Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to just read "lamb" and think "sheep," but God explicitly includes goats here, allowing for the possibility of a young male goat to be chosen. This expands the provision, acknowledging that not everyone might have had access to a lamb, and showing God's grace in making His deliverance accessible even to the less affluent.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is about to unleash a devastating plague upon Egypt, but He's giving Israel specific, detailed instructions for a Passover meal that will mark their homes. These instructions call for a perfect, unblemished male animal, a year old, chosen from either sheep or goats, to be slain and its blood used as a sign. This ritual will set apart God's people from the Egyptians and serve as a memorial for generations to come.
Why did God demand a perfect animal for this rescue mission? It wasn't just about satisfying a divine aesthetic.
The instruction for the Passover lamb to be "without blemish" (Hebrew: tamim, meaning whole, complete, without defect) was incredibly significant.
More Than Just Flawless
This wasn't about finding an animal with zero imperfections in the eyes of humans, but one that was fully sound and complete for its intended purpose. Think of it as God's standard for perfection, which pointed beyond the physical.
A Shadow of Christ
This specific requirement immediately calls to mind Jesus, who is described as "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Hebrews 7:26). The flawless lamb was a divine picture, painted centuries in advance, of the perfect sacrifice that would ultimately secure our ultimate deliverance from sin and death.
God specified not only perfection but also the age and sex of the lamb. What profound truths are hidden in these details?
The demand for a "male a year old" wasn't arbitrary. These characteristics painted a richer picture of the coming Redeemer.
The Superior Male
In ancient Near Eastern thought, males were often seen as representing strength, leadership, and superiority. A male offering symbolized the best and the most valuable, a fitting representation for the ultimate sacrifice.
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The Prime of Life
Being "a year old" pointed to an animal in its prime – mature enough for strength, yet still young and full of vigorous life. This speaks to Christ in the fullness of His earthly ministry, giving His life in the strength of His prime, not in weakness or old age.
A Choice from the Flock
The option to take from either sheep or goats offered flexibility, especially for poorer families. Yet, the ultimate choice was always a specific, dedicated animal, set apart for God's purposes, just as Jesus was chosen before the foundation of the world.
Understand the original words
tamim · Hebrew Adjective
In the context of sacrifices, this refers to being without physical defects, sickness, or injury; theologically, it signifies moral and spiritual perfection required for an offering to be acceptable to a holy God.
~1500 BC
Egyptian Oppression of Israelites
Following Joseph's rise to prominence and the subsequent migration of Jacob's family to Egypt, the Israelites lived and prospered for a time. However, a new dynasty arose that did not know Joseph, leading to increasing oppression and enslavement of the Israelites.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Exodus from Egypt
After the ten plagues, God led the Israelites out of Egypt under Moses' leadership, culminating in the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea and their departure from Egyptian bondage.
c. 1446 BC
Institution of Passover
On the night of the Exodus, God instituted the Passover feast as a perpetual memorial of Israel's liberation. This included the selection of a lamb, its sacrifice, and the marking of doorposts with its blood.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
Shortly after the Exodus, God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, which included further regulations for sacrifices and feasts, many of which paralleled or elaborated on the Passover instructions.
This passage further details the requirements for acceptable sacrifices, emphasizing that any blemish renders an animal unfit, mirroring the perfection required for the Passover lamb.
1 Peter 1:19This New Testament passage explicitly connects believers' redemption to the 'precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot,' echoing the sacrificial purity described in Exodus 12:5.
Hebrews 9:14This verse highlights that Christ's sacrifice is infinitely superior to Old Testament offerings because He offered Himself 'without blemish to God,' emphasizing the perfect purity required and fulfilled in Jesus.
John 1:29John the Baptist's declaration of Jesus as the 'Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' directly links Jesus to the Passover lamb imagery, underscoring His role as the ultimate sacrifice.
cambridgeExodus 12:5: "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:"
5 . Characteristics of the animal chosen: it is to be (1) without blemish (like sacrificial animals in general, Deuteronomy 17:1 , Leviticus 22:19 ; Leviticus 22:21 [H]); (2) a male , as superior to a female, and therefore more appropriate as an offering to Jehovah (so for burnt-offerings, in H and P, Leviticus 1:3 ; Leviticus 1:10 ; Leviticus 22:19 : for peace- a…
calvinExodus 12:1-20: "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,"
And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it, according to the number of the souls: every man, according to his eating, shall make your count for the lamb.
Quod si minor fuerit familia quam pro agno, assumet ipse vicinum suum qui propinquior fuerit domus suae, pro numero animarum, singuli ad mensuram cibi sui numerabitis pro agno.
Your lamb…
It's easy to just read "lamb" and think "sheep," but God explicitly includes goats here, allowing for the possibility of a young male goat to be chosen. This expands the provision, acknowledging that not everyone might have had access to a lamb, and showing God's grace in making His deliverance accessible even to the less affluent.
God is about to unleash a devastating plague upon Egypt, but He's giving Israel specific, detailed instructions for a Passover meal that will mark their homes. These instructions call for a perfect, unblemished male animal, a year old, chosen from either sheep or goats, to be slain and its blood used as a sign. This ritual will set apart God's people from the Egyptians and serve as a memorial for generations to come.
God is about to unleash a devastating plague upon Egypt, but He's giving Israel specific, detailed instructions for a Passover meal that will mark their homes. These instructions call for a perfect, unblemished male animal, a year old, chosen from either sheep or goats, to be slain and its blood used as a sign. This ritual will set apart God's people from the Egyptians and serve as a memorial for generations to come.
"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats," — It's easy to just read "lamb" and think "sheep," but God explicitly includes goats here, allowing for the possibility of a young male goat to be chosen. This expands the provision, acknowledging that…
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Last reviewed October 2026