How are Israel’s households to keep the Passage, and what happens on the night they leave Egypt?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

They are to prepare and eat the lamb or kid as commanded, mark their doors with its blood and remain inside until morning. At midnight the Lord kills Egypt’s firstborn; Pharao orders Israel to leave, and the people depart with their dough, requested goods and animals.

Chapter breakdown

How are Israel’s households to keep the Passage, and what happens on the night they leave Egypt? They are to prepare and eat the lamb or kid as commanded, mark their doors with its blood and remain inside until morning. At midnight the Lord kills Egypt’s firstborn; Pharao orders Israel to leave, and the people depart with their dough, requested goods and animals.

In Egypt, the Lord tells Moses and Aaron that this month will be the beginning of months and the first month of their year. They must tell the whole assembly of Israel that on its tenth day every man is to take a lamb according to families and houses. If a household is too small to eat it, the man is to join with the neighbor beside his house, according to the number of people enough to eat the lamb. It must be without blemish, male and one year old; the same rule applies to a kid. Challoner’s note says the Phase may use either a lamb or a kid, with the same rites and ceremonies for both. They are to keep it until the fourteenth day, when the whole multitude of Israel sacrifices it in the evening.

They are to put its blood on both side posts and the upper door posts of the houses where they eat. That night they must eat the flesh roasted at the fire, with unleavened bread and wild lettuce. They must not eat it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, with the head, feet and entrails. Nothing is to remain until morning; anything left must be burned. They must eat with their clothing girded at the waist, shoes on their feet and staves in their hands, and eat in haste. It is the Phase, meaning the Passage, of the Lord.

The Lord will pass through Egypt that night and kill every firstborn, both people and beasts. He will execute judgments against all Egypt’s gods, declaring that he is the Lord. The blood is to be a sign in the houses where Israel stays. Seeing it, he will pass over them; the plague will not destroy them when he strikes Egypt. The day will be their memorial and a feast to the Lord through their generations, with everlasting observance.

For seven days they must eat unleavened bread. On the first day there must be no leaven in their houses. Anyone eating anything leavened from the first through the seventh day will perish out of Israel. The first and seventh days are holy and solemn, with no work except things belonging to eating. They must keep the feast because on this same day God will bring their army out of Egypt; they must keep the day through their generations in perpetual observance. In the first month, they must eat unleavened bread from the evening of the fourteenth day through the evening of the twenty-first. Challoner’s note says that from this it appears the Saviour used unleavened bread when instituting the blessed sacrament, on the evening of the paschal solemnity, when no leavened bread was to be found in Israel.

For seven days no leaven may be found in their houses. Whoever eats leavened bread will perish out of Israel’s assembly, whether a stranger or someone born in the land. They must eat nothing leavened and must eat unleavened bread in all their dwellings.

Moses calls all Israel’s ancients, or elders, and tells them to take a lamb by their families and sacrifice the Phase. They are to dip a bunch of hyssop in the blood at the door and sprinkle the upper door frame and both side posts. No one may go outside the house until morning. The Lord will pass through striking the Egyptians. When he sees the blood on the frame and posts, he will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter and hurt them. Challoner’s note describes this sprinkling for deliverance from the destroying angel’s sword as a vivid figure of redemption by Christ’s blood.

They must keep this as a law for themselves and their children forever. When they enter the land the Lord has promised to give them, they must observe these ceremonies. When their children ask what the service means, they are to explain that it is the victim of the Lord’s passage: he passed over Israel’s houses in Egypt, striking the Egyptians and saving their houses. The people bow and adore. Israel goes and does as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.

At midnight the Lord kills every firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharao, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the captive woman in prison, and all the firstborn of cattle. Pharao rises that night, with all his servants and all Egypt. A great cry rises because no house is without someone dead. Pharao calls Moses and Aaron at night and orders them and Israel to leave his people and sacrifice to the Lord as they have said. They are to take their sheep and herds as requested, and bless him as they leave. The Egyptians press the people to leave quickly, saying they will all die.

The people take dough before it is leavened, tie it in their cloaks and carry it on their shoulders. As Moses commanded, they ask the Egyptians for silver and gold vessels and much clothing. The Lord gives the people favour in the Egyptians’ sight, so the Egyptians lend to them, and Israel strips the Egyptians. Israel sets out from Ramesse to Socoth, with about 600,000 men on foot besides children. A mixed multitude without number also goes, with sheep, herds and very many beasts of different kinds. They bake the meal brought from Egypt as dough into unleavened hearth cakes. It could not be leavened because the Egyptians pressed them to leave without delay; they had not thought of preparing any meat.

The abode of Israel in Egypt is given as 430 years. When those years expire, on that same day all the Lord’s army leaves Egypt. This is the Lord’s night to be observed, when he brought them out; all Israel must observe it through their generations.

The Lord gives Moses and Aaron the service of the Phase. No foreigner may eat it. Every bought servant must be circumcised and may then eat. The stranger and hired worker may not eat. It must be eaten in one house; no flesh may be carried outside and no bone may be broken. All Israel’s assembly must keep it. If a stranger wishes to live among them and keep the Lord’s Phase, all his males must first be circumcised. He may then celebrate it according to the prescribed manner and be as one born in the land. No uncircumcised man may eat it. The same law applies to the person born in the land and the proselyte staying among them.

All Israel does as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. On that same day the Lord brings Israel out of Egypt by their companies.

The story inside

The instructions connect the meal, marked houses and later explanation to children. A household may share with its neighbor when its number is too small, but must keep the specified animal, timing and preparation. Moses tells the elders to mark the door with blood using hyssop and remain inside until morning, because the Lord will not let the destroyer enter a marked house. The children’s future question receives a specific answer about houses spared during the Lord’s passage. The account then records the midnight deaths, Pharao’s order to leave and the hurried departure. The unleavened dough is explained by that hurry. The closing rules keep distinct the foreigner, bought servant, hired worker and willing resident stranger, and end with the same law for native and proselyte. (Exodus 12:3–51.)

Lessons worth keeping

1
The meal instructions are specific rather than interchangeable. They name the tenth and fourteenth days, an unblemished one-year-old male lamb or kid, roasting rather than boiling, wild lettuce, unleavened bread and burning what remains. Challoner explicitly says lamb and kid use the same rites. (12:3–11 and note.)
2
The memorial has an answer for children. The law is to continue into the promised land. When children ask about the service, the answer recalls the Lord passing over Israel’s houses while striking Egypt. The chapter includes that explanation as well as the commands. (12:24–27.)
3
Participation rules retain their exceptions. The bought servant may eat after circumcision; a willing resident stranger may celebrate after all his males are circumcised. The foreigner, stranger and hired worker prohibitions must be read with those distinct provisions and the ban on an uncircumcised man eating. (12:43–49.)

Test your recall

Why may a household join with its neighbor for the lamb? Its number may be too small to eat the lamb; the arrangement follows the number of people enough to eat it. Why must they stay inside until morning? The marked door is where the Lord will pass over and prevent the destroyer entering to hurt them. Why are the departure cakes unleavened? The Egyptians press them to leave without delay, so the dough cannot be leavened. What must precede a willing resident stranger’s celebration?

Show answer

All his males must be circumcised. (12:4, 22–23, 39, 48.)

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 7134–7138
Exodus Chapter 12 The manner of preparing, and eating the paschal lamb: the firstborn of Egypt are all slain: the Israelites depart.
Lines 7139–7162
12:1. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 12:2. This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first in the months of the year. 12:3. Speak ye to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, and say to them: On the tenth day of this month let every man take a lamb by their families and houses. 12:4. But if the number be less than may suffice to eat the lamb, he shall take unto him his neighbour that joineth to his house, according to the number of souls which may be enough to eat the lamb. 12:5. And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a male, of one year; according to which rite also you shall take a kid. A kid.... The phase might be performed, either with a lamb or with a kid: and all the same rites and ceremonies were to be used with the one as with the other. 12:6. And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; and the whole multitude of the children of Israel shall sacrifice it in the evening.
Lines 7163–7181
12:7. And they shall take of the blood thereof, and put it upon both the side posts, and on the upper door posts of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 12:8. And they shall eat the flesh that night roasted at the fire, and unleavened bread with wild lettuce. 12:9. You shall not eat thereof any thing raw, nor boiled in water, but only roasted at the fire; you shall eat the head with the feet and entrails thereof. 12:10. Neither shall there remain any thing of it until morning. If there be any thing left, you shall burn it with fire. 12:11. And thus you shall eat it: you shall gird your reins, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall eat in haste; for it is the Phase (that is the Passage) of the Lord.
Lines 7182–7194
12:12. And I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and will kill every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments; I am the Lord. 12:13. And the blood shall be unto you for a sign in the houses where you shall be; and I shall see the blood, and shall pass over you; and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I shall strike the land of Egypt. 12:14. And this day shall be for a memorial to you; and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord in your generations, with an everlasting observance.
Lines 7195–7217
12:15. Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread: in the first day there shall be no leaven in your houses; whosoever shall eat any thing leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall perish out of Israel. 12:16. The first day shall be holy and solemn, and the seventh day shall be kept with the like solemnity: you shall do no work in them, except those things that belong to eating. 12:17. And you shall observe the feast of the unleavened bread: for in this same day I will bring forth your army out of the land of Egypt, and you shall keep this day in your generations by a perpetual observance. 12:18. The first month, the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the same month, in the evening. Unleavened bread.... By this it appears, that our Saviour made use of unleavened bread, in the institution of the blessed sacrament, which was on the evening of the paschal solemnity, at which time there was no leavened bread to be found in Israel.
Lines 7218–7224
12:19. Seven days there shall not be found any leaven in your houses: he that shall eat leavened bread, his soul shall perish out of the assembly of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land. 12:20. You shall not eat any thing leavened: in all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.
Lines 7225–7241
12:21. And Moses called all the ancients of the children of Israel, and said to them: Go take a lamb by your families, and sacrifice the Phase. 12:22. And dip a bunch of hyssop in the blood that is at the door, and sprinkle the transom of the door therewith, and both the door cheeks: let none of you go out of the door of his house till morning. Sprinkle, etc.... This sprinkling the doors of the Israelites with the blood of the paschal lamb, in order to their being delivered from the sword of the destroying angel, was a lively figure of our redemption by the blood of Christ. 12:23. For the Lord will pass through striking the Egyptians: and when he shall see the blood on the transom, and on both the posts, he will pass over the door of the house, and not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses and to hurt you.
Lines 7242–7258
12:24. Thou shalt keep this thing as a law for thee and thy children for ever. 12:25. And when you have entered into the land which the Lord will give you, as he hath promised, you shall observe these ceremonies. 12:26. And when your children shall say to you: What is the meaning of this service? 12:27. You shall say to them: It is the victim of the passage of the Lord, when he passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and saving our houses. And the people bowing themselves, adored. 12:28. And the children of Israel going forth, did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.
Lines 7259–7277
12:29. And it came to pass at midnight, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharao, who sat on his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive woman that was in the prison, and all the firstborn of cattle. 12:30. And Pharao arose in the night, and all his servants, and all Egypt: and there arose a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house wherein there lay not one dead. 12:31. And Pharao calling Moses and Aaron, in the night, said: Arise and go forth from among my people, you and the children of Israel: go, sacrifice to the Lord as you say. 12:32. Your sheep and herds take along with you, as you demanded, and departing bless me. 12:33. And the Egyptians pressed the people to go forth out of the land speedily, saying: We shall all die.
Lines 7278–7300
12:34. The people therefore took dough before it was leavened; and tying it in their cloaks, put it on their shoulders. 12:35. And the children of Israel did as Moses had commanded: and they asked of the Egyptians vessels of silver and gold, and very much raiment. 12:36. And the Lord gave favour to the people in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them: and they stripped the Egyptians. 12:37. And the children of Israel set forward from Ramesse to Socoth, being about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children. 12:38. And a mixed multitude, without number, went up also with them, sheep and herds, and beasts of divers kinds, exceeding many. 12:39. And they baked the meal, which a little before they had brought out of Egypt in dough: and they made hearth cakes unleavened: for it could not be leavened, the Egyptians pressing them to depart, and not suffering them to make any stay; neither did they think of preparing any meat.
Lines 7301–7310
12:40. And the abode of the children of Israel that they made in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. 12:41. Which being expired, the same day all the army of the Lord went forth out of the land of Egypt. 12:42. This is the observable night of the Lord, when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: this night all the children of Israel must observe in their generations.
Lines 7311–7332
12:43. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the service of the Phase; no foreigner shall eat of it. 12:44. But every bought servant shall be circumcised, and so shall eat. 12:45. The stranger and the hireling shall not eat thereof. 12:46. In one house shall it be eaten, neither shall you carry forth of the flesh thereof out of the house, neither shall you break a bone thereof. 12:47. All the assembly of the children of Israel shall keep it. 12:48. And if any stranger be willing to dwell among you, and to keep the Phase of the Lord, all his males shall first be circumcised, and then shall he celebrate it according to the manner: and he shall be as he that is born in the land: but if any man be uncircumcised, he shall not eat thereof. 12:49. The same law shall be to him that is born in the land, and to the proselyte that sojourneth with you.
Lines 7333–7339
12:50. And all the children of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 12:51. And the same day the Lord brought forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their companies.