Exodus 12:21 - Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.
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What does "Exodus 12:21" mean?
This verse is a key instruction in preparing for the first Passover, a pivotal event in the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Let's break it down:
"Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel...": Moses, as the leader chosen by God, convened the elders of Israel. The elders were the recognized leaders and representatives of the various families and clans within the Israelite community. They served as intermediaries between Moses and the people.
"...and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families...": Moses instructed the elders to have each family select a lamb. The phrase "draw out" is often interpreted as selecting a lamb that was set apart for this specific purpose. The instruction emphasized that the lamb should be chosen "according to your families," meaning each household or family unit was responsible for obtaining its own lamb.
"...and kill the Passover.": This is the core instruction. It directed the families to slaughter the chosen lamb as a sacrifice to God as part of the Passover ritual. The term "Passover" refers to the act of God "passing over" the houses of the Israelites during the final plague upon Egypt, in which the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were killed. The blood of the Passover lamb, smeared on the doorposts and lintels of the Israelites' houses, served as a sign for God to spare those within. The killing of the lamb was therefore a crucial and symbolic act of obedience and faith.
In summary, this verse is a direct command from Moses, acting on God's instructions, to the elders of Israel. It instructed them to organize their families to select and slaughter a lamb, a necessary act of faith and obedience for the Passover sacrifice that would ensure their protection from the final plague and signal the beginning of their liberation from slavery in Egypt.
Exodus 12:21 - Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.
What does "Exodus 12:21" mean?
This verse is a key instruction in preparing for the first Passover, a pivotal event in the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Let's break it down:
"Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel...": Moses, as the leader chosen by God, convened the elders of Israel. The elders were the recognized leaders and representatives of the various families and clans within the Israelite community. They served as intermediaries between Moses and the people.
"...and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families...": Moses instructed the elders to have each family select a lamb. The phrase "draw out" is often interpreted as selecting a lamb that was set apart for this specific purpose. The instruction emphasized that the lamb should be chosen "according to your families," meaning each household or family unit was responsible for obtaining its own lamb.
"...and kill the Passover.": This is the core instruction. It directed the families to slaughter the chosen lamb as a sacrifice to God as part of the Passover ritual. The term "Passover" refers to the act of God "passing over" the houses of the Israelites during the final plague upon Egypt, in which the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were killed. The blood of the Passover lamb, smeared on the doorposts and lintels of the Israelites' houses, served as a sign for God to spare those within. The killing of the lamb was therefore a crucial and symbolic act of obedience and faith.
In summary, this verse is a direct command from Moses, acting on God's instructions, to the elders of Israel. It instructed them to organize their families to select and slaughter a lamb, a necessary act of faith and obedience for the Passover sacrifice that would ensure their protection from the final plague and signal the beginning of their liberation from slavery in Egypt.