God’s Word Translation
Exodus 12:16
16You must have a holy assembly on the first day and another one on the seventh. You must not work on these days except to prepare your own meals. That’s all you may do.
Exodus 12:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
- New International Version (NIV)On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.
- English Standard Version (ESV)On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you.
Context of Exodus 12:16
14“This day will be one for you to remember. This is a permanent law for generations to come: You will celebrate this day as a pilgrimage festival in the Lord’s honor. 15For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the very first day you must remove any yeast that you have in your houses. Whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh day must be excluded from Israel. You must have a holy assembly on the first day and another one on the seventh. You must not work on these days except to prepare your own meals. That’s all you may do. 17You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread because it was on this very day that I brought you out of Egypt in organized family groups. This is a permanent law for future generations: You must celebrate this day. 18From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day you must eat unleavened bread.
Read all of Exodus 12Exodus 12:16 word by word
וּבַיּ֤וֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ מִקְרָא־קֹ֔דֶשׁ וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִקְרָא־קֹ֖דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם כָּל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹא־יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה בָהֶ֔ם אַ֚ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵאָכֵ֣ל לְכָל־נֶ֔פֶשׁ ה֥וּא לְבַדּ֖וֹ יֵעָשֶׂ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And in the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- an holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- convocationמִקְרָאmiqrâ' · assemblyH4744
- and in the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
- to you; no manner of workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
- shall be doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- in them, saveאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
- which every manנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
- must eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- that only may be doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
Cross-references for Exodus 12:16
- Leviticus 23:2“Tell the Israelites: These are the appointed festivals with the Lord, which you must announce as holy assemblies.
- Numbers 28:18On the first day there will be a holy assembly. Don’t do any regular work.
- Numbers 29:1⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “On the first day of the seventh month you must have a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work. It is a day for ⌞the trumpets to sound⌟ a fanfare.
- Exodus 16:5But on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring home, it should be twice as much as they gather on other days.”
- Exodus 20:10The seventh day is the day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your cattle, and the foreigners living in your city must never do any work ⌞on that day⌟.
- Exodus 35:2You may work for six days, but the seventh day is a holy day of rest, a day when you don’t work. It is dedicated to the Lord. Whoever does any work on this day should be put to death.
- Jeremiah 17:21This is what the Lord says: Watch out! If you value your lives, do not carry anything on the day of rest—a holy day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
Commentaries on Exodus 12:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16In the first day and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation - This is the first place where we meet with the account of an assembly collected for the mere purpose of religious worship. Such assemblies are called holy convocations, which is a very appropriate appellation for a religious assembly; they were called together by the express command of God, and were to be employed in a work of holiness. מקרא mikra, convocation, is a word of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16An holy convocation - An assembly called by proclamation for a religious solemnity. See Leviticus 23:2; Numbers 10:2-3. In the East the proclamation is made by the Muezzins from the minarets of the mosques. Save that - In this the observance of the festival differed from the Sabbath, when the preparation of food was prohibited. The same word for “work” is used here and in the fourth commandment: it is very general, and includes all laborious occupation.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-30The Lord gave Moses instructions for the Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (12:14–20). Moses and the people then celebrated the first Passover (12:21–30).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. there shall be an holy convocation--literally, calling of the people, which was done by sound of trumpets (Nu 10:2), a sacred assembly--for these days were to be regarded as Sabbaths--excepting only that meat might be cooked on them (Ex 16:23).Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 12:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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