God’s Word Translation
Exodus 12:4
4A household may be too small to eat a whole animal. That household and the one next door can share one animal. Choose your animal based on the number of people and what each person can eat.
Exodus 12:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
- New International Version (NIV)If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb.
Context of Exodus 12:4
2“This month will be the very first month of the year for you. 3Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth ⌞day⌟ of this month each man must take a lamb or a young goat for his family—one animal per household. A household may be too small to eat a whole animal. That household and the one next door can share one animal. Choose your animal based on the number of people and what each person can eat. 5Your animal must be a one-year-old male that has no defects. You may choose a lamb or a young goat. 6Take care of it until the fourteenth ⌞day⌟ of this month. “Then at dusk, all the assembled people from the community of Israel must slaughter their animals.
Read all of Exodus 12Exodus 12:4 word by word
וְאִם־יִמְעַ֣ט הַבַּיִת֮ מִהְיֹ֣ת מִשֶּׂה֒ וְלָקַ֣ח ה֗וּא וּשְׁכֵנ֛וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֶל־בֵּית֖וֹ בְּמִכְסַ֣ת נְפָשֹׁ֑ת אִ֚ישׁ לְפִ֣י אָכְל֔וֹ תָּכֹ֖סּוּ עַל־הַשֶּֽׂה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if the householdבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- too littleמָעַטmâ‛aţ · to diminishH4591
- for the lambשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
- let him and his neighbourשָׁכֵןshâkên · neighborH7934
- nextקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
- takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- according to the numberמִכְסָהmiksâh · numberH4373
- of the soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- accordingפֶּהpeh · lip: accordingH6310
- to his eatingאֹ֫כֶל'ôkel · foodH400
- shall make your countכָּסַסkâsas · to computeH3699
Commentaries on Exodus 12:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4If the household be too little - That is, if there be not persons enough in one family to eat a whole lamb, then two families must join together. The rabbins allow that there should be at least ten persons to one paschal lamb, and not more than twenty. Take it, according to the number of the souls - The persons who were to eat of it were to be first ascertained, and then the lamb was to be slain and dressed for that number.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Tradition specifies ten as the least number; but the matter was probably left altogether to the discretion of the heads of families. The last clause should be rendered: “each man, according to his eating, ye shall count for the lamb.”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. 44. if the household be too little for the lamb, &c.--It appears from Josephus that ten persons were required to make up the proper paschal communion. every man according to his eating--It is said that the quantity eaten of the paschal lamb, by each individual, was about the size of an olive.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 12:4
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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