Exodus 12:23
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Exodus 12:23
23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
Chapter Context
Exodus 12 is a narrative with legal sections chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of prayer, faith, hope. Written during the Egyptian bondage and wilderness wandering (c. 1446-1406 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Egypt was the dominant superpower with a complex polytheistic religion and a god-king pharaoh.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-51: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it contributes to the biblical metanarrative of redemption. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Exodus and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Exodus 12:23
23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
Analysis
The 'LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians' uses the same verb ('avar, עָבַר—to pass through/over) with different outcomes. Seeing the blood, 'the LORD will pass over' (pasach) means to skip or spare. The 'destroyer' (hamashchit, הַמַּשְׁחִית) is God's agent of judgment, possibly an angel of death. The blood's protective power demonstrates substitutionary atonement—judgment satisfied, wrath averted.
Historical Context
This night of terror for Egypt became Israel's night of salvation. The visible distinction between blood-marked and unmarked homes demonstrated faith versus unbelief.
Reflection
- How does Christ's blood similarly cause God's wrath to 'pass over' believers while falling on the unbelieving?
- What does the destroyer's inability to enter blood-marked homes teach about Satan's powerlessness over those in Christ?
Word Studies
- Blood: דָּם (Dam) H1818 - Blood
Cross-References
- References Lord: 2 Samuel 24:16, Isaiah 37:36, Ezekiel 9:4
- Blood: Hebrews 11:28, 12:24
- Parallel theme: Ezekiel 9:6, 1 Corinthians 10:10, Revelation 7:3, 9:4