And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month. From Exodus 12:3 it appears that the selection of the lamb was to be made on the tenth day of the first month; so that it was to be kept four days as a destined victim. Kurtz ('History of the Old Covenant,' vol. 2:, p. 300), quoting Hofmann, assigns as a reason for this special arrangement, that 'the lamb had to be selected as many days before it was slain as there had been х dowrowt (H1755)] generations since Israel was brought to Egypt to grow into a nation. If the selection took place on the 10th, at about the same time of the day as that on which it was slain on the 14th, the interval would be, according to every mode of reckoning, four days. But if the time at which it was slain is to be regarded as denoting the beginning of the 15th, it might undoubtedly be said that it was killed on the fifth day after the selection was made; and, in fact, on any other supposition the harmony between the symbol and the thing signified would not be complete; because at the time of the exodus Israel had actually entered upon the fifth х dowr (H1755)] century of its sojourn in Egypt.' This explanation, though extremely ingenious and plausible, is rejected by many, both on philological and historical grounds (see the note at Exodus 12:40).
And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it. х qaahaal (H6951) signifies an assembly of the people. But as the paschal rite was to be solemnized in private houses, there was no necessity for a general convocation, and accordingly the word is to be taken here in a wide sense, as denoting a multitude, (cf. Jeremiah 31:8; Ezekiel 16:40, etc.)] Jewish commentators unanimously consider this as meaning that throughout the whole body of Israel victims would be slain in numbers sufficient to admit the participation of every individual.
In the evening, х beeyn (H996) haa`arbaayim (H6153)] - between the evenings. [The Septuagint, pros hesperan (cf. Hebrew and Septuagint, 29:39,41; Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 9:3; Numbers 9:5; Numbers 9:11; Deuteronomy 16:6; Joshua 5:10.)] In the early period of their history the Hebrews had no proper divisions of time, and accordingly periods of the day were indicated in a very loose and general manner, (Genesis 15:12; Genesis 43:16, etc.) 'Between the evenings' is a phrase of similar import, denoting the part of the day between the declining and the setting sun, or between noon and sunset. Since the slaughtering of the numerous victims required would of necessity occupy a considerable time, no particular hour was specified, further than that the operation should be performed 'between the evening.' But in order to be within the limits defined, it was necessary that it should be begun and completed between the commencement of the first and the termination of the second evening.
On the republication of the law the time was definitely fixed at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). But the Israelites did not consider themselves bound by that expression to wait until sunset; and hence, availing themselves of the latitude which the use of the general term, 'ereb (evening) afforded, they were accustomed to kill the paschal lamb an hour or two before that period (Lightfoot, 'Opp.,' vol. 1:, p. 128; 'Hor. Heb. in Marc,' 14:, 12). In later times a controversy arose in reference to the time thus marked. The Samaritans and Karaites considered it as the interval between sunset and darkness (Aben Ezra, hoc loco. 'Reland de Samar,' sec. 22, in 'Diss. Miscell.,'
t. 11; 'Trigland de Karaeis,' 100:4). But the Pharisees and Rabbinists (Mishna, 'Pesach,' 5:, 3), who maintained that the first evening began after noon [deilee prooia, first evening], and the second with the sunset [deilee opsia], taught that the paschal lamb was to be killed in the interval between the ninth and eleventh hour, which, at the time of the equinox, corresponded to 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. (Calmet's 'Dictionary.') Josephus states ('Jewish War,' b. 6:, ch. 9:, sec. 3), that such was the practice of the Jews in the time of our Lord.