New King James Version
Exodus 12:3
3Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.
Exodus 12:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
- New International Version (NIV)Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household.
Context of Exodus 12:3
1Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4And 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. 5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
Read all of Exodus 12Exodus 12:3 word by word
דַּבְּר֗וּ אֶֽל־כָּל־עֲדַ֤ת יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בֶּעָשֹׂ֖ר לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וְיִקְח֣וּ לָהֶ֗ם אִ֛ישׁ שֶׂ֥ה לְבֵית־אָבֹ֖ת שֶׂ֥ה לַבָּֽיִת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- ye unto all the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- In the tenthעָשׂוֹר‛âώôr ‛âώôr · tenH6218
- of this monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
- they shall takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- to them every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- a lambשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
- according to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
Cross-references for Exodus 12:3
- Exodus 4:30And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people.
- Exodus 6:6Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
- Exodus 14:15And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
- Exodus 20:19Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
- Leviticus 1:2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.
- Exodus 12:6Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.
- John 12:1Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.
- Genesis 4:4Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,
- Genesis 22:8And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
- 1 Samuel 7:9And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.
- John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
- 1 Corinthians 5:7Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
- Revelation 5:6And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
- Revelation 7:9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
- Revelation 13:8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
- Exodus 12:5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
Commentaries on Exodus 12:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3In the tenth day of this month - In after times they began their preparation on the thirteenth day or day before the Passover, which was not celebrated till the fourteenth day, see Exodus 12:6; : but on the present occasion, as this was their first passover, they probably required more time to get ready in; as a state of very great confusion must have prevailed at this time. Mr. Ainsworth remarks that on this day the Israelites did afterwards go through…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3A lamb - The Hebrew word is general, meaning either a sheep or a goat - male or female - and of any age; the age and sex are therefore epecially defined in the following verse. The direction to select the lamb on the tenth day, the fourth day before it was offered, was intended to secure due care in the preparation for the great national festival. The custom certainly fell into desuetude at a later period, but probably not before the destruction of the…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. 33. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel--The recent events had prepared the Israelitish people for a crisis in their affairs, and they seem to have yielded implicit obedience at this time to Moses. It is observable that, amid all the hurry and bustle of such a departure, their serious attention was to be given to a solemn act of religion. a lamb for an house--a kid might be taken (Ex 12:5). The service was to be a domestic one, for the deliverance…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 12:3
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries