Exodus 12:17
New International Version
“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.

New Living Translation
“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.

English Standard Version
And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.

Berean Standard Bible
So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a permanent statute for the generations to come.

King James Bible
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

New King James Version
So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.

New American Standard Bible
You shall also keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your multitudes out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall keep this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.

NASB 1995
You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.

NASB 1977
‘You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall also keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall keep this day throughout your generations as a perpetual statute.

Amplified Bible
You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your hosts [grouped according to tribal armies] out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an ordinance forever.

Christian Standard Bible
“You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on this very day I brought your military divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute.

American Standard Version
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Contemporary English Version
Celebrate this Festival of Thin Bread as a way of remembering the day that I brought your families and tribes out of Egypt. And do this each year.

English Revised Version
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread because it was on this very day that I brought you out of Egypt in organized family groups. This is a permanent law for future generations: You must celebrate this day.

Good News Translation
Keep this festival, because it was on this day that I brought your tribes out of Egypt. For all time to come you must celebrate this day as a festival.

International Standard Version
"'You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, since on this very day I brought your tribal divisions from the land of Egypt. You are to observe this day from generation to generation as a perpetual ordinance.

Majority Standard Bible
So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a permanent statute for the generations to come.

NET Bible
So you will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your regiments out from the land of Egypt, and so you must keep this day perpetually as a lasting ordinance.

New Heart English Bible
You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day have I brought your regiments out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.

Webster's Bible Translation
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

World English Bible
You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and you have observed the Unleavened Things, for in this very day I have brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt, and you have observed this day throughout your generations—a continuous statute.

Young's Literal Translation
and ye have observed the unleavened things, for in this self-same day I have brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt, and ye have observed this day to your generations -- a statute age-during.

Smith's Literal Translation
And ye watched the unleavened; for in this self-same day I brought forth your armies out of the land of Egypt and watch ye this day for your generations a law forever.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And you shall observe the feast of the unleavened bread: for in this same day I will bring forth your army out of the land of Egypt, and you shall keep this day in your generations by a perpetual observance.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. For on this same day, I will lead your army out of the land of Egypt, and you shall keep this day, in your generations, as a perpetual ritual.

New American Bible
Keep, then, the custom of the unleavened bread, since it was on this very day that I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. You must observe this day throughout your generations as a statute forever.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your companies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for on this very day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall keep the unleavened bread because in this day I have brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt and you shall keep this day for your generations, a law to eternity.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And ye shall keep this commandment, for on this day will I bring out your force out of the land of Egypt; and ye shall make this day a perpetual ordinance for you throughout your generations.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
16On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly, and another on the seventh day. You must not do any work on those days, except to prepare the meals—that is all you may do. 17So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a permanent statute for the generations to come. 18In the first month you are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.…

Cross References
Leviticus 23:6-8
On the fifteenth day of the same month begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. / On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any regular work. / For seven days you are to present a food offering to the LORD. On the seventh day there shall be a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work.’”

Deuteronomy 16:3-8
You must not eat leavened bread with it; for seven days you are to eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left the land of Egypt in haste—so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt. / No leaven is to be found in all your land for seven days, and none of the meat you sacrifice in the evening of the first day shall remain until morning. / You are not to sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you. ...

Numbers 28:16-25
The fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover. / On the fifteenth day of this month, there shall be a feast; for seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten. / On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work. ...

1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. / Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.

Matthew 26:17-19
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” / He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house.’” / So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:12-16
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” / So He sent two of His disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him, / and whichever house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ ...

Luke 22:7-13
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. / Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” / “Where do You want us to prepare it?” they asked. ...

John 13:1-17
It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end. / The evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. / Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God. ...

Hebrews 11:28
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.

2 Chronicles 30:1-5
Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. / For the king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month, / since they had been unable to keep it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem. ...

2 Chronicles 35:1-19
Then Josiah kept the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. / He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. / To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. ...

Ezekiel 45:21
On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to observe the Passover, a feast of seven days, during which unleavened bread shall be eaten.

Joshua 5:10-12
On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover. / The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. / And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.

Ezra 6:19-22
On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover. / All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves. / The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel. ...

Nehemiah 8:14-18
And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, / and that they should proclaim this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” / And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall you observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

in this selfsame

Exodus 7:5
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

Exodus 13:8
And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.

Numbers 20:16
And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

an ordinance

Exodus 12:14
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Jump to Previous
Age-During Armies Bread Celebrate Divisions Egypt Feast Forever Generations Hosts Kept Lasting Observe Observed Ordinance Permanent Selfsame Self-Same Statute Throughout Unleavened
Jump to Next
Age-During Armies Bread Celebrate Divisions Egypt Feast Forever Generations Hosts Kept Lasting Observe Observed Ordinance Permanent Selfsame Self-Same Statute Throughout Unleavened
Exodus 12
1. The beginning of the year is changed
3. The Passover is instituted
11. The import of the rite of the Passover
15. Unleavened bread
29. The firstborn are slain
31. The Israelites are driven out of the land
37. They come to Succoth
41. The time of their sojourning
43. The ordinance of the Passover














So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread
This phrase commands the Israelites to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a significant festival in the Jewish calendar. The Hebrew word for "keep" is "shamar," which means to guard, protect, or observe. This implies a diligent and careful observance, highlighting the importance of this feast in the life of the Israelites. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, known as "Chag HaMatzot" in Hebrew, commemorates the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not having time for their bread to rise. This festival is a reminder of God's deliverance and the need for purity and separation from sin, as leaven often symbolizes sin in the Bible.

for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt
The phrase "on this very day" emphasizes the specific timing and divine orchestration of the Exodus. The Hebrew word "etzem" (translated as "very") underscores the exactness and significance of the day. "Divisions" refers to the organized groups or tribes of Israel, highlighting the orderly and purposeful nature of their departure. This historical event is foundational to Jewish identity and faith, symbolizing God's power and faithfulness in delivering His people from bondage.

Therefore, you must observe this day as a lasting ordinance
The word "observe" again uses the Hebrew "shamar," reinforcing the importance of careful and intentional remembrance. "Lasting ordinance" translates the Hebrew "chukat olam," meaning an eternal statute. This indicates that the observance of this day is not just for the immediate generation but for all future generations. It serves as a perpetual reminder of God's covenant and faithfulness, calling believers to remember and celebrate God's mighty acts of salvation.

for the generations to come
This phrase extends the command to future generations, ensuring that the memory of God's deliverance is preserved throughout history. The Hebrew "dor" (generations) signifies a continuous line of descendants, emphasizing the importance of passing down the faith and the account of God's deliverance. This highlights the communal and intergenerational aspect of faith, where each generation is responsible for teaching the next about God's mighty works and His covenant promises.

(17) In this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt.--On the application of the word "armies" to the people of Israel, see above (Exodus 6:26). The expression "have I brought" indicates either that these directions were not given until after the Exodus, or at any rate that they were not reduced to writing until then.

Verse 17. - In this self-same day. The 15th of Abib - the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. Have I brought your hosts out. This expression seems to prove that we have in the injunctions of verses 14-20, not the exact words of the revelation on the subject made by God to Moses before the institution of the Passover, but a re-casting of the words after the exodus had taken place. Otherwise, the expression must have been, "I will bring your hosts out." As an ordinance for ever. Easter eve, the day on which Satan was despoiled by the preaching of Jesus to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19), and on which the Church first realises its deliverance from the bondage of sin by the Atonement of Good Friday, is the Christian continuance of the first day of unleavened bread, and so answers to this text, as Good Friday to the similar command in ver. 14.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So you are to observe
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ (ū·šə·mar·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
הַמַּצּוֹת֒ (ham·maṣ·ṣō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4682: Sweetness, sweet, an unfermented cake, loaf, the festival of Passover

for
כִּ֗י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

on this
הַזֶּ֔ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

very
בְּעֶ֙צֶם֙ (bə·‘e·ṣem)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6106: A bone, the body, the substance, selfsame

day
הַיּ֣וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

I brought
הוֹצֵ֥אתִי (hō·w·ṣê·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

your divisions
צִבְאוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם (ṣiḇ·’ō·w·ṯê·ḵem)
Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

out of the land
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Egypt.
מִצְרָ֑יִם (miṣ·rā·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

You must observe
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֞ם (ū·šə·mar·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

this
הַזֶּ֛ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

day
הַיּ֥וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

as a lasting
עוֹלָֽם׃ (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

ordinance
חֻקַּ֥ת (ḥuq·qaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2708: Something prescribed, an enactment, statute

for the generations to come.
לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֖ם (lə·ḏō·rō·ṯê·ḵem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1755: A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwelling


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OT Law: Exodus 12:17 You shall observe the feast of unleavened (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 12:16
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