Exodus 12 · Verse 3

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 12:3, King James Version

Exodus 12:3 in other translations

BSB	Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.
WEB	Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household;
ASV	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 their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household:
YLT	speak ye unto all the company of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month--they take to them each man a lamb for the house of the fathers, a lamb for a house.
DARBY	Speak unto all the assembly of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month let them take themselves each a lamb, for a father's house, a lamb for a house.
BBE	Say to all the children of Israel when they are come together, In the tenth day of this month every man is to take a lamb, by the number of their fathers' families, a lamb for every family:
Webster	Speak ye to 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 a house:

What does Exodus 12:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel--The recent events had prepared the Israelitish people for a crisis in their affairs, and they seem to have yielded implicit obedience at this time to Moses. It is observable that, amid all the hurry and bustle of such a departure, their serious attention was to be given to a solemn act of religion. a lamb for an house--a kid might be taken (Ex 12:5). The service was to be a domestic one, for the deliverance was to be from an evil threatened to every house in Egypt.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

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 Exo 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; Jos 4:19. And Christ, our Paschal Lamb, on this day entered Jerusalem, riding on an ass; the people bearing palm branches, and crying, Hosanna, Joh 12:1, Joh 12:12, Joh 12:13, etc.: 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 Exo 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; Numbers 1, Jos 7:14 - Ainsworth.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 12:1-20

The death of the first-born of the Egyptians, The Israelites urged to leave the land of Egypt. (29-36) The Israelites' first journey to Succoth. (37-42) Ordinance respecting the passover. (43-51) Verses 1-20 The Lord makes all things new to those whom he delivers from the bondage of Satan, and takes to himself to be his people. The time when he does this is to them the beginning of a new life. God appointed that, on…

Read the full comment on Exodus 12:1-20 →

Exodus 12:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

דַּבְּר֗וּda.be.RuspeakH1696

אֶֽל\־'el-toH413

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

עֲדַ֤ת'a.Dat[the] congregation ofH5712

יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559

בֶּעָשֹׂ֖רbe.'a.Soron the tenH6218

לַחֹ֣דֶשׁla.Cho.deshof the monthH2320

הַזֶּ֑הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088

וְיִקְח֣וּve.yik.Chuso they may takeH3947

לָהֶ֗םla.Hemfor <the> themselves

אִ֛ישׁ'isheveryoneH376

שֶׂ֥הseha lambH7716

לְבֵית\־le.veit-for a household ofH1004

אָבֹ֖ת'a.VotfathersH1

שֶׂ֥הseha lambH7716

לַבָּֽיִת\׃la.Ba.yitfor the householdH1004

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 12:3

Leviticus 1:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
Leviticus 5:6
And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
1 Corinthians 5:7
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Exodus 4:30
And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
Numbers 15:11
Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.
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.
John 12:12
On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Genesis 22:8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
John 1:36
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Exodus 6:6
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Speak ye.
4:30; 6:6; 14:15; 20:19; Le 1:2
in the tenth.
6; Joh 12:1,12
take to.
Ge 4:4; 22:8; 1Sa 7:9; Joh 1:29,36; 1Co 5:7; Re 5:6-13; 7:9-14; 13:8
lamb. or, kid.The word {seh} means the young of both sheep and goats, and may be indifferently rendered either lamb or kid. It is evident from ver. 5 that the Hebrews might take either; but they generally preferred a lamb, from being of a more gentle nature.
Le 5:6; Nu 15:11; 2Ch 35:7
an house.The Israelites were divided into twelve tribes, these tribes into families, the families into houses, and the houses into particular persons.
Nu 1:1-54; Jos 7:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

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.

Read all of Exodus 12

Exodus 12:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Hablad á toda la congregación de Israel, diciendo: En el diez de aqueste mes tómese cada uno un cordero por las familias de los padres, un cordero por familia:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Parlez à toute l’assemblée d’Israël, disant: Au dixième jour de ce mois, vous prendrez chacun un agneau par maison de père, un agneau par maison.
German Elberfelder 1871	Redet zu der ganzen Gemeinde Israel und sprechet: Am Zehnten dieses Monats, da nehme sich ein jeder ein Lamm für ein Vaterhaus, ein Lamm für ein Haus.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Loquimini ad universum cœtum filiorum Israël, et dicite eis: Decima die mensis hujus tollat unusquisque agnum per familias et domos suas.