1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth [day] of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household: 4 and if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbor next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man’s eating ye shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old: ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats: 6 and ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at even. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof. 10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 11 And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Jehovah’s passover. 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Jehovah. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah: throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. 15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. 16 And in the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you. 17 And ye shall observe the [feast of] unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever. 18 In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is born in the land. 20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out, and take you lambs according to your families, and kill the passover. 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23 For Jehovah will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye are come to the land which Jehovah will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of Jehovah’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. 28 And the children of Israel went and did so; as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. 29 And it came to pass at midnight, that Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve Jehovah, as ye have said. 32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. 33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, to send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We are all dead men. 34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. 35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36 and Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. And they despoiled the Egyptians. 37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children. 38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victuals. 40 Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be much observed unto Jehovah for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of Jehovah, to be much observed of all the children of Israel throughout their generations. 43 And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: there shall no foreigner eat thereof; 44 but every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof. 46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to Jehovah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. 50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. 51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that Jehovah did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
Exodus · American Standard Version (1901)
Exodus 12 American Standard Version (1901)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Aaron
Moses' brother and spokesman, Israel's first high priest.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 4–40; Leviticus 8–10
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Cross references (48)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 2 Exodus 13:4; Deuteronomy 16:1; Exodus 34:18; Exodus 23:15; Leviticus 23:5
- 3 Leviticus 1:2; Leviticus 5:6; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 4:30
- 5 Hebrews 9:13–14; 1 Peter 1:18–19; Malachi 1:14; Malachi 1:7–8; Deuteronomy 17:1
- 6 Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 28:16; 2 Chronicles 30:15–18; Numbers 9:11; Exodus 12:18
- 7 Hebrews 11:28; Exodus 12:22–23; Hebrews 9:22; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 10:14
- 8 Exodus 34:25; Deuteronomy 16:7; Deuteronomy 16:3–4; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8; John 6:52–57
- 9 Exodus 12:8; Deuteronomy 16:7; Lamentations 1:13
- 10 Exodus 23:18; Exodus 34:25; Leviticus 22:30; Exodus 29:34; Deuteronomy 16:4–5
- 11 Exodus 12:27; Ephesians 6:15; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Leviticus 23:5
- 12 Numbers 33:4; Psalm 82:6; Exodus 12:23; Zephaniah 2:11; Psalm 82:1
- 13 Hebrews 11:28; Exodus 12:23; 1 John 1:7; Genesis 17:11; Joshua 2:12
- 14 2 Kings 23:21; Exodus 12:17; Exodus 12:24; Exodus 13:9–10; 1 Corinthians 5:7–8
- 15 Genesis 17:14; Deuteronomy 16:3; Exodus 34:18; Exodus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:8
- 16 Numbers 28:18; Leviticus 23:7–8; Numbers 28:25; Exodus 16:23; Exodus 35:2–3
- 17 Exodus 13:3; Exodus 7:5; Exodus 13:8; Exodus 12:41; Numbers 20:16
- 18 Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 23:5–8; Numbers 28:16–25; Exodus 12:1–2
- 19 Exodus 12:15; Deuteronomy 16:3; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 12:48; Exodus 34:18
- 21 Exodus 12:3; 2 Kings 23:21; Mark 14:12–16; Joshua 5:10; Ezra 6:20
- 22 Hebrews 11:28; Psalm 51:7; Exodus 12:7; Numbers 19:18; Hebrews 9:14
- 23 Revelation 7:3; Revelation 9:4; Hebrews 11:28; Exodus 12:12–13; 1 Corinthians 10:10
- 24 Exodus 12:14; Genesis 17:8–10
- 25 Exodus 3:17; Exodus 3:8; Psalm 105:44–45; Deuteronomy 4:5; Deuteronomy 12:8–9
- 26 Exodus 13:14–15; Deuteronomy 32:7; Psalm 145:4; Psalm 78:3–6; Joshua 4:21–24
- 27 Exodus 4:31; Exodus 12:11; Exodus 12:23; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Chronicles 29:20
- 28 Hebrews 11:28
- 29 Psalm 78:51; Exodus 4:23; Psalm 105:36; Psalm 135:8; Psalm 136:10
- 30 Exodus 11:6; Amos 5:17; James 2:13; Matthew 25:6; Proverbs 21:13
- 31 Exodus 6:1; Exodus 10:9; Exodus 3:19–20; Exodus 8:8; Psalm 105:38
- 32 Exodus 10:26; Genesis 27:34; Genesis 27:38; Exodus 10:9; Exodus 9:28
- 33 Psalm 105:38; Exodus 11:1; Genesis 20:3; Numbers 17:12–13
- 34 Exodus 8:3
- 35 Exodus 3:21–22; Exodus 11:2–3; Psalm 105:37; Genesis 15:14
- 36 Genesis 15:14; Acts 7:10; Exodus 11:3; Exodus 3:21–22; Psalm 105:37
- 37 Numbers 1:46; Exodus 38:26; Numbers 33:5; Numbers 33:3; Numbers 11:21
- 38 Numbers 11:4; Zechariah 8:23
- 39 Exodus 6:1; Exodus 11:1; Exodus 12:31–33
- 40 Genesis 15:13; Acts 7:6; Acts 13:17; Genesis 12:1–3; Galatians 3:16–17
- 41 Habakkuk 2:3; John 7:8; Exodus 7:4; Acts 1:7; Joshua 5:14
- 42 Exodus 12:14; Deuteronomy 16:1–6; Exodus 13:10
- 43 Exodus 12:48; Numbers 9:14; Exodus 12:11; Leviticus 22:10; Ephesians 2:12
- 44 Genesis 17:12–13; Genesis 17:23
- 45 Leviticus 22:10; Ephesians 2:12
- 46 John 19:36; Numbers 9:12; John 19:33; Ephesians 2:19–22; Psalm 34:20
- 47 Exodus 12:6; Numbers 9:13; Exodus 12:3
- 48 Numbers 9:14; Colossians 3:11; Numbers 15:15–16; Galatians 3:28; Ezekiel 47:22
- 49 Numbers 15:15–16; Numbers 15:29; Numbers 9:14; Leviticus 24:22; Galatians 3:28
- 50 Matthew 7:24–25; Exodus 6:26; Matthew 28:20; John 15:14; Exodus 7:4
- 51 Exodus 12:41; Exodus 6:26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… fact that from one man, Abraham, in not much more than four hundred years, the numbers of the Hebrew race so increased, that in the exodus of that people from Egypt there are recorded to have been six hundred thousand men capable of bearing arms, and this over and above the Idumæans, who, though not numbered with Israel's descendants, were …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… for the aliens' sake, to increase the number of the proselytes; and for manifestation of God's power, if haply their enemies having taken them captives, fancied they prevailed, because their own gods were mighty: like as in Egypt, out of which no small "mixed multitude" went up; and, after that, in Babylon, what befell touching the furnace and the dreams.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Let them remember, then, that those who celebrated the passover at that time in type and shadow, when they were ordered to mark their door-posts with the blood of the lamb, used hyssop to mark them with. Now this is a meek and lowly herb, and yet nothing is stronger and more penetrating than its roots; that being rooted and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… He Himself, in the very act of giving the law of the Sabbath, did even therein darkly signify that He will have them refrain from the evil works only, by the saying, "Ye must do no work, except what shall be done for your life." And in the temple too all went on, and with more diligence and double toil.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… a sheep to the slaughter, that by His blood sprinkled on our doorposts, that is, by the sign of His cross marked on our foreheads, we may be delivered from the perdition awaiting this world, as Israel from the bondage and destruction of the Egyptians; and a most salutary transit we make when we pass over from the devil to …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)