," says Mr. Bryant, "contrary to all right, and in
defiance of original stipulation, enslaved the
people to whom they had been so much indebted; and
not contented with this, they had proceeded to murder their offspring, and
to render the people's bondage
intolerable by a wanton
exertion of power.
It had been told them that the family of the
Israelites were esteemed as God's first-born, chap. iv.
22; therefore God
said: Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if thou refuse-behold, I will slay thy son,
even thy FIRST-BORN, chap. iv. 23. But they heeded not this admonition, and
hence those judgments came upon them that terminated in the death of the
eldest in each family;
a just retaliation for their disobedience and
cruelty."
See several curious
and important remarks on this subject in a work entitled,
Observations upon the Plagues inflicted on
the Egyptians, by Jacob
Bryant, 8vo., 1810.
On the whole we may say,
Behold the goodness
and severity of God!
Severity mixed with goodness even to
the same people. He punished and
corrected them at the same time; for there was not one of these judgments that
had not, from its peculiar
nature and
circumstances, some emendatory influence. Nor could a more effectual mode be adopted to
demonstrate to that people the absurdity of their idolatry, and
the inefficacy of their dependence, than that made use of on this occasion by
the wise,
just, and merciful God.
At the same time the Israelites themselves must have received a lesson of the
most impressive instruction
on the vanity
and wickedness
of idolatry,
to which they were at all times most deplorably prone, and of which they would
no doubt have given many more examples, had they not had the Egyptian plagues
continually before their eyes. It was
probably these signal displays of God's rower and justice, and
these alone, that induced them to leave Egypt at his command by Moses and Aaron; otherwise,
with the dreadful wilderness
before them, totally unprovided for such a journey, in
which humanly speaking it was impossible for
them and their households to subsist, they would have rather preferred the ills
they then suffered,
than have run
the risk of greater by an attempt to escape from
their present bondage.
This is proved
by their murmurings, chap. xvi. 2, 3, from which it is evident that they
preferred Egypt with all its curses to their
situation in the wilderness,
and never could have been induced to leave it had they not had the fullest
evidence that it was the will of God; which will
they were obliged, on pain of utter destruction, to
obey.
Matthew Henry
This chapter gives an
account of one of the most memorable ordinances, and one of the most memorable
providences, of all that are recorded in the Old Testament. I. Not one of
all the ordinances of the Jewish church was more eminent than that of the
passover, nor is any one more frequently mentioned in the New Testament; and we
have here an account of the institution to it. The ordinance consisted of three
parts:—1. The killing and eating of the paschal lamb (v. 1–6, 8-11). 2. The
sprinkling of the blood upon the door-posts, spoken of as a distinct thing
(Heb. 11:28), and peculiar to this first passover (v. 7), with the reason for
it (v. 13). 3. The feast of unleavened bread for seven days following; this
points rather at what was to be done afterwards, in the observance of this
ordinance (v. 14–20). This institution is communicated to the people, and they
are instructed in the observance, (1.) Of this first passover (v. 21–23). (2.)
Of the after passovers (v. 24–27). And the Israelites’ obedience to these
orders (v. 28). II. Not one of all the providences of God concerning the Jewish
church was more illustrious, or is more frequently mentioned, than the deliverance
of the children of Israel out of Egypt. 1. The firstborn of the Egyptians are
slain (v. 29, 30). 2. Orders are given immediately for their discharge (v.
31–33). 3. They begin their march. (1.) Loaded with their own effects (v. 34).
(2.) Enriched with the spoils of Egypt (v. 35, 36). (3.) Attended with a mixed
multitude (v. 37, 38). (4.) Put to their shifts for present supply (v. 39). The
event is dated (v. 40–42). Lastly, A recapitulation in the close, [1.] Of this
memorable ordinance, with some additions (v. 43–49). [2.] Of this memorable
providence (v. 50, 51).
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 (v. 1, 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,
Cant. 2:11, 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 (v. 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 (v. 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 (v. 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, v. 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, v. 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 (ch. 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, v. 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; 2 Co. 3:13. 1. The
paschal lamb was typical. Christ is our Passover, 1 Co. 5:7. (1.) It was
to be a lamb; and Christ is the Lamb of God (Jn. 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 (v. 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 (v. 5), denoting the purity of the Lord Jesus, a Lamb without
spot, 1 Pt. 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 (v. 3, 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 (v. 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 (Lu. 23:18),
and for the good of all his spiritual Israel. (7.) Not a bone of it must be
broken (v. 46), which is expressly said to be fulfilled in Christ (Jn.
19:33, 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 (v. 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
(v. 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 Jn. 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,
v. 10. To-day Christ is offered, and is to be accepted while it is
called to-day, before we sleep the sleep of death. (4.) It was to be eaten with
bitter herbs (v. 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
(v. 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, 14. 4. The feast of unleavened bread was typical of the
Christian life, 1 Co. 5:7, 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 (v. 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, v. 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 (v. 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.
Verses 21-28
I. Moses is here, as a faithful steward in God’s house, teaching the children
of Israel to observe all things which God had commanded him; and no
doubt he gave the instructions as largely as he received them, though they are
not so largely recorded. It is here added, 1. That this night, when the
first-born were to be destroyed, no Israelite must stir out of doors till
morning, that is, till towards morning, when they would be called to march
out of Egypt, v. 22. Not but that the destroying angel could have known an
Israelite from an Egyptian in the street; but God would intimate to them that
their safety was owing to the blood of sprinkling; if they put
themselves from under the protection of that, it was at their peril. Those whom
God has marked for himself must not mingle with evil doers: see Isa. 26:20, 21.
They must not go out of the doors, lest they should straggle and be out of the
way when they should be summoned to depart: they must stay within, to wait
for the salvation of the Lord, and it is good to do so. 2. That hereafter
they should carefully teach their children the meaning of this service, v. 26,
27. Observe, (1.) The question which the children would ask concerning this
solemnity (which they would soon take notice of in the family): "What
mean you by this service? What is he meaning of all this care and exactness
about eating this lamb, and this unleavened bread, more than about common food?
Why such a difference between this meal and other meals?’’ Note, [1.] It is a
good thing to see children inquisitive about the things of God; it is to be
hoped that those who are careful to ask for the way will find it. Christ
himself, when a child, heard and asked questions, Lu. 2:46. [2.] It
concerns us all rightly to understand the meaning of those holy ordinances
wherein we worship God, what is the nature and what the end of them, what is
signified and what intended, what is the duty expected from us in them and what
are the advantages to be expected by us. Every ordinance has a meaning; some
ordinances, as sacraments, have not their meaning so plain and obvious as
others have; therefore we are concerned to search, that we may not offer the
blind for sacrifice, but may do a reasonable service. If either we are
ignorant of, or mistake about, the meaning of holy ordinances, we can neither
please God nor profit ourselves. (2.) The answer which the parents were to
return to this question (v. 27): You shall say, It is the sacrifice of the
Lord’s passover, that is, "By the killing and sacrificing of this
lamb, we keep in remembrance the work of wonder and grace which God did for our
fathers, when,’’ [1.] "To make way for our deliverance out of bondage, he
slew the firstborn of the Egyptians, so compelling them to sign our
discharge;’’ and, [2.] "Though there were with us, even with us, sins
against the Lord our God, for which the destroying angel, when he was
abroad doing execution, might justly have destroyed our first-born too, yet God
graciously appointed and accepted the family-sacrifice of a lamb, instead of
the first-born, as, of old, the ram instead of Isaac, and in every house where
the lamb was slain the first-born were saved.’’ The repetition of this
solemnity in the return of every year was designed, First, To look
backward as a memorial, that in it they might remember what great things God
had done for them and their fathers. The word pesach signifies a leap,
or transition; it is a passing over; for the destroying angel passed
over the houses of the Israelites, and did not destroy their first-born. When
God brings utter ruin upon his people he says, I will not pass by them any
more (Amos 7:8; 8:2), intimating how often he had passed by them, as now
when the destroying angel passed over their houses. Note, 1. Distinguishing
mercies lay under peculiar obligations. When a thousand fall at our side,
and ten thousand at our right hand, and yet we are preserved, and have our
lives given us for a prey, this should greatly affect us, Ps. 91:7. In war or
pestilence, if the arrow of death have passed by us, passed over us, hit the
next to us and just missed us, we must not say it was by chance that we were
preserved but by the special providence of our God. 2. Old mercies to
ourselves, or to our fathers, must not be forgotten, but be had in everlasting
remembrance, that God may be praised, our faith in him encouraged, and our
hearts enlarged in his service. Secondly, It was designed to look
forward as an earnest of the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the fulness
of time, instead of us and our first-born. We were obnoxious to the sword of
the destroying angel, but Christ our passover was sacrificed for us, his
death was our life, and thus he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world, from the foundation of the Jewish church: Moses kept the passover by
faith in Christ, for Christ was the end of the law for righteousness.
II. The people received these instructions with reverence and ready obedience.
1. They bowed the head and worshipped (v. 27): they hereby signified
their submission to this institution as a law, and their thankfulness for it as
a favour and privilege. Note, When God gives law to us, we must give honour to
him; when he speaks, we must bow our heads and worship. 2. They went
away and did as they were commanded, v. 23. Here was none of that
discontent and murmuring among them which we read of, ch. 5:20, 21. The plagues
of Egypt had done them good, and raised their expectations of a glorious
deliverance, which before they despaired of; and now they went forth to meet it
in the way appointed. Note, The perfecting of God’s mercies to us must be
waited for in a humble observance of his institutions.
Verses 29-36
Here we have, I. The Egyptians’ sons, even their first-born, slain, v. 29, 30.
If Pharaoh would have taken the warning which was given him of this plague, and
would thereupon have released Israel, what a great many dear and valuable lives
might have been preserved! But see what obstinate infidelity brings upon men.
Observe, 1. The time when this blow was given: It was at midnight, which
added to the terror of it. The three preceding nights were made dreadful by the
additional plague of darkness, which might be felt, and doubtless disturbed
their repose; and now, when they hoped for one quiet night’s rest, at midnight
was the alarm given. When the destroying angel drew his sword against
Jerusalem, it was in the day-time (2 Sa. 24:15), which made it the less
frightful; but the destruction of Egypt was by a pestilence walking in
darkness, Ps. 91:6. Shortly there will be an alarming cry at midnight, Behold,
the bridegroom cometh. 2. On whom the plague fastened—on their
first-born, the joy and hope of their respective families. They had slain
the Hebrews’ children, and now God slew theirs. Thus he visits the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children; and he is not unrighteous who taketh
vengeance. 3. How far it reached—from the throne to the dungeon. Prince and
peasant stand upon the same level before God’s judgments, for there is no
respect of persons with him; see Job 34:29, 20. Now the slain of the Lord
were many; multitudes, multitudes, fall in this valley of decision,
when the controversy between God and Pharaoh was to be determined. 4. What an
outcry was made upon it: There was a great cry in Egypt, universal
lamentation for their only son (with many), and with all for their first-born.
If any be suddenly taken ill in the night, we are wont to call up neighbours;
but the Egyptians could have no help, no comfort, from their neighbours, all
being involved in the same calamity. Let us learn hence, (1.) To tremble before
God, and to be afraid of his judgments, Ps. 119:120. Who is able to
stand before him, or dares resist him? (2.) To be thankful to God for the daily
preservation of ourselves and our families: lying so much exposed, we have
reason to say, "It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed.’’
II. God’s sons, even his first-born, released; this judgment conquered Pharaoh,
and obliged him to surrender at discretion, without capitulating. Men
had better come up to God’s terms at first, for he will never come down to
theirs, let them object as long as they will. Now Pharaoh’s pride is abased,
and he yields to all that Moses had insisted on: Serve the Lord as you have
said (v. 31), and take your flocks as you have said, v. 32. Note,
God’s word will stand, and we shall get nothing by disputing it, or delaying to
submit to it. Hitherto the Israelites were not permitted to depart, but now
things had come to the last extremity, in consequence of which, 1. They are
commanded to depart: Rise up, and get you forth, v. 31. Pharaoh had told
Moses he should see his face no more; but now he sent for him. Those
will seek God early in their distress who before had set him at defiance. Such
a fright he was now in that he gave orders by night for their discharge,
fearing lest, if he delayed any longer, he himself should fall next; and that he
sent them out, not as men hated (as the pagan historians have represented this
matter), but as men feared, is plainly discovered by his humble request to them
(v. 32): "Bless me also; let me have your prayers, that I may not
be plagued for what is past, when you are gone.’’ Note, Those that are enemies
to God’s church are enemies to themselves, and, sooner or later, they will be
made to see it. 2. They are hired to depart by the Egyptians; they cried out
(v. 33), We be all dead men. Note, When death comes into our houses, it
is seasonable for us to think of our own mortality. Are our relations dead? It
is easy to infer thence that we are dying, and, in effect, already dead men.
Upon this consideration they were urgent with the Israelites to be gone, which gave
great advantage to the Israelites in borrowing their jewels, v. 35, 36. When
the Egyptians urged them to be gone, it was easy for the to say that the
Egyptians had kept them poor, that they could not undertake such a journey with
empty purses, but, that, if they would give them wherewithal to bear their
charges, they would be gone. And this the divine Providence designed in
suffering things to come to this extremity, that they, becoming formidable to
the Egyptians, might have what they would, for asking; the Lord also, by the
influence he has on the minds of people, inclined the hearts of the Egyptians
to furnish them with what they desired, they probably intending thereby to make
atonement, that the plagues might be stayed, as the Philistines, when they
returned the ark, sent a present with it for a trespass-offering, having an eye
to this precedent, 1 Sa. 6:3, 6. The Israelites might receive and keep what
they thus borrowed, or rather required, of the Egyptians, (1.) As justly as
servants receive wages from their masters for work done, and sue for it if it
be detained. (2.) As justly as conquerors take the spoils of their enemies whom
they have subdued; Pharaoh was in rebellion against the God of the Hebrews,
by which all that he had was forfeited. (3.) As justly as subjects receive the
estates granted to them by their prince. God is the sovereign proprietor of the
earth, and the fulness thereof; and, if he take from one and give to another,
who may say unto him, What doest thou? It was by God’s special order and
appointment that the Israelites did what they did, which was sufficient to
justify them, and bear them out; but what they did will by no means authorize
others (who cannot pretend to any such warrant) to do the same. Let us
remember, [1.] That the King of kings can do no wrong. [2.] That he will do
right to those whom men injure, Ps. 146:7. Hence it is that the wealth of
the sinner often proves to be laid up for the just, Prov. 13:22; Job
27:16, 17.
Verses 37-42
Here is the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt; having obtained
their dismission, they set forward without delay, and did not defer to a more
convenient season. Pharaoh was now in a good mind; but they had reason to think
he would not long continue so, and therefore it was no time to linger. We have
here an account, 1. Of their number, about 600,000 men (v. 37), besides women
and children, which I think, we cannot suppose to make less than 1,200,000 more.
What a vast increase was this, to arise from seventy souls in little more than
200 years’ time! See the power and efficacy of that blessing, when God commands
it, Be fruitful and multiply. This was typical of the multitudes that
were brought into the gospel church when it was first founded; so mightily
grew the word of God, and prevailed. 2. Of their retinue (v. 38): A
mixed multitude went up with them, hangers on to that great family, some
perhaps willing to leave their country, because it was laid waste by the
plagues, and to seek their fortune, as we say, with the Israelites; others went
out of curiosity, to see the solemnities of Israel’s sacrifice to their God,
which had been so much talked of, and expecting to see some glorious
appearances of their God to them in the wilderness, having seen such glorious
appearances of their God for them in the field of Zoan, Ps. 78:12. Probably the
greatest part of this mixed multitude were but a rude unthinking mob, that
followed the crowd they knew not why; we afterwards find that they proved a
snare to them (Num. 11:4), and it is probable that when, soon afterwards, they
understood that the children of Israel were to continue forty years in the
wilderness, they quitted them, and returned to Egypt. Note, There were always
those among the Israelites that were not Israelites, and there are still
hypocrites in the church, who make a deal of mischief, but will be shaken off
at last. 3. Of their effects. They had with them flocks and herds, even very
much cattle. This is taken notice of because it was long before Pharaoh
would give them leave to remove their effects, which were chiefly cattle, Gen.
46:32. 4. Of the provision made for the camp, which was very poor and slender.
They brought some dough with them out of Egypt in their knapsacks, v. 34. They
had prepared to bake, the next day, in order to their removal, understanding it
was very near; but, being hastened away sooner than they thought of, by some
hours, they took the dough as it was, unleavened; when they came to Succoth,
their first stage, they baked unleavened cakes, and, though these were of
course insipid, yet the liberty they were brought into made this the most
joyful meal they had ever eaten in their lives. Note, The servants of God must
not be slaves to their appetites, nor solicitous to wind up all the delights of
sense to their highest pitch. We should be willing to take up with dry bread,
nay, with unleavened bread, rather than neglect or delay any service we have to
do for God, as those whose meat and drink it is to do his will. 5. Of the date
of this great event: it was just 430 years from the promise made to Abraham (as
the apostle explains it, Gal. 3:17) at his first coming into Canaan, during all
which time the children of Israel, that is, the Hebrews, the
distinguished chosen seed, were sojourners in a land that was not theirs,
either Canaan or Egypt. So long the promise God made to Abraham of a settlement
lay dormant and unfulfilled, but now, at length, it revived, and things began
to work towards the accomplishment of it. The first day of the march of
Abraham’s seed towards Canaan was just 430 years (it should seem to a day) from
the promise made to Abraham, Gen. 12:2, I will make of thee a great nation.
See how punctual God is to his time; though his promises be not performed
quickly, they will be accomplished in their season. 6. Of the memorableness of
it: It is a night to be much observed, v. 42. (1.) The providences of
that first night were very observable; memorable was the destruction of the Egyptians,
and the deliverance of the Israelites by it; God herein made himself taken
notice of. (2.) The ordinances of that night, in the annual return of it, were
to be carefully observed: This is that night of the Lord, that
remarkable night, to be celebrated in all generations. Note, The great things
God does for his people are not to be a nine days’ wonder, as we say, but the
remembrance of them is to be perpetuated throughout all ages, especially the
work of our redemption by Christ. This first passover-night was a night of the
Lord much to be observed; but the last passover-night, in which Christ
was betrayed (and in which the passover, with the rest of the ceremonial
institutions, was superseded and abolished), was a night of the Lord much
more to be observed, when a yoke heavier than that of Egypt was broken from
off our necks, and a land better than that of Canaan set before us. That was a
temporal deliverance to be celebrated in their generation; this is an
eternal redemption to be celebrated in the praises of glorious saints, world
without end.
Verses 43-51
Some further precepts are here given concerning the passover, as it should be
observed in times to come. I. All the congregation of Israel must keep it,
v. 47. All that share in God’s mercies should join in thankful praises for
them. Though it was observed in families apart, yet it is looked upon as the
act of the whole congregation; for the smaller communities constituted the
greater. The New-Testament passover, the Lord’s supper, ought not to be
neglected by any who are capable of celebrating it. He is unworthy the name of
an Israelite that can contentedly neglect the commemoration of so great a
deliverance. 1. No stranger that was uncircumcised might be admitted to eat of
it, v. 43, 45, 48. None might sit at the table but those that came in by the
door; nor may any now approach to the improving ordinance of the Lord’s supper
who have not first submitted to the initiating ordinance of baptism. We must be
born again by the word ere we can be nourished by it. Nor shall any partake of
the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice, or feast upon it, who are not first
circumcised in heart, Col. 2:11. 2. Any stranger that was circumcised might be
welcome to eat of the passover, even servants, v. 44. If, by
circumcision, they would make themselves debtors to the law in its burdens,
they were welcome to share in the joy of its solemn feasts, and not otherwise. Only
it is intimated (v. 48) that those who were masters of families must not only
be circumcised themselves, but have all their males circumcised too. If in
sincerity, and with that zeal which the thing required and deserves, we give up
ourselves to God, we shall, with ourselves, give up all we have to him, and do
our utmost that all ours may be his too. Here is an early indication of favour
to the poor Gentiles, that the stranger, if circumcised, stands upon the same
level with the home-born Israelite. One law for both, v. 49. This was a
mortification to the Jews, and taught them that it was their dedication to God,
not their descent from Abraham, that entitled them to their privileges. A
sincere proselyte was as welcome to the passover as a native Israelite, Isa.
56:6, 7. II. In one house shall it be eaten (v. 46), for good-fellowship
sake, that they might rejoice together, and edify one another in the eating of
it. None of it must be carried to another place, nor left to another time; for
God would not have them so taken up with care about their departure as to be
indisposed to take the comfort of it, but to leave Egypt, and enter upon a
wilderness, with cheerfulness, and, in token of that, to eat a good hearty
meal. The papists’ carrying their consecrated host from house to house is not
only superstitious in itself, but contrary to this typical law of the passover,
which directed that no part of the lamb should be carried abroad. The chapter
concludes with a repetition of the whole matter, that the children of Israel
did as they were bidden, and God did for them as he promised (v. 50, 51); for
he will certainly be the author of salvation to those that obey him.