Exodus 12 19

Exodus 12:19 kjv

Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

Exodus 12:19 nkjv

For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.

Exodus 12:19 niv

For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel.

Exodus 12:19 esv

For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.

Exodus 12:19 nlt

During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites.

Exodus 12 verses

Exodus 12 19 Meaning

Exodus 12:19 is a specific command regarding the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, an integral part of the Passover celebration. It dictates that for seven consecutive days, beginning from the first day of the feast, no leavened bread or leaven itself should be present in the homes of the Israelites. The verse warns of severe consequences: any person who consumes leavened bread during this prescribed period will be "cut off" from the community of Israel, signifying a removal from covenant blessings and fellowship.

Exodus 12 19 Context

Exodus 12 is pivotal in the biblical narrative, detailing the institution of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, alongside the final plague on Egypt (the death of the firstborn). This chapter marks the decisive moment of Israel's liberation from slavery and their formation as a distinct nation under God's covenant. The commands given here—particularly concerning the lamb, the blood, and the bread—are foundational, forming an annual memorial of God's redemptive act. Verse 19 specifies the duration and severity of the unleavened bread ordinance, ensuring the deep impression and lasting observance of this holy period as Israel transitioned from bondage to freedom and, subsequently, into a unique relationship with the Creator.

Historically, these instructions were given in the midst of Egyptian bondage, before the actual exodus, emphasizing that God's plan for His people's holiness and obedience preceded their physical liberation. It sets a pattern for a redeemed people, demonstrating that outward acts of obedience signify inner purity and alignment with God's will. The polemical undertone is against the polytheistic and often impure cultic practices of Egypt, asserting the Israelite God's absolute authority and demand for exclusive, thorough dedication from His people, even concerning something as mundane as bread.

Exodus 12 19 Word analysis

• Seven days (שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, shiv‘at yamim):
  • Word: "Seven" (שֶׁבַע, sheva) frequently denotes completeness, perfection, or divine order in biblical numerology.
  • Significance: It emphasizes a full, uninterrupted period, suggesting a thoroughness in observance. This isn't a partial commitment but a complete dedication for the entire duration of the feast. It reflects a cycle of sacred time, akin to the seven days of creation, marking a new beginning for Israel.
• ye eat unleavened bread (תֹּאכְלוּ מַצֹּות, tochlu matzot):
  • Word: "Unleavened bread" (מַצָּה, matzah) is flat bread made without leaven. It is explicitly associated with haste (Exo 12:39, as they had no time for dough to rise) and purity/absence of corruption.
  • Significance: Symbolizes readiness for immediate departure and separation from the corrupting influence of Egypt. In later theological understanding (NT), it points to sincerity and truth, distinct from the "leaven" of sin or false doctrine.
• first day (בַּיֹּום הָרִאשֹׁון, bayom harishon):
  • Word: "First" (רִאשֹׁון, rishon) indicates the initial point.
  • Significance: The command to remove leaven takes effect immediately, with no grace period or gradual phasing in. It highlights the immediacy and totality of the spiritual cleansing required from the very beginning of the sanctified time.
• put away (תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ, tashbitu):
  • Word: Derived from the root שׁבת (shavat), meaning "to cease," "cause to rest," or "to destroy/remove." Here, it implies an active, thorough removal or abolition.
  • Significance: It’s not just abstaining from eating; it’s an active cleansing, making one's surroundings pure. This thorough purging anticipates the need for a purified community ready for covenant with a holy God.
• leaven (שְׂאֹר, s'e'or):
  • Word: Refers specifically to sourdough starter, the active agent of fermentation, implying that even the source or residual form of leavening must be removed. Another term, חָמֵץ (chametz), refers to the leavened product.
  • Significance: Leaven symbolizes spoilage, swelling, or corruption. Its total removal underscores the need for complete spiritual purity, leaving no trace of the old, defiled way of life associated with Egypt.
• out of your houses (מִבָּתֵּיכֶם, mibbatekhem):
  • Word: "Houses" (בַּיִת, bayit) refers to individual dwellings, implying personal responsibility for household purity.
  • Significance: The command applies to the most intimate and personal spaces, signifying that the consecration is not merely external or ritualistic but penetrates into every facet of daily life and domesticity. Holiness is to pervade one's private existence.
• for whosoever (כִּי כָּל־אֹכֵל, ki khol-okhel):
  • Word: "Whosoever" or "everyone who eats." Khol (כָּל) emphasizes universality within the Israelite community, leaving no exceptions.
  • Significance: The penalty applies to all, regardless of status or circumstance. It reinforces the seriousness of the command and the equality of all covenant members under God's law.
• leavened bread (חָמֵץ, chametz):
  • Word: Refers to fermented or leavened dough or bread, specifically what has become sour or risen.
  • Significance: Distinguishes between the starter (s'e'or) that must be removed and the finished product (chametz) that must not be eaten. The act of consuming it is an overt act of rebellion.
• until the seventh day (עַד יֹום הַשְּׁבִיעִי, ‘ad yom hash'vi'i):
  • Significance: Reinforces the continuous and strict nature of the command throughout the entire festival period. There is no partial observance permitted.
• that soul (הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא, hanefesh hahi):
  • Word: "Soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) often denotes the individual person, life-force, or sentient being.
  • Significance: Emphasizes individual accountability before God. It highlights that the penalty is directed at the very essence of the person, implying a profound disruption of their being and identity.
• shall be cut off from Israel (תִּכָּרֵת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, tikaret miYisrael):
  • Word: "Cut off" (כָּרַת, karath) is a severe term often used in legal and covenant contexts, indicating removal, extermination, or destruction. It doesn't always imply human execution but often divine judgment, resulting in exclusion from the covenant community, loss of progeny, or direct death by God's hand.
  • Significance: This is the most severe non-capital punishment within the Israelite community, a profound excommunication. It means being expelled from the community of faith, losing one's share in the covenant promises and heritage with God, effectively nullifying their identity as an Israelite in God's eyes. It suggests separation from the spiritual blessings and communal protection enjoyed by God's chosen people.

Exodus 12 19 Bonus section

• The practice of bedikat chametz (searching for leaven) is still observed in Jewish traditions, reflecting the meticulous nature of the original command in Exo 12:19. Families will rigorously search their homes the night before Passover, using a feather and a wooden spoon, often with candles, to find and "burn" any remaining leaven, signifying a thorough purification. This ritual serves as a profound yearly reminder of internal spiritual purging.
• The "cut off" (karath) penalty, while dire, differs from a human-administered death penalty. It often signifies divine intervention, potentially leading to premature death, excommunication from the community (preventing one's children from marrying into covenant families), or simply being deprived of any share in Israel's communal blessings and future hope. It means being disconnected from the lifeblood of God's chosen people, underscoring the vital importance of fidelity to covenant stipulations.

Exodus 12 19 Commentary

Exodus 12:19 succinctly conveys the sanctity and stringency of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, highlighting a fundamental principle of divine purity. The command to rigorously purge leaven (chametz and s'e'or) from every household underscores a commitment to complete separation from anything symbolizing the old, corrupting influences (Egypt, sin). The seven-day duration, a number signifying completion and divine perfection, emphasizes that this is not a transient act but a full consecration.

The profound consequence of being "cut off" (karath) for consuming leavened bread underscores the seriousness of obedience to covenant law. This punishment, occurring for various covenant infractions, signifies exclusion from the Abrahamic covenant promises, a loss of spiritual inheritance and communal identity with Israel. It reflects that spiritual purity is not a mere suggestion but a mandatory condition for participating in God's covenant blessings and fellowship.

This ritual purification of physical space (houses) and diet foreshadows a deeper spiritual truth, which is clearly interpreted in the New Testament: Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Cor 5:7-8). Therefore, believers are called to purge out the "leaven" of malice, wickedness, and false doctrine (1 Cor 5:8; Matt 16:11-12; Gal 5:9) from their lives, living in sincerity and truth. The ancient command concerning literal leaven now serves as a vivid metaphor for the pervasive nature of sin and its need for thorough removal from the believer's heart and the Christian community.