Exodus 12 21

Exodus 12:21 kjv

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

Exodus 12:21 nkjv

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb.

Exodus 12:21 niv

Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.

Exodus 12:21 esv

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.

Exodus 12:21 nlt

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, "Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal.

Exodus 12 verses

Exodus 12 21 Meaning

Exodus 12:21 details Moses’ immediate transmission of God's instructions for the first Passover to the elders of Israel. It conveys the divine command for each Israelite family to select and acquire a suitable lamb or goat kid from their flocks, and then to ritually slaughter it. This act was central to God's plan to provide protection for His people from the imminent tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, by applying the animal's blood to their doorposts as a sign.

Exodus 12 21 Context

Exodus chapter 12 details the establishment of the Passover as the defining act of God's redemption of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Verse 21 occurs after the pronouncement of the final, most devastating plague – the death of every firstborn in Egypt (Exod 11). This verse is Moses’ immediate action to convey God's critical, life-saving instructions to the people through their leadership. It initiates the practical implementation of the Passover rituals, which God had just communicated to Moses, setting the stage for Israel's imminent liberation and the perpetual commemoration of this momentous deliverance through a divinely ordained annual feast.

Exodus 12 21 Word analysis

• Then Moses called: The Hebrew vayyikra Mosheh (וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה) indicates an immediate and decisive action by Moses. This reflects the urgency of the divine command and Moses' role as the primary communicator of God's will to the Israelites.
• for all the elders of Israel: L'kol ziknei Yisrael (לְכָל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). The "elders" were respected tribal and family leaders, acting as representatives and administrators for the entire community. Moses involving them ensured the widespread dissemination and implementation of these crucial instructions.
• and said unto them: Vayyomer aleihem (וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם). A standard biblical phrase denoting direct, authoritative communication from Moses to the elders.
• Draw out and take you: The Hebrew mishku u'kchu (מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ) are two imperatives:
  • Draw out (mishku): From the root mashakh (מָשַׁךְ), meaning to draw, pull, or prolong. In this context, it signifies the act of carefully selecting or separating the animal from the general flock, indicating deliberate choice rather than random acquisition. It emphasizes discerning and specific procurement.
  • take you (u'kchu): From the root laqakh (לָקַח), meaning to take, seize, or receive. This reinforces the act of acquiring and possessing the chosen animal. The dual command stresses the importance and intentionality of securing the Passover sacrifice.
• every man of your family: L'mishpechoteichem (לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיכֶם). This phrase highlights the familial nature of the Passover observance. The sacrifice and subsequent meal were for the household, underscoring the unit of faith and deliverance. If a family was too small for one animal, they were to share with a neighboring family (Exod 12:4).
• according to the lamb: The Hebrew word is tzon (צֹאן), which is a collective noun for "flock" and can refer to either sheep or goats. While "lamb" is common in translation, Exodus 12:5 clarifies that a "lamb or a kid of the goats" was acceptable. The specific nature of the animal from the flock was crucial, signifying purity and suitability for sacrifice.
• and kill the Passover: V'shachatu ha'Pasach (וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח).
  • kill (shachatu): From the root shachat (שָׁחַט), denoting ritual slaughter, often by cutting the throat. This was the prescribed method for offerings, ensuring the lifeblood was shed, essential for atonement and the sacrificial system.
  • the Passover (ha'Pasach): This is a critical metonymy. It means "kill the animal designated for the Passover sacrifice," or "kill the very means of passing over." The term "Passover" refers not just to the feast or God's act of passing over, but intrinsically to the lamb itself that made that "passing over" possible. This powerfully links the lamb directly to the deliverance event and foreshadows Christ as "our Passover" (1 Cor 5:7).

Exodus 12 21 Bonus section

• The collective command "draw out and take you" to the elders, followed by "every man of your family," illustrates a divinely established chain of command and the communal responsibility involved in fulfilling God's commands.
• The detail of selecting an animal "according to the lamb" or flock (tzon), highlights the specific qualities required for a suitable sacrifice, foreshadowing the blemishless nature of Christ (1 Pet 1:19).
• The phrase "kill the Passover" reinforces that the death of the animal was integral to the efficacy of the Passover event itself; it was the means through which the Lord "passed over" Israel's houses, establishing the core principle of substitutionary atonement.

Exodus 12 21 Commentary

Exodus 12:21 is a pivotal verse, serving as the immediate human response to God's divine instructions for the first Passover. It exemplifies leadership by Moses, who promptly and accurately transmits God's critical message to the elders, thereby mobilizing the entire nation. The specificity of the commands—to "draw out and take" a spotless animal, followed by the explicit instruction to "kill the Passover"—highlights the meticulous nature of God's redemptive plan. This was not a casual act but a precise, ritualistic, and urgent one. The animal's lifeblood was indispensable for securing Israel's deliverance from the Destroyer. This act was both an obedient response to God's word and a foundational demonstration of faith. Prophetically, this sacrificial lamb serves as a profound type for Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God" (Jn 1:29), whose sinless life and shed blood provide eternal redemption and protection from the ultimate spiritual death, offering passage into eternal life for all who place their faith in Him.