Exodus 12:5 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Without blemish; without any deformity or distemper of body. Heb. perfect. Of which see Leviticus 22:21, &c.; Deuteronomy 15:21, Deuteronomy 17:1. And this the very light of nature taught the heathens to observe in their sacrifices. This property was required both to typify Christ, a Lamb without spot or blemish, Hebrews 9:14 1 Peter 1:19, and to instruct us that all our services to God must be as perfect as possibly may be. A male, partly because that was better and more perfect than the female, whence a male is opposed to a corrupt thing, Zechariah 1:14; and partly to typify the man Christ Jesus. Of the first year, i.e. a year old, when it is in its rigour and perfection, and the fittest type of Christ. Most explain it thus, That it was not to be more than a year old, but it might be much less, seeing it might be offered to God any time after it was eight days old, Exodus 22:30 Leviticus 22:27. But though it was then fit to be offered to God, it was not very fit to be eaten by men. And the Hebrew phrase, the son of a year, seems to require a year's age, as Saul is called the son of one year, 1 Samuel 13:1, when he had reigned one whole year. And it is remarkable, that he doth not say the son of this or that year, which might agree to one brought forth that year, though it was much younger than a year, but the son of a year, without any restrictive article. Or from the goats; Heb. and from the goats: if you want a lamb, you shall take a kid of or from the goats. But the particle and is here well rendered or, as it is used Genesis 13:8 Exodus 21:17, compared with Matthew 15:4 Psalms 8:4, compared with Hebrews 2:6.