This isn't just a calendar change; it's a divine reordering. By declaring this month the "beginning of months," God establishes a new standard for time, fundamentally linking their history and future to this pivotal moment of redemption, not just to the natural cycles of the earth.
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God declares that the month of the Exodus will forever be the start of the sacred calendar for Israel, marking a new beginning that supersedes the traditional autumnal start of the year used for civil matters. This pivotal shift establishes Abib (later called Nisan) as the first month, forever linking it to their liberation from Egypt and setting the stage for the Passover observance.
Have you ever thought about how time itself can be holy? God doesn't just set apart people and places; He also sets apart moments.
Before this moment, the Israelites likely followed a more traditional calendar, perhaps starting their year in the autumn (around September). But God declares through Moses: "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you." This wasn't just a minor adjustment. God was establishing a sacred calendar, with this spring month (later known as Nisan or Abib) as its starting point. This new beginning, tied to the Passover and the Exodus, marked a radical reorientation, placing their divine deliverance at the very head of their year. It signaled that their identity was now rooted in God's saving act, not just the natural cycle of seasons.
It might seem confusing, but the Bible shows the Israelites eventually operated with two calendars. Ever felt pulled in different directions by sacred duty and daily life?
While Exodus 12:2 marks the first month of the sacred or ecclesiastical year (focused on religious feasts and the Exodus), it doesn't entirely erase the old way of reckoning. Many scholars point out that a civil calendar, likely still beginning in the autumn (like the month Tisri), continued to exist for practical matters like harvests and legal business. So, the spring month of Abib/Nisan became the head of the sacred year, while the autumn month remained the head of the civil year. This duality highlights a key biblical principle: living as God's people means navigating the tension between our divine calling and our everyday existence. Our spiritual life influences our civil life, and vice versa.
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Understand the original words
edah · Hebrew Noun
A formal gathering or assembly of people, often used specifically for the people of Israel as God’s chosen covenant community.
seh · Hebrew Noun
A young sheep; in the context of the Mosaic Law, it represents a sacrificial animal used to bear the penalty of sin or satisfy a covenantal requirement, ultimately pointing to Christ as the perfect sacrifice.
bayith · Hebrew Noun
A group of people living together as a social unit; in a biblical context, it refers to the basic unit of the covenant people, often organized by family descent or shared sustenance.
God's command here marks a profound shift: the month of Israel's liberation becomes the new beginning of their calendar. This reordering of time powerfully symbolizes their new identity as a redeemed people, forever anchoring their sacred year to God's saving act.
c. 1500 BC
Israelites in Egyptian Bondage
For generations, the Israelites lived as enslaved people in Egypt, enduring harsh labor and oppression under Pharaoh.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
The Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously delivered the Israelites from slavery through Moses, culminating in the Passover event and their departure from Egypt.
c. 1440 BC
Institution of the Passover
God established the Passover feast as an annual memorial of their liberation, linking it to the first month of the new sacred year.
c. 1440 BC - 586 BC
The Divided Kingdom and Exile Era
Following the conquest of Canaan and the period of the Judges, Israel and Judah became kingdoms. Later, both were exiled to Babylon, disrupting the calendar and traditions.
c. 538 BC
Return from Babylonian Exile
After 70 years, some Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem. During this period, the Babylonian calendar name 'Nisan' for the spring month became common.
This verse speaks of seasons and times being divinely ordained, echoing the idea in Exodus 12:2 that God is establishing a new order for Israel's calendar and sacred observances.
Leviticus 23:5This passage directly links the Passover observance to the first month (Abib/Nisan), reinforcing the significance of Exodus 12:2 by detailing the first major festival tied to this new beginning.
Deuteronomy 16:1This verse reiterates the command to observe the Passover in the month of Abib, serving as a later reminder and confirmation of the calendar change initiated in Exodus 12:2.
Nehemiah 2:1This passage shows the practical application of this calendar shift centuries later, dating a significant event by the month of Nisan (the later name for Abib), demonstrating the lasting impact of Exodus 12:2.
Luke 4:19Jesus quotes Isaiah, referring to 'the year of the Lord's favor.' This connects to the idea of a 'new beginning' established in Exodus 12:2, pointing towards the ultimate redemptive year brought by Christ.
cambridgeExodus 12:2: "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you."
2 . This month , &c.] The ‘month’ is the one corresponding to our Mar.–Apr., called in J and E ( Exodus 13:4 , Exodus 23:15 , Exodus 34:18 ) and Deuteronomy 16:1 ) ‘Abib,’ and in the later post-exilic writings ( Nehemiah 2:1 , Esther 3:7 ) by its Bab. name, Nisan . P never, like the older pre-exilic writers, calls the months by their Canaanitish or Phoenician names, Abib ( ll.cc.…
clarkeExodus 12:2: "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you."
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 cre…
This isn't just a calendar change; it's a divine reordering. By declaring this month the "beginning of months," God establishes a new standard for time, fundamentally linking their history and future to this pivotal moment of redemption, not just to the natural cycles of the earth.
God declares that the month of the Exodus will forever be the start of the sacred calendar for Israel, marking a new beginning that supersedes the traditional autumnal start of the year used for civil matters. This pivotal shift establishes Abib (later called Nisan) as the first month, forever linking it to their liberation from Egypt and setting the stage for the Passover observance.
God declares that the month of the Exodus will forever be the start of the sacred calendar for Israel, marking a new beginning that supersedes the traditional autumnal start of the year used for civil matters. This pivotal shift establishes Abib (later called Nisan) as the first month, forever linking it to their liberation from Egypt and setting the stage for the Passover observance.
"“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses,…" — This isn't just a calendar change; it's a divine reordering. By declaring this month the "beginning of months," God establishes a new standard for time, fundamentally linking their history and future…
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Last reviewed October 2026
