Exodus 34:25 kjv
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
Exodus 34:25 nkjv
"You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning.
Exodus 34:25 niv
"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning.
Exodus 34:25 esv
"You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning.
Exodus 34:25 nlt
"You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And none of the meat of the Passover sacrifice may be kept over until the next morning.
Exodus 34 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 12:8 | "They shall eat the flesh that night... with unleavened bread..." | Eating Passover with unleavened bread. |
| Ex 12:10 | "And you shall let none of it remain until morning; but what remains of it... you shall burn with fire." | Specific command for Passover lamb disposal. |
| Ex 12:15 | "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread... whoever eats leavened bread... that person shall be cut off from Israel." | Strict prohibition on leaven during Passover. |
| Ex 23:18 | "You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor shall the fat of My feast remain until morning." | Nearly identical earlier prohibition in the Book of the Covenant. |
| Lev 2:11 | "No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering..." | General prohibition of leaven in grain offerings. |
| Lev 7:15 | "The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until morning." | Similar rule for peace offerings. |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement..." | Significance of blood for atonement. |
| Num 9:12 | "They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones..." | Reiterates Passover "not left till morning." |
| Deut 16:3 | "You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it..." | Command for unleavened bread during Passover. |
| Isa 53:5 | "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." | Foreshadowing Christ's sacrificial blood. |
| Zec 9:11 | "As for you also, by the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit." | Covenant significance of blood. |
| Matt 16:6 | "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." | Leaven as a metaphor for false doctrine/hypocrisy. |
| Matt 26:26-28 | "Jesus took bread... 'This is My body... this is My blood of the covenant...'" | Instituting the Lord's Supper, blood of new covenant. |
| Mark 8:15 | "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." | Leaven as a symbol of corrupting influence. |
| Luke 12:1 | "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." | Leaven explicitly equated with hypocrisy. |
| 1 Cor 5:6-8 | "A little leaven leavens the whole lump... Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump... For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." | Leaven as sin, Christ as the pure Passover Lamb. |
| Heb 9:12 | "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all..." | Christ's atoning blood superior to animal sacrifices. |
| Heb 9:22 | "And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." | Centrality of blood for forgiveness of sins. |
| Heb 10:4 | "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." | Limitations of animal blood for atonement. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." | Redemption through the sinless blood of Christ. |
| Rev 1:5 | "...To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood..." | Cleansing from sin through Christ's blood. |
Exodus 34 verses
Exodus 34 25 Meaning
This verse contains two distinct prohibitions concerning Israel's sacrificial worship. First, it forbids offering the blood of God's sacrifice alongside leaven. This speaks to the requirement for purity and immediacy in approaching God, particularly symbolizing the absence of corruption. Second, it commands that the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover must not be kept until the morning, emphasizing the need for immediate consumption and completeness in obedience, further preventing corruption or any misuse of the sacred offering.
Exodus 34 25 Context
Exodus 34 details the renewal of the covenant after Israel's profound failure with the golden calf. Moses is called back up Mount Sinai, where God reveals His character as merciful and gracious (Ex 34:6-7), and then reaffirms the covenant. Verses 11-26 present a series of specific commands, emphasizing God's uniqueness and exclusivity in Israel's worship, guarding them against the idolatry prevalent in surrounding nations. This includes reiteration of major feasts and their requirements. This particular verse (34:25) specifically reinforces the purity and proper observance of sacrifices, drawing directly from the original Passover commandments (Ex 12) and general sacrificial laws (Ex 23:18), thereby binding the renewed covenant with foundational acts of worship and redemption.
Exodus 34 25 Word analysis
- You shall not offer: (Loʼ tīzaḇach - לא תזבח). The Hebrew loʼ is an absolute negative, conveying a strong, unchanging prohibition. Tīzaḇach (from zāḇaḥ) means to slaughter or sacrifice. This indicates a direct command forbidding the specific cultic action.
- the blood: (dam - דם). Blood is highly sacred in ancient Israelite worship, representing life itself (Lev 17:11). Its offering signifies life given in atonement or dedication.
- of My sacrifice: (zivḥī - זבח.) The suffix "-ī" denotes possession by God, indicating these are not generic sacrifices but those ordained by and belonging to Yahweh. It highlights God's sovereignty over their worship practices.
- with leaven: (ʻal-ḥāmēṣ - על-חמץ). Ḥāmēṣ refers to fermented or leavened dough. In biblical symbolism, leaven often represents corruption, impurity, or sin (e.g., 1 Cor 5:6-8), as it causes puffiness and fermentation. Its prohibition here insists on purity and freedom from corrupting influence in offerings to a holy God.
- nor shall the sacrifice: (wə-lōʼ-yāqōwṯ zevaḥ - ולא-יקוט זבח). The continuation of the strong negative prohibition. Yāqōwṯ (from qūt) means to spend the night, to remain overnight, to tarry. This emphasizes no lingering, no delay, and complete removal/consumption.
- of the Feast of the Passover: (ḥag-haPesaḥ - חג-הפסח). Ḥag denotes a pilgrim feast or festival. Pesaḥ is "Passover," commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egypt. This explicitly ties the command to this foundational redemptive event, which inherently involved urgency and no remaining lamb.
- be left until morning: (ʻad-bōqer - עד-בקר). Until the morning light. This timeframe mandates that the entire sacrificial animal must be consumed or burned before dawn. This command implies urgency, preventing any desecration or unauthorized use, symbolizing complete offering and also the hastiness of the original Exodus departure (Ex 12:10-11). It prevents idolatrous practices where portions might be kept for later pagan rites.
- "not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven": This phrase combines the vital sacred element of blood with the prohibition of leaven, reinforcing the absolute purity required in divine worship. It contrasts with pagan rituals that might use leavened bread, further separating Israelite worship as uniquely clean before God.
- "nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning": This reinforces the immediacy and completion necessary for the Passover offering, an act rooted in Israel's deliverance. It underscores the "quick departure" aspect of the original Passover, where the lamb was to be consumed swiftly, reflecting trust and readiness to obey God's commands without delay or expectation of anything lingering from the old life.
Exodus 34 25 Bonus section
The recurrence of these specific commands (Ex 23:18, Ex 34:25) highlights their foundational importance in God's law for Israel. They are not merely ceremonial but deeply theological, distinguishing Israel's pure monotheistic worship from the corrupt and superstitious practices of surrounding nations. In the broader biblical narrative, the emphasis on leaven's removal and the completeness of the Passover sacrifice prefigures the perfect and once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Heb 9:12), who is the sinless (unleavened) Lamb of God (John 1:29) and whose work on the cross was completed (John 19:30) requiring no further offerings or partial retention. This prohibition against retaining parts overnight could also be seen as a protection against folk practices or attempts to imbue the leftover food with magical properties, keeping worship solely centered on God's divine command.
Exodus 34 25 Commentary
Exodus 34:25 serves as a concise yet powerful reminder of the essential tenets of acceptable worship under the renewed covenant. The two prohibitions are deeply symbolic and practical. The prohibition against offering "blood of My sacrifice with leaven" underlines God's demand for unadulterated purity in worship. Leaven, symbolizing corruption, sin, or old habits, must be entirely absent from what is presented to a holy God. This applies not just to physical offerings but also reflects the purity of heart and intent expected from worshippers.
The second command, not to leave the "sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover... until morning," emphasizes immediacy and completion. This has multiple layers of meaning: it recalls the original urgency of the Exodus night, ensuring no portion could decay or be profaned, and it acts as a stark contrast to pagan practices where sacrificial food was sometimes reserved or sold later. The Passover lamb, emblematic of Christ (1 Cor 5:7), points to His full and complete sacrifice that leaves nothing wanting, needing no addition or lingering remnants. These laws safeguard the sanctity of worship and teach Israel crucial lessons about holiness, trust, and unreserved obedience.