Exodus 12:8
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Original Language Analysis
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
2 of 11
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
הַבָּשָׂ֖ר
the flesh
H1320
הַבָּשָׂ֖ר
the flesh
Strong's:
H1320
Word #:
3 of 11
flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man
בַּלַּ֣יְלָה
in that night
H3915
בַּלַּ֣יְלָה
in that night
Strong's:
H3915
Word #:
4 of 11
properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity
הַזֶּ֑ה
H2088
וּמַצּ֔וֹת
and unleavened bread
H4682
וּמַצּ֔וֹת
and unleavened bread
Strong's:
H4682
Word #:
8 of 11
properly, sweetness; concretely, sweet (i.e., not soured or bittered with yeast); specifically, an unfermented cake or loaf, or (elliptically) the fes
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
9 of 11
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Exodus 34:25Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.Deuteronomy 16:7And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.Isaiah 53:10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.Exodus 13:7Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.Exodus 23:18Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.Exodus 13:3And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.Exodus 1:14And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
Historical Context
Roasting (rather than boiling) was the fastest preparation method and allowed the meal to be eaten immediately. Bitter herbs likely included chicory, endive, or horseradish—plants common in Egypt.
Questions for Reflection
- How do the bitter herbs remind you to never forget the bondage from which Christ has delivered you?
- What does the requirement to consume all three elements teach about embracing the full message of the gospel?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Three elements comprise the Passover meal: roasted lamb, unleavened bread (matzah), and bitter herbs (maror). The roasting with fire suggests purifying judgment, the unleavened bread indicates haste and purity (1 Cor 5:7-8), and bitter herbs memorialize slavery's bitterness. Together they present salvation's full picture: judgment borne, purity required, bondage remembered.