Exodus 12:3
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)
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The instruction to take a lamb four days before the Passover sacrifice wasn't just about having the animal ready. It was meant to be a sustained, tangible reminder, allowing the Israelites to contemplate their impending freedom and direct their faith toward the greater deliverance Christ would bring. This deliberate four-day period also served as a model for diligent preparation in all sacred duties.
God is giving Moses and Aaron specific instructions for the very first Passover, just before the Israelites are to leave Egypt. This command is to be announced to all of Israel, detailing the selection of a lamb four days in advance, on the tenth day of the month, to be prepared for each household's Passover meal. This preparation ensures they have the lamb ready for the momentous sacrifice that will mark their liberation and the beginning of their journey out of slavery.
Why did God insist they select the lamb four days before the Passover meal?
This wasn't just about having food for the meal. God's command in Exodus 12:3 to take the lamb on the tenth day of the month, four days before the actual Passover sacrifice on the fourteenth, was a strategic move.
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Why was the Passover lamb meant for a 'father's house'?
Exodus 12:3 emphasizes that the lamb was to be taken 'according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a household.' This highlights the communal and familial nature of God's redemptive plan.
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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.
This instruction to select the Passover lamb on the tenth day of the month, four days before the actual Passover, highlights the importance of careful preparation and faith. It allowed time to inspect the lamb and mentally focus on the impending deliverance, foreshadowing Christ's own deliberate entry into Jerusalem on a similar day before His sacrifice.
c. 1845 BC
Abraham's Covenant Confirmed
God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising descendants and a land, setting the stage for the Israelites' future nationhood and eventual deliverance.
c. 1650 BC
Israelites Settle in Egypt
Joseph's family, invited to Egypt during a famine, settles in the fertile land of Goshen, beginning their sojourn in a foreign land.
c. 1525 BC
Israelites Enslaved
Generations later, a new Pharaoh, fearing the growing Israelite population, enslaves them, initiating centuries of harsh servitude.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Exodus from Egypt
God, through Moses, leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt after a series of plagues, culminating in the Passover and the final plague on Egypt's firstborn.
c. 1446 BC
The First Passover Instituted
On the 10th of Nisan, four days before the Exodus, Israelites select their Passover lambs according to God's command, a pivotal moment of preparation and anticipation for deliverance.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
Following their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites cross the Jordan River on the 10th of Nisan, the same day they would have selected the Passover lamb, marking their entrance into the land promised to Abraham.
This passage describes Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on the tenth of Nisan, the same day the Passover lamb was to be chosen, highlighting a profound fulfillment of this Old Testament event.
Hebrews 11:28This verse explains that faith enabled people to keep the Passover and anoint doors with blood, showing that the act of selecting the lamb was an exercise of faith in God's deliverance.
1 Corinthians 5:7Paul directly calls Jesus 'our Passover lamb that has been sacrificed,' drawing a clear parallel between the lamb chosen on the tenth of Nisan and Christ's ultimate sacrifice.
Joshua 4:19The Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the promised land on the tenth of Nisan, paralleling the selection of the lamb with Israel's entry into their inheritance.
gillExodus 12:3: "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 the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:"
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 h…
cambridgeExodus 12:3: "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 the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:"
3 . the congregation ] P’s standing expression for Israel, as an organized religious community, or ‘church.’ It occurs in P more than 100 times, usually alone (‘the congregation’), sometimes with the addition of ‘of Israel’ (as here, vv. 6, 47, Leviticus 4:13 ), or ‘of the children of Israel’ (…
The instruction to take a lamb four days before the Passover sacrifice wasn't just about having the animal ready. It was meant to be a sustained, tangible reminder, allowing the Israelites to contemplate their impending freedom and direct their faith toward the greater deliverance Christ would bring. This deliberate four-day period also served as a model for diligent preparation in all sacred duties.
God is giving Moses and Aaron specific instructions for the very first Passover, just before the Israelites are to leave Egypt. This command is to be announced to all of Israel, detailing the selection of a lamb four days in advance, on the tenth day of the month, to be prepared for each household's Passover meal. This preparation ensures they have the lamb ready for the momentous sacrifice that will mark their liberation and the beginning of their journey out of slavery.
God is giving Moses and Aaron specific instructions for the very first Passover, just before the Israelites are to leave Egypt. This command is to be announced to all of Israel, detailing the selection of a lamb four days in advance, on the tenth day of the month, to be prepared for each household's Passover meal. This preparation ensures they have the lamb ready for the momentous sacrifice that will mark their liberation and the beginning of their journey out of slavery.
"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." — The instruction to take a lamb four days before the Passover sacrifice wasn't just about having the animal ready. It was meant to be a sustained, tangible reminder, allowing the Israelites to conte…
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