Exodus 34 18

Exodus 34:18 kjv

The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

Exodus 34:18 nkjv

"The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.

Exodus 34:18 niv

"Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.

Exodus 34:18 esv

"You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.

Exodus 34:18 nlt

"You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt.

Exodus 34 verses

Exodus 34 18 Meaning

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a perpetual command from the LORD to the Israelites, requiring them to observe it for seven days by eating only unleavened bread. This observance must occur at the divinely appointed time in the month of Abib, serving as an annual memorial and commemoration of the historic Exodus from Egypt, when the LORD delivered them with haste from bondage. It emphasizes remembrance of God's redemptive act and ongoing separation unto Him.

Exodus 34 18 Context

Exodus chapter 34 follows the profound narrative of the Golden Calf apostasy and Moses' intercession. The covenant, which Israel had broken, is renewed, underscoring God's steadfast mercy (Exo 34:6-7) but also His strict requirements for holiness and separation. Verses 10-26 form a section sometimes referred to as the "cultic decalogue" or a summary of cultic laws that define Israel's exclusive relationship with Yahweh and protect against syncretism with pagan practices. This code highlights crucial aspects of worship, including Sabbath, the pilgrimage feasts, firstborn dedication, and the prohibition of idolatry. Verse 18, specifically on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, reaffirms a core observance linked directly to the Exodus event, distinguishing Israel's faith from the surrounding nations' nature-based religions. The historical context is that of a newly freed nation learning to live in covenant with God, transitioning from Egyptian polytheism to exclusive worship of Yahweh, who is Lord of both history (Exodus) and the harvest (Abib).

Exodus 34 18 Word analysis

• The Feast (חַג, chag): This Hebrew term denotes a solemn festival or a religious pilgrimage feast. It implies not just a ceremony but a joyous, commanded assembly, often involving travel to a central sanctuary, as prescribed in other texts for the three annual pilgrimage festivals. Its usage here emphasizes that Unleavened Bread is one of God's specifically ordained gatherings.

• Unleavened Bread (מַצּוֹת, matzot): Refers to bread made without leaven or yeast, which rises. Symbolically, its "flatness" speaks to haste (as the Israelites had no time for bread to rise when they fled Egypt) and also to purity, representing the removal of corruption or "leaven" (often used biblically as a metaphor for sin, malice, or hypocrisy in the New Testament). It signifies leaving the "old life" of Egypt behind.

• you shall keep (תִּשְׁמֹר, tishmor): A strong imperative, meaning to guard, observe, watch, or preserve. It conveys the idea of diligent adherence to a divine commandment, ensuring it is faithfully and consistently followed, rather than merely remembered in passing. It indicates responsibility and continuous obedience.

• Seven days (שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, shiv'at yamim): "Seven" is a number often signifying completeness, perfection, or divine order in the Bible. The duration emphasizes the thoroughness and spiritual significance of the observance, extending beyond a mere single day to permeate a significant portion of time annually.

• you shall eat (תֹּאכֵלוּ, tokhelu): A direct, emphatic command indicating a mandatory dietary practice for the duration of the feast. It's an active participation, not merely a passive remembrance.

• as I commanded you (כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִךָ, ka'asher tzivvitikha): This phrase reinforces divine authority and continuity. It refers back to the original, prior instructions given at the institution of the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12. It affirms that this is not a new rule but a reaffirmed, non-negotiable directive from the Lord.

• at the appointed time (בְּמוֹעֵד, b'mo'ed): This Hebrew term means a fixed, appointed season, festival, or rendezvous. It underscores that the timing of the feast is divinely fixed and not subject to human determination, highlighting God's sovereign control over Israel's calendar and worship.

• in the month of Abib (בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב, b'chodesh ha'aviv): Abib means "ear-of-corn," or "green ear," referring to the month when barley begins to ripen. It signifies spring and the start of the agricultural year, later known as Nisan. The use of this specific term grounds the redemptive history of the Exodus within the natural, God-ordained cycles of creation, emphasizing God's dominion over both time and nature.

• for (כִּי, ki): This conjunction serves as a causal link, explaining why the feast is commanded. It points directly to the historical event as the foundational reason for the perpetual observance.

• in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt: This climactic clause identifies the specific, historic act of redemption by God—the Exodus from slavery in Egypt—as the sole, driving reason for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It connects ritual observance directly to foundational historical deliverance, ensuring the feast serves as a perpetual memorial of divine power and faithfulness.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep": This highlights the primary command—to observe this specific annual feast, linking the manner (unleavened bread) to the observance itself. It emphasizes Israel's responsibility to continually remember and enact their covenant identity through this unique practice.
  • "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread": This phrase delineates the duration and the mandatory dietary element. The seven-day period reinforces the complete separation and reflection required, while eating the matzah signifies a lived remembrance of the haste of departure and the call to purity.
  • "as I commanded you, at the appointed time": This reaffirms the divine origin and non-negotiable nature of the command, stressings God's ultimate authority and forethought in establishing both the commandment and its precise timing, demonstrating His systematic ordering of their worship and lives.
  • "in the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt": This entire clause powerfully binds the ritual practice to the historical event and God's initiative. The repetition of "month of Abib" underscores the unbreakable, calendrically fixed connection between the annual observance and the miraculous, past redemption. It is not merely a custom but a divinely ordained perpetual reminder rooted in their national liberation by Yahweh.

Exodus 34 18 Bonus section

The Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows the Passover (Exo 12), with Passover occurring on the 14th day of Abib and Unleavened Bread beginning on the 15th, making them an extended, continuous observance that frames the Israelites' liberation. While Passover commemorates the night of the Exodus and God "passing over," the Feast of Unleavened Bread celebrates the result of that deliverance: freedom and separation from Egyptian bondage and its pollutions. The Hebrew word Abib (also Aviv) predates the Babylonian name Nisan (later adopted post-exile for the same month) and roots the observance firmly in the early agricultural calendar of the Near East. By commemorating an act of historical redemption (Exodus) through an agricultural festival, God implicitly declared His sovereignty over both human history and the natural cycles of the earth, distinguishing Israel's God from the pagan deities tied solely to agricultural fertility or localized natural phenomena. The ritualistic removal of all leaven from the household before and during the feast was an object lesson in purging all impurity from their lives and communities, physically acting out a spiritual commitment to holiness.

Exodus 34 18 Commentary

Exodus 34:18 mandates the annual observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a foundational element of Israel's covenant life with Yahweh. This command is issued within the renewed covenant following the golden calf incident, underscoring its crucial importance in maintaining purity and exclusive devotion to God. The act of eating unleavened bread for seven days serves as a tangible, communal memorial of Israel's swift departure from Egypt, an event initiated by God's redemptive power. The "haste" inherent in unleavened bread (no time for leavening) connects to the urgency of their deliverance, while its purity symbolizes the clean break from the idolatrous and enslaving old life. The observance is fixed "at the appointed time in the month of Abib," emphasizing that the Lord orchestrates both history and the divine calendar, demanding specific, timely obedience. It reminds Israel that their identity, freedom, and sustenance derive solely from God's gracious intervention. Spiritually, it calls for a continuous cleansing from the "leaven" of sin, reflecting the New Testament teaching where Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7-8), and believers are called to walk in newness of life, free from the old leaven of malice and wickedness. This feast ensures that Israel would not forget their origins as a people redeemed by divine might and separated for God's purposes.