Exodus 12 25

Exodus 12:25 kjv

And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

Exodus 12:25 nkjv

It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service.

Exodus 12:25 niv

When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.

Exodus 12:25 esv

And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.

Exodus 12:25 nlt

When you enter the land the LORD has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony.

Exodus 12 verses

Exodus 12 25 Meaning

This verse instructs the Israelites to maintain the Passover ritual and its associated ordinances once they have entered and taken possession of the land promised to them by the Lord. It signifies that the Passover is not merely a transient act of deliverance from Egypt but a perpetual and essential covenant "service" for all future generations in their inheritance. It highlights the enduring nature of God's command and His faithfulness in fulfilling His ancient promises to give them the land.

Exodus 12 25 Context

Exodus 12:25 is situated within the foundational narrative of the first Passover in Egypt. The preceding verses (12:1-20) outline the detailed ritual preparations for the Passover lamb and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Verses 21-23 provide Moses' direct instructions to the elders of Israel regarding the application of the blood. Verse 24 emphasizes that this "rite" (Passover) is to be an "everlasting ordinance" for future generations.

This specific verse, however, shifts the temporal focus beyond the immediate liberation from Egypt. It looks ahead to Israel's eventual dwelling in the promised Land of Canaan, emphasizing the future obligation to perpetuate the Passover. This act of "keeping this service" in the new land would continuously reinforce Israel's identity as a people redeemed by Yahweh, grounding their inheritance of the land not in their own merit or strength, but in God's faithful execution of His promises. Culturally and historically, this continuous observance in the land of Canaan would serve as a powerful counter-narrative and polemic against the polytheistic practices and idolatry of the surrounding Canaanite nations, consistently declaring that Yahweh alone is the sovereign Giver and Sustainer of their life and land.

Exodus 12 25 Word analysis

• And when you come (וְהָיָה כִּי-תָבֹאוּ - ve-hayah ki-tavo'u)
  • ve-hayah (וְהָיָה): "And it shall be," or "It will come to pass." This Hebrew idiom frequently introduces a future event, consequence, or condition. It underscores that God Himself ordains these future events, linking a specific future moment to a divine command.
  • ki-tavo'u (כִּי-תָבֹאוּ): "When you (plural) come." The plural "you" emphasizes the command is for the entire community of Israel. This phrase explicitly ties the command's future implementation to their physical arrival and settlement in the Promised Land.
• to the land (אֶל-הָאָרֶץ - el-ha'aretz)
  • el (אֶל): "To," or "into," a preposition indicating direction.
  • ha'aretz (הָאָרֶץ): "The land." The definite article "the" highlights that this is not any generic land but the specific, promised land of Canaan, known as "the land flowing with milk and honey," destined for Israel. This ties directly into God's foundational covenant promises.
• that the Lord (אֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן יְהוָה - asher yitten YHWH)
  • asher (אֲשֶׁר): "Which," or "that," a relative pronoun connecting the land to the divine Giver.
  • yitten (יִתֵּן): "He will give," from the root nathan meaning "to give." This emphasizes God's active, sovereign bestowment of the land as a gift. It implies His power and authority, not merely Israel's military might, in obtaining it.
  • YHWH (יְהוָה): The divine Tetragrammaton, God's personal covenant name. Its use here reinforces His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises and His intimate relationship with Israel as their deliverer and provider.
• will give you (לָכֶם - lakhem)
  • lakhem (לָכֶם): "To you (plural)." The land is a gift for the collective people of Israel, underscoring their communal inheritance under God's grace.
• as he has promised (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר - ka'asher dibber)
  • ka'asher (כַּאֲשֶׁר): "As," or "according as." This phrase highlights the reliability and fulfillment of God's word.
  • dibber (דִּבֵּר): "He spoke," or "he promised," from the verb dabar. This perfect tense verb points to past divine utterances, specifically referring to God's irrevocable covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning the land (e.g., Gen 12, 15, 17; Exod 6). It emphasizes God's consistent character and the certainty of His plans.
• you shall keep (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם - u-shemartem)
  • u-shemartem (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם): "And you shall keep," or "you shall observe/guard," from the verb shamar meaning "to watch, guard, observe, preserve, heed." This is a command (an imperative conveyed by a consecutive perfect), denoting an active, diligent, and ongoing responsibility. It means to uphold carefully, not merely to perform incidentally. This signifies the Passover is a perpetual and essential duty.
• this service (אֶת-הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת - et-ha'avodah hazot)
  • et (אֶת-): Direct object marker.
  • ha'avodah (הָעֲבֹדָה): "The service," "the work," "the worship." The definite article "the" specifies "this" particular religious ritual, referring to the entire complex of the Passover laws and celebrations just outlined. Avodah carries rich meaning, encompassing both labor and cultic service/worship, framing the Passover as an act of profound obedience and remembrance dedicated to God.
  • hazot (הַזֹּאת): "This," a demonstrative pronoun, clearly pointing back to the specific Passover service established in the preceding verses of Exodus 12.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you": This phrase firmly grounds Israel's future life in the land as a direct outcome of God's grace and power, fulfilling His covenant. It emphasizes that the land is not earned by conquest alone but is a divine inheritance.
• "as he has promised": This concise but powerful statement highlights God's utter faithfulness and the inviolability of His word. It reminds Israel that their existence as a people, and their inheritance of the land, are based entirely on God's prior, unchanging declarations. This connection between promise and fulfillment sets a fundamental theological truth for Israel.
• "you shall keep this service": This is the core command. It emphasizes the perpetuity of the Passover, transforming it from a singular event of liberation into a continuous, generational act of worship and remembrance. It means to faithfully enact and transmit the meaning of the Passover, serving as a constant reminder of God's redemption, preserving Israel's identity and loyalty to Him in their new home.

Exodus 12 25 Bonus section

• Anticipation of New Covenant: The command for a perpetual service hints at its typological nature. Just as the earthly promised land and its ordinances were a physical fulfillment of earlier promises, they also pointed forward to greater spiritual realities. The "service" is ultimately fulfilled and transformed in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ, where the remembrance becomes one of His once-for-all sacrifice for spiritual freedom and entrance into God's eternal rest (Hebrews 4:9; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
• Preventative Measure Against Idolatry: The continuous keeping of the Passover in Canaan served as a stark, annual contrast to Canaanite fertility cults and their claims. By rehearsing Yahweh's decisive act of bringing them to the land, Israel would consistently reaffirm that their sustenance, life, and possession of the land came from the sovereign Creator, not local nature deities.
• Communal Reinforcement: The very nature of the Passover "service" as a family and communal celebration meant it reinforced social cohesion and shared identity based on their unique history with Yahweh. It taught humility and gratitude, acknowledging divine intervention as the basis for their national existence.

Exodus 12 25 Commentary

Exodus 12:25 stands as a critical hinge, bridging Israel's miraculous liberation from Egypt with their anticipated life in the promised land. By mandating the continued observance of the Passover once they arrive, the verse elevates the Passover from a single historical event to a perpetual, foundational ordinance. This "service" (עֲבֹדָה - avodah) is not mere ritual; it's an act of worship and remembrance, binding future generations to the divine acts of redemption that brought their forefathers out of bondage and into their inheritance.

The command serves multiple profound purposes: First, it ensures Israel's identity is continually rooted in Yahweh's covenant faithfulness and power to deliver. Yearly reenactment would combat forgetfulness and assimilation into pagan cultures of Canaan, whose gods could not provide such liberation or land. Second, it educates each new generation, linking their present enjoyment of the land to their ancestral story of redemption by the personal, covenant-keeping God, YHWH. The promise of the land itself is predicated on God's unfailing word ("as he has promised"), mirroring the reliability of His command to observe the Passover. This entire framework prefigures the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb, whose single sacrifice offers a superior, eternal deliverance, initiating a new covenant of grace for all who believe, transcending geographical boundaries and ushering in an eternal inheritance.