Exodus 12 · Verse 5

Exodus 12:5

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
Exodus 12:5, King James Version

Exodus 12:5 in other translations

BSBYour lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.
WEBYour lamb shall be without defect, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep or from the goats.
ASVYour lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old: ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:
YLTa lamb, a perfect one, a male, a son of a year, let be to you; from the sheep or from the goats ye do take it.
DARBYYour lamb shall be without blemish, a yearling male; ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats.
BBELet your lamb be without a mark, a male in its first year: you may take it from among the sheep or the goats:
WebsterYour lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it from the sheep or from the goats:

What does Exodus 12:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. lamb ... without blemish--The smallest deformity or defect made a lamb unfit for sacrifice--a type of Christ (He 7:26; 1Pe 1:19). a male of the first year--Christ in the prime of life.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 Without blemish - Having no natural imperfection, no disease, no deficiency or redundancy of parts. On this point the rabbins have trifled most egregiously, reckoning fifty blemishes that render a lamb or kid, or any animal, improper to be sacrificed: five in the ear, three in the eyelid, eight in the eye, three in the nose, six in the mouth, etc., etc. A male of the first year - That is, any age in the first year between eight days and twelve months. From the sheep, or from the goats - The שה seh means either; and either was equally proper if without blemish. The Hebrews however in general preferred the lamb to the kid.

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 12:5 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.

שֶׂ֥הseha lambH7716
תָמִ֛יםta.MimunblemishedH8549
זָכָ֥רza.KharmaleH2145
בֶּן\־ben-a son ofH1121
שָׁנָ֖הsha.Naha yearH8141
יִהְיֶ֣הyih.Yehit will beH1961
לָכֶ֑םla.Khemfor <the> you
מִן\־min-one ofH4480
הַכְּבָשִׂ֥יםha.ke.va.Simthe lambsH3532
וּמִן\־u.min-and one ofH4480
הָעִזִּ֖יםha.'i.Zimthe goatsH5795
תִּקָּֽחוּ\׃ti.Ka.chuyou will takeH3947

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

Cross references for Exodus 12:5

  • Hebrews 9:13-14

    For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

  • 1 Peter 1:18-19

    Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

  • Malachi 1:14

    But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

  • Malachi 1:7-8

    Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Deuteronomy 17:1

    Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Lord thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the Lord thy God.

  • Leviticus 23:12

    And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord.

  • Hebrews 7:26

    For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

  • Leviticus 22:18-24

    Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord for a burnt offering; Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. …

  • Leviticus 1:10

    And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.

  • Leviticus 1:3

    If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
be without.
Le 1:3,10; 22:19-24; De 17:1; Mal 1:7,8,14; Heb 7:26; 9:13,14
1Pe 1:18,19
a male of the first year. Heb. son of a year.
Le 23:12; 1Sa 13:1; *marg:

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Exodus 12:5

    Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

  • 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.

Read all of Exodus 12

Exodus 12:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El cordero será sin defecto, macho de un año: tomaréislo de las ovejas ó de las cabras:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Vous aurez un agneau sans défaut, mâle, âgé d’un an; vous le prendrez d’entre les moutons ou d’entre les chèvres;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ein Lamm ohne Fehl sollt ihr haben, ein männliches, einjährig; von den Schafen oder von den Ziegen sollt ihr es nehmen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Erit autem agnus absque macula, masculus, anniculus: juxta quem ritum tolletis et hædum.