Exodus 12:24 kjv
And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
Exodus 12:24 nkjv
And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever.
Exodus 12:24 niv
"Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.
Exodus 12:24 esv
You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.
Exodus 12:24 nlt
"Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever.
Exodus 12 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 12:14 | "This day shall be to you a memorial day... you shall observe it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance." | Similar perpetual command for Passover. |
| Ex 12:17 | "You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a statute forever." | Unleavened Bread as a perpetual ordinance. |
| Ex 13:10 | "You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year." | Annual observance of the Passover-related festival. |
| Lev 23:4-5 | "These are the appointed feasts of the LORD... in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD's Passover." | Listing Passover as a divinely appointed feast. |
| Num 9:2-3 | "Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time... according to all its statutes." | Reiteration of Passover observance. |
| Dt 6:6-7 | "These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children..." | Command to teach divine instructions to future generations. |
| Dt 6:20-25 | "When your son asks you in time to come... then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt...'" | Instruction on explaining the Passover's meaning to children. |
| Josh 4:6-7 | "When your children ask in time to come, 'What do these stones mean to you?' then you shall tell them... God did for Israel." | Setting up memorials for future remembrance of God's acts. |
| 1 Sam 7:12 | "Then Samuel took a stone... and called its name Ebenezer, for he said, 'Till now the LORD has helped us.'" | Building memorials to commemorate God's deliverance. |
| Ps 105:8 | "He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded for a thousand generations..." | God's perpetual faithfulness to His covenant and commands. |
| Ps 111:4 | "He has made his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful." | God institutes acts to be remembered by His people. |
| Is 60:21 | "Your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever..." | Reference to "forever" concerning Israel's inheritance and covenant. |
| Jer 31:35-37 | "Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon... If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then also the offspring of Israel shall cease..." | God's covenant with Israel is as enduring as the natural order. |
| Mal 3:6 | "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." | God's unchanging nature ensures the perpetuation of His covenant. |
| Lk 22:14-20 | "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it... This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." | Institution of the Lord's Supper, linking to the Passover's new fulfillment. |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | "Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump... For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." | Christ identified as the ultimate Passover sacrifice. |
| 1 Cor 11:23-26 | "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you... For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." | The Lord's Supper as a perpetual remembrance for the New Covenant people. |
| Heb 9:11-14 | "But when Christ appeared as a high priest... through his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." | Christ's blood achieving an eternal redemption, superseding the animal sacrifices. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form... it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." | Old Testament sacrifices, including Passover, as shadows pointing to Christ. |
| Rev 5:6 | "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain..." | The Lamb (Christ) glorified, continuing the Passover imagery. |
| Rev 7:14 | "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." | Salvation through the blood of Christ, echoing the Passover blood. |
Exodus 12 verses
Exodus 12 24 Meaning
Exodus 12:24 commands the Israelites to diligently keep the Passover celebration as an enduring statute. This instruction applies not only to the generation that experienced the first Passover in Egypt but also to all succeeding generations, emphasizing its perpetual and unbreakable nature as a divinely ordained commemoration of their deliverance from bondage. It highlights the importance of remembrance and transmission of faith through ritual obedience across time.
Exodus 12 24 Context
Exodus chapter 12 details the final, devastating plague upon Egypt—the death of the firstborn—and concurrently, the institution of the Passover. The instructions begin with specific requirements for sacrificing a blemish-free lamb, applying its blood to the doorposts, and consuming its roasted meat with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. These elaborate commands are given with immediacy as the Israelites are on the cusp of liberation from centuries of Egyptian slavery. Verse 24 follows these instructions, serving as a climactic charge that this singular, foundational event and its associated ritual must be perpetuated across all future generations of Israel. Historically, the Passover not only commemorated liberation but also stood as a direct challenge to Egyptian polytheism, particularly their veneration of animal deities and the Pharaoh as divine. The LORD’s judgment on all the gods of Egypt (Ex 12:12) underscores His sole supremacy and absolute power, rendering the perpetual observance a declaration of exclusive allegiance to Yahweh.
Exodus 12 24 Word analysis
- You shall observe: The Hebrew word is shamartem (שְׁמַרְתֶּם), from the root shamar (שָׁמַר), meaning to keep, guard, preserve, or diligently attend to. It conveys an active and intentional safeguarding of the instruction. This isn't a suggestion but a divine command, requiring obedience and vigilance from the current generation.
- this thing: Refers collectively to the entirety of the Passover ritual and its regulations outlined in Exodus 12:1-23. It encompasses the specific lamb, its blood, the meal, the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, and the symbolic significance of each element. It's not a fragmented remembrance but a holistic observance.
- as an ordinance: The Hebrew is ḥuqqâ (חֻקָּה), meaning statute, prescribed custom, or inviolable decree. This term emphasizes the divine origin and binding, legal nature of the Passover. It signifies that the practice is permanently established by God, not subject to human modification or obsolescence within the Old Covenant framework.
- for you: Refers directly to the Israelites receiving the command—the generation poised to exit Egypt. It underscores their immediate responsibility and participation in the initial event and its subsequent memorial.
- and your sons: The Hebrew is ûḇənêḵem (וּבְנֵיכֶם), meaning "and your sons." This phrase emphasizes the intergenerational transfer and continuity of the divine commandment. It highlights the covenantal responsibility to educate and involve succeeding generations in remembering God's salvific acts, ensuring the identity and faith of the community endure.
- forever: The Hebrew word is ‘ôlām (עוֹלָם), denoting perpetuity, everlastingness, or for all time. In this context, it indicates an unending duration for the observance through all the generations of Israel. It conveys the enduring significance of the Passover as a foundational act of God's redemption, marking the Israelites as His people eternally, until its ultimate fulfillment in the New Covenant through Christ.
- Words-Group analysis:
- "You shall observe this thing": This phrase encapsulates the mandate for careful, detailed adherence to the comprehensive Passover ritual, emphasizing the Israelites' direct agency and accountability in perpetuating God's instructions.
- "as an ordinance for you and your sons forever": This group establishes the Passover's permanent, legally binding nature as a divine decree applicable to all present and future generations of Israel, serving as a perpetual marker of their covenant identity and remembrance of God's unchanging redemptive work.
Exodus 12 24 Bonus section
- The Pedagogical Imperative: The command "for your sons forever" underscores a fundamental biblical principle: faith is meant to be transmitted generationally. The Passover served as a concrete pedagogical tool for teaching children about God's power, faithfulness, and the covenant relationship. This highlights the vital role of parents and community in spiritual formation, ensuring that future generations know, understand, and participate in the narrative of God's redemptive work.
- A "Sign" of Remembrance: Beyond being an "ordinance," the Passover was inherently a "sign" (
oth) (Ex 13:9). Signs in the Bible are not merely symbols; they are material reminders that point to a greater spiritual reality and God's intervention in history. Observing the Passover ensured that the living memory of divine intervention persisted, keeping Israel perpetually aware of their dependency on and deliverance by Yahweh. - Covenant Renewal: The annual observance of Passover was not merely a passive remembrance but an active participation, serving as a periodic covenant renewal ceremony. By faithfully observing it, each generation affirmed their belonging to the covenant people and recommitted to the God who delivered them, echoing the ongoing relationship between God and His people.
Exodus 12 24 Commentary
Exodus 12:24 encapsulates the perpetual obligation for Israel to remember God's momentous act of deliverance through the Passover. This command extends beyond a simple recollection of history; it establishes a perpetual ordinance (chuqqah), signifying a divinely ordained, unchanging custom. This ritual became foundational to Israel's identity, annually re-enacting their birth as a nation redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, saved from death by God's judgment upon their oppressors. The inclusion of "your sons forever" stresses the imperative of intergenerational instruction, ensuring that the miraculous intervention of God and the cost of redemption were never forgotten. This perpetuation secured not just cultural memory, but spiritual vitality, enabling each generation to identify with the Exodus event. The perpetual nature of the Passover ritual, established in the Old Covenant, beautifully foreshadows the New Covenant's perpetual ordinance: the Lord's Supper. Christ, as "our Passover lamb" (1 Cor 5:7), fulfills this ancient ritual, and believers are commanded to observe the Lord's Supper "until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26), commemorating His ultimate sacrifice and redemption for all eternity. Thus, the ancient command finds its new and ultimate significance in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.