Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
Seven days from the fifteenth to the twenty-first of Abib, also called Nisan, were to be kept eating unleavened bread, with all leaven put out of the houses on the fourteenth as preparation, and the first and last days kept as annual sabbaths with special offerings each day and a feast to the Lord on the seventh day. This belongs to the deliverance of Israel under Moses from oppression by the whole power of Egypt to triumph with Egypt's host overthrown, in the first form of the Passover kept in the wilderness on the way to Palestine before the building of the temple changed the celebration. It was ordained as an annual memorial throughout generations of how Jehovah with mighty hand brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage, fitted in its timing and observances to the event it recalls. It declares especially the haste of that departure, when Israel left with dough not yet leavened and baked unleavened cakes from it because the Egyptians in fear hurried them away, while the Passover itself preserves remembrance of how the destroying angel passed over Israelite dwellings when Egypt's firstborn were doomed to die. It is annual, not weekly, and memorializes a rush, not a rest, so it cannot be made into the weekly Sabbath rest, and because leaven and fermented things were wholly excluded from the home during those seven days the wine used at the Lord's Supper was unfermented.
Context and Original Observance
Exodus 13:6 belongs to the deliverance of Israel under Moses, stretching from his first demand that Israel might go to worship God in the wilderness to Israel's song of triumph on the other side of the Red Sea. It stands in the account that carries them from oppression and bondage with the whole power of Egypt set against them to triumph beyond the Red Sea with the host of Egypt overthrown, showing God's mighty saving work as creative power manifested again such as was never done in saving any nation. That redemption from Egyptian bondage came before God's instruction to build a sanctuary as an object lesson of salvation. The exodus account itself was directly supervised by Moses and recorded in terms no less positive than the history of creation.
The verse belongs to the first form of the Passover as observed in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt to Palestine and for some time later, before the building of the temple materially changed the celebration. Later scriptures added injunctions about the Passover that are not in this original instruction and were hardly possible to carry out in the wilderness. Wine and the closing Hallel song belonged to later observances but were not enjoined in this original instruction. The seven days of eating unleavened bread run from the fifteenth to the twenty-first day of the first month Abib, also called Nisan, for which reason the Passover is also called the feast of unleavened bread and is the first of three annual festivals. The fourteenth day was preparation, when all leaven was put out of the houses, and the feast began on the fifteenth, commemorating Israel's hasty departure with dough not yet leavened from which they baked unleavened cakes.
The first and last days of the seven-day feast were annual sabbaths. Special offerings were offered on each of the seven days. The wave sheaf was offered on the sixteenth of Abib, the day after the first Passover sabbath.
Memorial Meaning and Application
The seven days of eating unleavened bread with a feast to the Lord on the seventh day belong to the annual Passover memorial of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt and bondage. It was to be kept as a feast to the Lord throughout generations by an ordinance forever, observed yearly as often as the fourteenth day of the first month arrived, for this was the day Israel came out of Egypt. Its timing and observances are fitted to the event it recalls. It commemorates Israel's hasty departure from Egypt, when they left with dough not yet leavened and baked unleavened cakes from it. It memorializes especially the haste with which the Egyptians sent them away, and the feast began on the fifteenth day, after preparation on the fourteenth.
Together with the Passover it forms two fitting, plain memorials of that work of deliverance. The Feast of Unleavened Bread declares how the Egyptians in fear hurried Israel away with hastening hand lest they stay, while the Passover preserves remembrance of how the destroying angel passed over Israelite dwellings when Egypt's firstborn were doomed to die. Their meaning to inquiring sons is that with mighty hand Jehovah brought Israel up from Egypt's land. It is annual, not weekly, and it memorializes a rush, not a rest, so it cannot be made into the weekly Sabbath rest.
The Passover observance included seven days of eating unleavened bread, with leaven and fermented things excluded from the home during the period. Therefore the wine Jesus used at the Lord's Supper was unfermented. The verse stands as an example of the firstborn being set apart, illustrating that to sanctify means to separate and appoint something to holy or religious use.
Seven days from the fifteenth to the twenty-first of Abib, also called Nisan, were to be kept eating unleavened bread, with all leaven put out of the houses on the fourteenth as preparation, and the first and last days kept as annual sabbaths with special offerings each day and a feast to the Lord on the seventh day. This belongs to the deliverance of Israel under Moses from oppression by the whole power of Egypt to triumph with Egypt's host overthrown, in the first form of the Passover kept in the wilderness on the way to Palestine before the building of the temple changed the celebration. It was ordained as an annual memorial throughout generations of how Jehovah with mighty hand brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage, fitted in its timing and observances to the event it recalls. It declares especially the haste of that departure, when Israel left with dough not yet leavened and baked unleavened cakes from it because the Egyptians in fear hurried them away, while the Passover itself preserves remembrance of how the destroying angel passed over Israelite dwellings when Egypt's firstborn were doomed to die. It is annual, not weekly, and memorializes a rush, not a rest, so it cannot be made into the weekly Sabbath rest, and because leaven and fermented things were wholly excluded from the home during those seven days the wine used at the Lord's Supper was unfermented.
Context and Original Observance
Exodus 13:6 belongs to the deliverance of Israel under Moses, stretching from his first demand that Israel might go to worship God in the wilderness to Israel's song of triumph on the other side of the Red Sea. It stands in the account that carries them from oppression and bondage with the whole power of Egypt set against them to triumph beyond the Red Sea with the host of Egypt overthrown, showing God's mighty saving work as creative power manifested again such as was never done in saving any nation. That redemption from Egyptian bondage came before God's instruction to build a sanctuary as an object lesson of salvation. The exodus account itself was directly supervised by Moses and recorded in terms no less positive than the history of creation.
The verse belongs to the first form of the Passover as observed in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt to Palestine and for some time later, before the building of the temple materially changed the celebration. Later scriptures added injunctions about the Passover that are not in this original instruction and were hardly possible to carry out in the wilderness. Wine and the closing Hallel song belonged to later observances but were not enjoined in this original instruction. The seven days of eating unleavened bread run from the fifteenth to the twenty-first day of the first month Abib, also called Nisan, for which reason the Passover is also called the feast of unleavened bread and is the first of three annual festivals. The fourteenth day was preparation, when all leaven was put out of the houses, and the feast began on the fifteenth, commemorating Israel's hasty departure with dough not yet leavened from which they baked unleavened cakes.
The first and last days of the seven-day feast were annual sabbaths. Special offerings were offered on each of the seven days. The wave sheaf was offered on the sixteenth of Abib, the day after the first Passover sabbath.
Memorial Meaning and Application
The seven days of eating unleavened bread with a feast to the Lord on the seventh day belong to the annual Passover memorial of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt and bondage. It was to be kept as a feast to the Lord throughout generations by an ordinance forever, observed yearly as often as the fourteenth day of the first month arrived, for this was the day Israel came out of Egypt. Its timing and observances are fitted to the event it recalls. It commemorates Israel's hasty departure from Egypt, when they left with dough not yet leavened and baked unleavened cakes from it. It memorializes especially the haste with which the Egyptians sent them away, and the feast began on the fifteenth day, after preparation on the fourteenth.
Together with the Passover it forms two fitting, plain memorials of that work of deliverance. The Feast of Unleavened Bread declares how the Egyptians in fear hurried Israel away with hastening hand lest they stay, while the Passover preserves remembrance of how the destroying angel passed over Israelite dwellings when Egypt's firstborn were doomed to die. Their meaning to inquiring sons is that with mighty hand Jehovah brought Israel up from Egypt's land. It is annual, not weekly, and it memorializes a rush, not a rest, so it cannot be made into the weekly Sabbath rest.
The Passover observance included seven days of eating unleavened bread, with leaven and fermented things excluded from the home during the period. Therefore the wine Jesus used at the Lord's Supper was unfermented. The verse stands as an example of the firstborn being set apart, illustrating that to sanctify means to separate and appoint something to holy or religious use.