Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.
The command belongs to the resumed account of Israel's journey that picks up the narrative of Exodus with the people encamped at Sinai. It stands within the account of Israel's ceremonies and the strict order established among the people, which taught them discipline and helped form a systematic character. It commanded Israel to keep the Passover at its appointed time in the year after the deliverance from Egypt, which was the first Passover after leaving Egypt, kept while they remained at Horeb during their first year in the wilderness. It shows that all the feasts given to Israel occurred annually and were to be observed only at the time when they were due.
The one exception was that those unable to keep the Passover in the first month on account of ceremonial uncleanness were allowed to keep it on the fourteenth day of the second month. The Passover was observed only once in the wilderness, in the year after the departure from Egypt, and after Israel refused to enter Canaan no Passover was kept during the remainder of the wilderness years. The observance was renewed in the next generation after circumcision was performed again.
After Israel entered the promised land the Passover was to be observed regularly. Its timing in Canaan meant the Passover could occasionally fall on the Sabbath, which supports the conclusion that the wilderness rule against kindling fires was temporary.
The command belongs to the resumed account of Israel's journey that picks up the narrative of Exodus with the people encamped at Sinai. It stands within the account of Israel's ceremonies and the strict order established among the people, which taught them discipline and helped form a systematic character. It commanded Israel to keep the Passover at its appointed time in the year after the deliverance from Egypt, which was the first Passover after leaving Egypt, kept while they remained at Horeb during their first year in the wilderness. It shows that all the feasts given to Israel occurred annually and were to be observed only at the time when they were due.
The one exception was that those unable to keep the Passover in the first month on account of ceremonial uncleanness were allowed to keep it on the fourteenth day of the second month. The Passover was observed only once in the wilderness, in the year after the departure from Egypt, and after Israel refused to enter Canaan no Passover was kept during the remainder of the wilderness years. The observance was renewed in the next generation after circumcision was performed again.
After Israel entered the promised land the Passover was to be observed regularly. Its timing in Canaan meant the Passover could occasionally fall on the Sabbath, which supports the conclusion that the wilderness rule against kindling fires was temporary.