Exodus 12:3

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel,.... That is, to the elders of the people, and heads of families; unless we can suppose that they had been gradually gathered, and were now gathered

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: Speak ye unto all the congregation.

In the tenth day; partly, that they might have the lamb ready for the sacrifice, and might not be distracted about procuring it when they should be going to use it; partly, that by the frequent contemplation of the lamb, as a sign appointed by God, they might have their faith strengthened as to their approaching deliverance, and afterwards might have their minds quickened to the more serious consideration of that great deliverance out of Egypt, and of that more glorious deliverance from hell by Christ the true Passover, which should be offered for them; partly, to teach the church in all ages how necessary a thing preparation is to the solemn duties and exercises of religion; and partly, to signify that Christ should be first set apart, and separated to the ministry, which was done three or four prophetical days, i.e. years, before his death, and afterwards offered: most of which reasons being perpetual, it may seem this usage was so too, and not for the first passover only. They shall take to them, into their houses, where the Jews tell us he was tied to the bed-post. A lamb, or kid, , for the same word signifies both, though a lamb was commonly used, and a kid only in case of the want of a lamb; and the Chaldee and LXX. do almost constantly translate the Hebrew word lamb. And Christ is seldom or never typified by a kid, but generally by a lamb, as he is called , partly for his innocency, meekness, patience, &c., but principally with respect to the paschal lamb, instead whereof he was in due time to be offered; whence he is called our Passover, . A lamb was to be disposed of to every house or family, according to its quantity, or the number of persons in it, as the next verse explains it. The several families are called the houses of their fathers, because they consist of those persons which come from one father or grandfather. The people were divided into tribes, the tribes were subdivided into families, and the families again into houses, which were like sprigs taken from the greater branches, and planted apart, and each of these had their several fathers, from whom they were denominated, as here they are.

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:Ver. 3. In the tenth day.] The paschal lamb was taken up the tenth day, but not sacrificed till the fourteenth, that they might "so kill the passover" as first to "sanctify themselves and prepare their brethren." For which cause also it was a received tradition among the Jews, that during those four days the lamb was tied to their bedposts. Hospin., De Orig. Fest., cap. 5.

(3) In the tenth day.—It is evident that this direction must have been given before the tenth day had arrived, probably some days before. The object of the direction was to allow ample time for the careful inspection of the animal, so that its entire freedom from all blemish might be ascertained. The animal was not to be killed till four days later (Exodus 12:6). A lamb.—The word used (seh) is a vague one, applied equally to sheep and goats, of any age and of either sex. Sex and age were fixed subsequently (Exodus 12:5), but the other ambiguity remained; and it is curious that practically only lambs seem to have been ever offered. The requirement indicates a social condition in which there was no extreme poverty. All Israelites are supposed either to possess a lamb or to be able to purchase one. According to the house of their fathers.—Rather, for the house of their fathers: i.e., for their family.

Verse 3. In 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 Jordan into the land of Canaan; Joshua 4:19. And Christ, our Paschal Lamb, on this day entered Jerusalem, riding on an ass; the people bearing palm branches, and crying, Hosanna, John 12:1; John 12:12-13, c.: and in him this type was truly fulfilled. A lamb] The original word שה seh signifies the young of sheep and of goats, and may be indifferently translated either lamb or kid. See Exodus 12:5. A lamb for a house] The whole host of Israel was divided into twelve tribes, these tribes into families, the families into houses, and the houses into particular persons Num. i., Joshua 7:14. -Ainsworth.

3. the congregation] P’s standing expression for Israel, as an organized religious community, or ‘church.’ It occurs in P more than 100 times, usually alone (‘the congregation’), sometimes with the addition of ‘of Israel’ (as here, vv. 6, 47, Leviticus 4:13), or ‘of the children of Israel’ (Exodus 16:1-2, &c.). Except in P and the allied narrative of Joshua 22, it occurs in the historical books only in Judges 21:10; Judges 21:13; Judges 21:16, 1 Kings 8:5 (not in LXX.) = 2 Chronicles 5:6, 1 Kings 12:20. the tenth day] perhaps (Di. Bä.) some sanctity attached to the day which closed the first decade of the month: the 10th day of the seventh month was the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27); in Islam, also, as Di. observes, the 10th day of the 12th month is the day of the great sacrifice at the Mecca pilgrimage; cf. Benzinger, Arch. 2 p. 169. a lamb] The Heb. seh denotes a single head of the tsôn, or smaller cattle (including both sheep and goats), without reference to age or sex; and may be used of either a sheep or a goat (hence RVm.): see v. 5b; and comp. Numbers 15:11 b (Lex. ‘or for a seh among the lambs or the goats’), Deuteronomy 14:4 b (Lex. ‘the seh of lambs and the seh of goats’). fathers’ houses] A ‘father’s house’ is a common expression in P and Chr. for a family: see on Exodus 6:14. a lamb for an household] The Passover was to be a domestic institution: each lamb was to be partaken of only by members of one family, or (in the case provided for in v. 4) of two families living side by side.

A 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.

3, 4. In the tenth day — After this first passover there is no record of any instance where the lamb was selected before the fourteenth day.