God’s Deliverance Through the Passover

What You'll Learn

• The significance of the Passover lamb as a symbol of God's protection
• How obedience to God's commands brings deliverance and blessing
• The importance of remembering and teaching God's mighty works
• God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to His people

God’s protection and deliverance come through obedience to His appointed means, and His faithfulness is to be remembered and celebrated forever.

Bible Translation Note Scripture Verse-by-Verse Study Chapter Synopsis Prayer Personal Application Weekly Actions Chapter Summary

Bible Translation Note: All Scripture on this page is quoted from the King James Version (KJV) and presented in full without alteration.

Exodus 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Exodus 12:3 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:

Exodus 12:4 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.

Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

Exodus 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

Exodus 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

Exodus 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Exodus 12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

Exodus 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

Exodus 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.

Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

Exodus 12:16 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.

Exodus 12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Exodus 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

Exodus 12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

Exodus 12:20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

Exodus 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

Exodus 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

Exodus 12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

Exodus 12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

Exodus 12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

Exodus 12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

Exodus 12:28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

Exodus 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

Exodus 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Exodus 12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.

Exodus 12:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

Exodus 12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.

Exodus 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

Exodus 12:35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

Exodus 12:36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

Exodus 12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

Exodus 12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

Exodus 12:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

Exodus 12:41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Exodus 12:43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

Exodus 12:44 But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

Exodus 12:45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

Exodus 12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

Exodus 12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

Exodus 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

Exodus 12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

Exodus 12:50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

Exodus 12:51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

Exodus 12:1

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

Study: God speaks to Moses and Aaron while Israel is still in Egypt, showing that His people receive direction before their circumstances change. Deliverance begins with the word of the Lord.

Exodus 12:2

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Study: God resets Israel’s calendar around redemption. Their identity will now be shaped by the night the Lord delivered them, showing that salvation marks a new beginning for God’s people.

Exodus 12:3

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:

Study: Every household is commanded to take a lamb, making deliverance personal and communal. Salvation is not treated as a vague national idea; each family must respond to God’s instruction.

Exodus 12:4

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.

Study: God provides a way for smaller households to share a lamb with their neighbors. His instructions are orderly and gracious, making provision so every person can participate in the Passover meal.

Exodus 12:5

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

Study: The lamb had to be without blemish, showing that the sacrifice offered before God could not be defective or careless. This points forward to Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, who is without sin.

Exodus 12:6

And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

Study: The lamb is kept until the appointed day, then killed at the time God commands. Israel’s deliverance depends on God’s provision and God’s timing, not human invention.

Exodus 12:7

And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

Study: The blood must be applied to the doorposts, not merely shed. This shows that deliverance requires faith-filled obedience to God’s instruction, trusting the protection He provides through the blood.

Exodus 12:8

And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Study: The meal includes roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. Each part teaches Israel to remember both the cost of deliverance and the bitterness of their slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 12:9

Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

Study: God gives specific instructions for how the lamb is to be prepared. Worship and obedience are not shaped by personal preference; Israel must receive God’s provision in the way He commands.

Exodus 12:10

And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

Study: Nothing of the Passover lamb is to be treated casually or kept for ordinary use. The sacrifice belongs fully to the Lord’s appointed night and must be handled with reverence.

Exodus 12:11

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.

Study: Israel is to eat dressed for departure because God’s deliverance is near. Faith prepares to move when the Lord acts, trusting that His promise will become reality.

Exodus 12:12

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

Study: The final plague is judgment against Egypt and its false gods. God declares, “I am the LORD,” showing that the exodus is not only Israel’s rescue but also the public defeat of Egypt’s idols.

Exodus 12:13

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Study: The blood is the sign that marks the household for mercy. Judgment passes over not because Israel is stronger than Egypt, but because God provides a substitute and honors the blood He commanded.

Exodus 12:14

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Study: God commands Israel to remember the Passover throughout their generations. Redemption is not to be forgotten; it must shape worship, identity, and the teaching of future generations.

Exodus 12:15

Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

Study: The removal of leaven marks Israel as a people set apart after redemption. God’s deliverance is followed by a call to holiness, leaving behind what belonged to the old life in Egypt.

Exodus 12:16

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.

Study: The feast begins and ends with holy gatherings, showing that Israel’s deliverance is to be celebrated before the Lord as a community. God gives His people sacred rhythms of worship and rest.

Exodus 12:17

And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Study: God speaks of Israel’s deliverance as certain, even as He gives the command before the full departure unfolds. The feast will permanently remind Israel that the Lord brought them out by His power.

Exodus 12:18

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

Study: God gives exact dates for the feast, showing that remembrance is to be ordered and intentional. Israel is not left to remember deliverance loosely, but according to God’s appointed pattern.

Exodus 12:19

Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

Study: The command applies to both the native-born and the stranger among Israel. God’s covenant community is called to shared obedience, and holiness is not treated as optional.

Exodus 12:20

Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

Study: The command reaches every household and every dwelling. Israel’s remembrance of redemption is not limited to public worship; it is meant to shape daily life at home.

Exodus 12:21

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

Study: Moses faithfully delivers God’s command to the elders, and the instructions move from revelation to action. The Passover must now be obeyed in each family, not merely understood.

Exodus 12:22

And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

Study: The blood must be applied exactly where God commanded, and the people must remain inside until morning. Safety is found under the covering God provides, not in human movement or effort.

Exodus 12:23

For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

Study: The Lord Himself sees the blood and protects the household from judgment. The blood does not remind God of something He forgot; it is the covenant sign He appointed for mercy and deliverance.

Exodus 12:24

And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

Study: The Passover is not a one-time memory for one generation only. God commands Israel to preserve the story so their children will know the Lord who delivered them.

Exodus 12:25

And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

Study: God speaks of the promised land as a future certainty. When Israel enters the land, they must continue remembering that their inheritance came through the Lord’s faithfulness.

Exodus 12:26

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

Study: God expects the Passover to stir questions in future generations. The practices of worship are meant to open the door for parents to teach their children the meaning of redemption.

Exodus 12:27

That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

Study: Israel is given the meaning of the Passover: God judged Egypt and delivered His people. The people respond by bowing in worship, showing that true remembrance should lead to reverence.

Exodus 12:28

And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

Study: Israel responds with obedience to the word of the Lord. In this moment, faith is expressed not merely by hearing God’s command, but by doing exactly what He said.

Exodus 12:29

And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

Study: At midnight, God carries out the judgment He had warned about. The plague reaches from Pharaoh’s throne to the dungeon, proving that no status can escape the justice of the Lord.

Exodus 12:30

And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Study: Egypt wakes to grief in every household. The great cry shows the terrible cost of Pharaoh’s hardened heart and the certainty of God’s warnings when people refuse to listen.

Exodus 12:31

And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.

Study: Pharaoh finally commands Israel to leave and serve the Lord. What he refused for so long is now forced by God’s power, showing that the Lord’s purpose will stand.

Exodus 12:32

Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

Study: Pharaoh now grants what Moses had insisted on: the people and their livestock must go. His request for blessing reveals that Egypt’s king has been humbled beneath the authority of Israel’s God.

Exodus 12:33

And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.

Study: The Egyptians urge Israel to leave quickly because they fear further judgment. God’s deliverance becomes so unmistakable that Egypt itself pushes His people out of bondage.

Exodus 12:34

And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

Study: Israel leaves in haste, carrying dough before it can rise. The unleavened bread becomes a lasting reminder that God’s deliverance came suddenly and powerfully.

Exodus 12:35

And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

Study: Israel obeys Moses’ instruction and receives wealth from the Egyptians. This fulfills God’s promise that His people would leave Egypt with provision, not empty-handed.

Exodus 12:36

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

Study: The favor Israel receives is directly from the Lord. God turns the hearts of the Egyptians so that the former slaves leave with the riches of Egypt as a sign of His justice and provision.

Exodus 12:37

And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

Study: Israel begins the journey out of Egypt as a vast people, just as God had promised Abraham that his descendants would multiply. The exodus is the visible fulfillment of covenant faithfulness.

Exodus 12:38

And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

Study: A mixed multitude leaves with Israel, showing that the exodus impacted more than one ethnic group. God’s mighty works drew others to depart Egypt alongside His covenant people.

Exodus 12:39

And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

Study: The unleavened cakes show how quickly God brought Israel out. Their food becomes part of the testimony, reminding them that deliverance came by God’s urgent and decisive action.

Exodus 12:40

Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

Study: Israel’s long sojourn in Egypt lasted four hundred and thirty years. God’s promises may unfold over generations, but His timing remains exact and His covenant remains sure.

Exodus 12:41

And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

Study: On the exact day God had appointed, the hosts of the Lord leave Egypt. The phrase emphasizes that Israel’s departure was not accidental; it happened according to God’s precise faithfulness.

Exodus 12:42

It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Study: The night of deliverance belongs to the Lord and must be observed by Israel through the generations. God’s people are called to remember not only that they were freed, but who brought them out.

Exodus 12:43

And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

Study: God gives boundaries for the Passover meal because it represents covenant redemption. Participation is not casual; it belongs to those who are identified with the people and promises of the Lord.

Exodus 12:44

But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

Study: A servant may eat the Passover after receiving the covenant sign. This shows that inclusion is possible, but it comes through covenant identification rather than mere proximity to Israel.

Exodus 12:45

A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

Study: The Passover meal is guarded because it is holy and covenantal. God teaches Israel that redemption is precious and must not be treated as an ordinary meal.

Exodus 12:46

In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

Study: The lamb must be eaten in one house, and none of its bones are to be broken. The careful treatment of the lamb points forward to Christ, whose bones were not broken as He fulfilled the Passover pattern.

Exodus 12:47

All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

Study: The Passover is not optional for a select few; the whole congregation is called to keep it. God’s redeemed people share one testimony of deliverance.

Exodus 12:48

And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

Study: The stranger may come near and keep the Passover if he enters the covenant sign. God’s mercy is not limited by ethnicity, but participation requires belonging to Him according to His terms.

Exodus 12:49

One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

Study: God establishes one law for the native-born and the stranger who joins Israel. His covenant community is governed by one standard under His authority.

Exodus 12:50

Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

Study: Israel obeys the Lord’s command through Moses and Aaron. This verse highlights the proper response to redemption: hearing God’s word and doing what He says.

Exodus 12:51

And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

Study: The chapter ends with the Lord bringing Israel out of Egypt on the exact day appointed. The exodus is God’s completed act of deliverance, proving His faithfulness to His promises and His power over Egypt.

Exodus 12 details God’s instructions for the Passover, a sacred event marking Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. The people are commanded to select a spotless lamb, apply its blood to their doorposts, and eat the meal in readiness to leave. God’s judgment falls on Egypt, sparing those who obey His commands. This chapter establishes the Passover as a perpetual memorial of God’s salvation, highlighting His power, mercy, and faithfulness.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your protection and deliverance shown through the Passover. Help us to trust Your provision and obey Your commands faithfully. May we remember Your mighty works and teach them to others, living in the freedom You have given us through Christ, our perfect Lamb. Amen.

• Reflect daily on the significance of Christ as the perfect Passover Lamb.
• Share the story of God’s deliverance in Exodus 12 with someone new.
• Commit to trusting God’s protection in a specific area of your life this week.

Exodus 12 reveals God’s plan to deliver Israel through the Passover, a powerful symbol of salvation and protection. By obeying God’s commands and trusting in the blood of the lamb, Israel was spared judgment and set free. This chapter calls us to remember God’s faithfulness, trust His provision, and celebrate the new life He offers through Christ.

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