Exodus 12:6
And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָיָ֤ה
H1961
וְהָיָ֤ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 17
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
לְמִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת
And ye shall keep
H4931
לְמִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת
And ye shall keep
Strong's:
H4931
Word #:
3 of 17
watch, i.e., the act (custody), or (concretely) the sentry, the post; objectively preservation, or (concretely) safe; figuratively observance, i.e., (
עַ֣ד
H5704
עַ֣ד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
4 of 17
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
עָשָׂ֛ר
H6240
עָשָׂ֛ר
Strong's:
H6240
Word #:
6 of 17
ten (only in combination), i.e., -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth
י֖וֹם
day
H3117
י֖וֹם
day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
7 of 17
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַזֶּ֑ה
H2088
אֹת֗וֹ
H853
אֹת֗וֹ
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
11 of 17
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
כֹּ֛ל
and the whole
H3605
כֹּ֛ל
and the whole
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
12 of 17
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עֲדַֽת
of the congregation
H5712
עֲדַֽת
of the congregation
Strong's:
H5712
Word #:
14 of 17
a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd)
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
15 of 17
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
Cross References
Leviticus 23:5In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.Numbers 28:16And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.Exodus 12:18In 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.Numbers 9:11The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.Acts 4:27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,Exodus 16:12I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.Ezekiel 45:21In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.Mark 15:25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.Mark 15:1And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.Mark 15:8And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
Historical Context
The fourteenth of Abib placed Passover at the full moon, providing maximum light for the nighttime exodus. The corporate slaughter meant hundreds of thousands of lambs were killed simultaneously throughout Goshen.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the timing of Christ's death at Passover reveal God's meticulous orchestration of redemptive history?
- What does the whole assembly's participation teach about the church's corporate identification with Christ's death?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The Hebrew 'ben ha'arbayim' (בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם) literally means 'between the evenings,' referring to the time between the sun's decline and sunset (approximately 3-6 PM). The requirement that 'the whole assembly' participate emphasizes corporate responsibility—every household shares in the sacrificial death. Christ died at the ninth hour (3 PM, Mark 15:34), precisely during Passover preparation.