The Elders Are Instructed How To Observe the First Passover And Yahweh Passes Over Egypt and Slays The Firstborn (Exodus 12:21-30).
a Moses calls on the elders of Israel that all families shall take lambs/kids and kill the Passover and put blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses and not go out until the morning (Exodus 12:21-22).
b For Yahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians and when He sees the blood He will pass over them and not allow the Destroyer to enter their houses to smite them (Exodus 12:23).
c And they will observe this for an ordinance for themselves and their sons for ever (Exodus 12:24).
d And when they come to the land which He has given them as He promised they will keep this service, and when their children ask ‘what does this service mean?' (Exodus 12:25-26).
d Their children will be told that it is the sacrifice of Yahweh's Passover Who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians and delivered Israel's houses (Exodus 12:27).
c And the people bowed their heads and worshipped, and the children of Israel went and did all that Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron (Exodus 12:28).
b And at midnight Yahweh smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the lowest (Exodus 12:29).
a And Pharaoh rose in the night, and all his grandees, and all the people of Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, and there was not a house where there was not one dead (Exodus 12:30).
This is a passage of contrasts. In ‘a' the children of Israel are safe in their houses, for they are protected by the blood on doorpost and lintel and by staying within their houses until morning, in the parallel is the contrast with Pharaoh and his people where there is a great cry and there is no house where there is not one dead. In ‘b' Yahweh passes through and smites the Egyptians while the houses of the Israelites are safe because of the blood so that the Destroyer does not enter their houses, while in the parallel Yahweh smites all the firstborn in the land of Egypt regardless of status, and none are delivered. In ‘c' there is the requirement for the perpetual keeping of the ordinance, an act of obedience and solemn worship, while in the parallel the people bow their heads and worship and do all that Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron. Here there is the parallel of future obedience and worship and present worship and obedience. In ‘d' there is the contrast of the future blessing when they are safely settled in the land which Yahweh has given them with the present deliverance, and we have the question put by the son of the family about what this service means, paralleled by the explanation of what it does mean, that it is the sacrifice of Yahweh's Passover when He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt and smote the Egyptians, delivering the households of Israel.
The Call To Prepare for the Passover (Exodus 12:21-23).
‘Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Draw out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover.” '
That these instructions result from Moses having already explained what is in the previous verses comes out in that he speaks of ‘the passover' as though they will understand it. Now he tells them to carry them into effect. There is thus a period of four to five days between the ‘drawing' and the ‘killing' in which they can begin to prepare for their deliverance.
“The elders of Israel.” The lay rulers, heads of tribes and sub-tribes and their advisers.
“And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin, and none of you will go out of his house until the morning. For Yahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two side posts, Yahweh will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.”
They are to put blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses using hyssop dipped in the blood from the slain lamb gathered in a basin, and striking the doorposts and lintel. They are then to remain in their houses, for Yahweh will go through the land of Egypt to smite the Egyptians (in the Hebrew ‘pass through' has no stem connection with ‘pass over'). And when He sees the blood on the lintel and doorposts He will ‘pass over' (the thought is of protection by hovering or circling over - see Exodus 12:11 and Isaiah 31:5) and prevent destruction because He will know them as those who are in the covenant community and under His protection, and as those who have made the offering of the lamb, with whom He is well pleased.
“A bunch of hyssop.” This plant is generally considered to be a species of marjoram, a common, fragrant grey-leaved, wiry stemmed perennial herb 20-30 centimetres (about 1 foot) high having white flowers in small heads and growing in dry, rocky places.
“The blood which is in the basin.” The lamb's blood is to be collected in a basin, and the hyssop then dipped in, and the blood put on the lintels and doorposts of their houses. Comparison with Exodus 24:6-8 suggests that by this the house and those within it are seen as included in Yahweh's covenant. (There it was sprinkled on pillars representing the people and on the people themselves, here it is put on the lintel and doorposts of the houses where they are, which symbolise the whole household). This application of the blood confirms the sacrificial significance of the slaying of the lamb. It had to be applied in accordance with ritual, and the blood must not be touched.
“None of you will go out of his house until the morning.” The house has been made holy to Yahweh by the application of the blood and those who are within it share that holiness and so must not go out into the mundane world. They are thus invulnerable and seen as under His protection. They are His. (To suggest that it meant that they must not go out because of some demon destroyer is to overlook the fact that only the firstborn were in danger from such a destroyer).
“For Yahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians.” It is made quite clear that it is Yahweh Himself Who smites the Egyptians. The blood is not for protection to divert demons nor a marker to identify the houses, but as a token to Yahweh that those within the house are within the covenant.
“Will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses.” It is Yahweh Who is the Destroyer and it is Yahweh Who is the Protector. We can compare how sometimes He distinguished Himself as ‘the angel of Yahweh', almost as another self (Genesis Chapter s 16 and 22 and often, see also Genesis 48:16; Isaiah 63:9). He is thus depicted as acting to prevent Himself from destroying.
Because blood applied to the entrance into dwellings, whether houses or tents, was elsewhere at other times used for the purpose of diverting demons and evil spirits, some have sought to apply that here (what are called ‘apotropaic' rites to divert evil influences or bad luck). But this can only be done by totally ignoring the context. As with all ceremonies the meaning of actions changes depending on belief. We ourselves engage in traditions whose meaning has been transformed (such as the use of mistletoe). And this applies here. Here the blood is stated specifically to be to guarantee the protection of Yahweh Who is outside as Protector, not to prevent Yahweh or anything else entering. The children of Israel have been freed (at least theoretically) from the idea of other gods and demons affecting their lives for they are within Yahweh's covenant.
This Feast Was To Become An Ordinance For The Future And Their Children Instructed In Its Significance (Exodus 12:24-28).
“And each of you shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons for ever. And it shall happen that, when your children will say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?', you will say, ‘It is the sacrifice of Yahweh's passover who hovered over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses.”
It is constantly emphasised that what is to happen is so stupendous that it will act for ever as a reminder of the faithfulness of Yahweh to His covenant (compare Exodus 12:17). And this is spelt out in the form of someone asking, ‘Why do you serve God in this way?' And the reply is, ‘This is the sacrifice to do with Yahweh's protective watch over His people when He smote the Egyptians'. The change to a singular verb indicates ‘each and all of you'.
Here the killing of the Passover lamb is specifically described as ‘zebach'. This would later be the name for the ‘peace offering' (Leviticus 3:4) but here it more generally means sacrifices other than the whole burnt offering of which they could partake (see Exodus 10:25 compare Genesis 31:54; Genesis 46:1; Exodus 18:12; Exodus 24:5). Later the stipulation would be made that it should only be offered ‘in the place that Yahweh your God shall choose' (Deuteronomy 16:5-6). Note again the emphasis on Yahweh's protective watch, and that it is He Himself Who will smite the Egyptians.
‘And the people bowed the head and worshipped. And the children of Israel went and did so. As Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.'
The people respond in obedience and worship and do what they have been commanded through Moses and Aaron. Thus are they ready when Yahweh acts. Note that they no longer grumble or disagree with what Moses says. What has previously occurred has filled them with awe and they have recognised that Yahweh is acting for them.
The Judgment of The Passover (Exodus 12:29-30).
‘And it came about at midnight that Yahweh smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.'
In the middle of the night ‘all' the firstborn in the land of Egypt were smitten from the highest to the lowest. The maidservant behind the mill of Exodus 11:5 has been replaced here by the captive in the dungeon. Both were seen as on a similar level.
It is difficult to comment on this awe-inspiring and dreadful statement. A terrible epidemic passes through a whole nation so that on one night the vast multiplicity of deaths strikes terror in the minds of the people, and yet not one household of the children of Israel is affected. And the firstborn seem particularly to have been affected in a widespread way. We put it this way because no one could have checked that every single firstborn died, and it is possible that others died too. But outstanding examples were certainly known such as the firstborn of the house of Pharaoh and the firstborn of prisoners in dungeons. All classes were affected.
And this was at the hand of Yahweh. Whatever the secondary cause, the primary directing was His, for He controls all things. The judgment may seem appalling, and it truly was. But we may also see in it an act of mercy. Only the firstborn died, whereas God could have smitten the whole of Egypt. However it was sufficient for its purpose. The whole of Egypt wanted to get rid of the Israelites.
(While not detracting in any way from the huge significance of the event, we must remember that such general statements are not always to be applied absolutely literally. The wording would be satisfied if the large majority of the firstborn died sufficient to give the impression of universality (indeed we know that no one in a protected house died). ‘All' can often mean ‘most' or ‘the vast majority' compare Genesis 12:3; Genesis 14:11; Genesis 20:8; Genesis 24:1; Genesis 24:36 with Genesis 25:5-6; Genesis 29:22; Genesis 31:1; Genesis 31:6; Genesis 34:29; Genesis 41:56-57; Genesis 47:14-15; Exodus 1:14; Exodus 1:22; Exodus 9:25; Exodus 18:1; Exodus 18:8; Exodus 18:14; Exodus 33:19; Numbers 14:2; Deuteronomy 2:32 and often, including 2 Samuel 11:18; 1 Kings 4:29-30; 1 Kings 4:34).
“The firstborn of Pharaoh.” A potential god in the making but his father, or grandfather, Pharaoh, incarnation of the god Horus, could do nothing to prevent it. Clearly the ‘firstborn of Pharaoh' means of those present in the land. Thus if Pharaoh's actual firstborn was away on a military expedition then the next in line would presumably be affected, possibly his son if he had one.
But it would not be the first time in history that a detrimental fact was covered up. If Pharaoh's first born son did die in this ignominious way, it could well have been ‘covered up' and not written into the histories. He could have become a non-person. Histories were on the whole written to bring glory to those about whom the history was written, not in order to tell the truth. Israel were exceptional in recording all their bad points and failures, probably because their histories were written by prophets.
‘And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a house where there was not one dead.'
The greatness of the tragedy is stressed. It is significant that whatever killed the firstborn did so in such a way as to waken each household. This may suggest some dreadful illness which caused first suffering and misery, and finally death. It may have arisen from the effects of previous plagues leaving bacteria which were stirred up by the wind or simply had a delayed effect, but it occurred when needed and in the way required. We may theorise about what it was but it affected both man and cattle, and especially affected the firstborn, and all in one night. And in the end we are clearly told that it was the hand of God.
“Pharaoh --- all his servants --- all the Egyptians.” Again we have the depiction of the different classes in Egypt, Pharaoh, his high officials and bureaucrats, and the common people. And all were affected. From every house came the cry of mourning. But again the ‘all' is not necessarily to be taken literally. It means the Egyptians on the whole. Some houses would not contain a firstborn son. Others would contain more than one firstborn. Although it may be that the deaths were more widespread than the firstborn.