Holy Week · Maundy Thursday · Year C
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
The Passover
April 13, 2028
Overview & Insights
“The blood shall be a sign for you… and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12:13)
Exodus 12 and 13 stand together as a single literary unit, describing the Passover ( pesakh ; lit., pass over). If we read this lengthy portion (12:1–13:16) in a simple linear fashion, it may seem oddly organized and redundant. The most we could say is that the length itself was part of what served to establish the exodus event and its perpetual observance in Israel’s memory and liturgical practice. It was indeed a primary formational event. We can understand the themes of this vital material even better, however, when we notice the internal structure and the relationships between the paragraphs. The text structurally braids together the three themes of protecting the precious firstborn, the Passover lamb, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 12:1–13:16. The chiastic structure below reveals this pattern.
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Commentary
Commentary on Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14 Working Preacher
A commentary on the institution of the Passover.
Exodus 12, The Passover Enduring Word · David Guzik
A verse-by-verse evangelical study of the first Passover.
Classic commentaries on Exodus 12 BibleHub
Classic commentators gathered verse by verse on the Passover ordinance.
Exodus 12 Commentary Precept Austin
Word studies and cross-references compiling many sources on the text.
Background & Word Study
Exodus 12 in Hebrew, with Jewish commentary Sefaria
The Hebrew text with Rashi and classical Jewish commentary on Passover.
Overview: Exodus 1-18 BibleProject
An animated overview of the deliverance and Passover narrative.
Exodus, book overview Enter the Bible
A background summary of the book's structure and themes.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What is the Passover?
On the night of Israel's deliverance each household kills a lamb and marks the doorposts with its blood, and the Lord passes over them, a feast kept forever and fulfilled in Christ.
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