Exodus 12:2 "This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.

◄ Exodus 12:2 ►

New International Version
“This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.

New Living Translation
“From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you.

English Standard Version
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.

Berean Standard Bible
“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.

King James Bible
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

New King James Version
“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

New American Standard Bible
“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you.

NASB 1995
“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

NASB 1977
“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

Legacy Standard Bible
“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

Amplified Bible
“This month shall be the beginning of months to you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

Christian Standard Bible
“This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year.

American Standard Version
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Contemporary English Version
This month is to be the first month of the year for you.

English Revised Version
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"This month will be the very first month of the year for you.

Good News Translation
"This month is to be the first month of the year for you.

International Standard Version
"This month will mark the beginning of months for you. It will be the first month of the year for you.

Majority Standard Bible
“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.

NET Bible
"This month is to be your beginning of months; it will be your first month of the year.

New Heart English Bible
"This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.

Webster's Bible Translation
This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

World English Bible
“This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
“This month [is] the chief of months to you—it [is] the first of the months of the year to you;

Young's Literal Translation
This month is to you the chief of months -- it is the first to you of the months of the year;

Smith's Literal Translation
This month is to you the beginning of months: this to you the first month of the year.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first in the months of the year.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“This month will be for you the beginning of the months. It will be first in the months of the year.

New American Bible
This month will stand at the head of your calendar; you will reckon it the first month of the year.

New Revised Standard Version
This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“This month shall be to you the beginning month before me; it shall be to you for all months of the year.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it is the first to you among the months of the year.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The First Passover
1Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year. 3Tell 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.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Leviticus 23:5
The Passover to the LORD begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Numbers 9:1-5
In the first month of the second year after Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: / “The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time. / You are to observe it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with its statutes and ordinances.” ...

Deuteronomy 16:1
Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

Ezekiel 45:18
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary.

2 Chronicles 35:1
Then Josiah kept the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Nehemiah 2:1
Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,

Esther 3:7
In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

Psalm 81:3
Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

Isaiah 66:23
From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.

Daniel 12:11
And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.

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
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.

Acts 12:3-4
And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. / He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

Treasury of Scripture

This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Exodus 13:4
This day came ye out in the month Abib.

Exodus 23:15
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

Exodus 34:18
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

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Beginning Chief First Month Months

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Beginning Chief First Month Months

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

Berean Study Bible

This month
The phrase "this month" refers to the Hebrew month of Nisan, which is significant as it marks the beginning of the Jewish religious calendar. In the Hebrew text, the word for "month" is "chodesh," which also means "new moon," indicating the start of a new cycle. This is a time of renewal and new beginnings, symbolizing liberation and the start of a new life for the Israelites as they prepare to leave Egypt. Historically, this month is associated with the spring season, a time of rebirth and growth, aligning with the theme of deliverance and hope.

is to be
This phrase indicates a command from God, establishing a divine ordinance. The Hebrew verb used here is "hayah," which means "to be" or "to become." It signifies a transformation in the way time is to be perceived by the Israelites. This is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate that sets the foundation for the Jewish calendar and religious observances. It underscores the authority of God in ordering the times and seasons, reminding the Israelites of His sovereignty over creation and history.

for you
The phrase "for you" personalizes the command, making it specific to the Israelites. It emphasizes that this new beginning is a gift and a responsibility given to them by God. The Hebrew word "lachem" is used, which is a plural form, indicating that this command is for the entire community of Israel. It highlights the collective identity and unity of the people as they embark on this new chapter. This communal aspect is crucial, as it reinforces the idea that their identity and destiny are intertwined with God's purposes.

the first month
This designation of "the first month" establishes a new order and priority in the lives of the Israelites. The Hebrew term "rishon" means "first" or "chief," indicating preeminence. By making Nisan the first month, God is reorienting their calendar around the event of the Exodus, which is central to their identity as a people chosen and redeemed by God. This reordering of time serves as a constant reminder of their deliverance and the covenant relationship they have with God.

of your year
The phrase "of your year" signifies the beginning of a new annual cycle. The Hebrew word "shana" means "year," and it is derived from a root that means "to repeat" or "to change." This suggests that each year is an opportunity for renewal and transformation. By establishing this month as the start of their year, God is embedding the memory of the Exodus into the rhythm of their lives, ensuring that each year begins with a reflection on His saving acts. This annual commemoration serves to strengthen their faith and commitment to God, reminding them of His faithfulness and their identity as His people.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) The beginning of months.--Hitherto the Hebrews had commenced the year with Tisri, at or near the autumnal equinox. (See Exodus 23:16.) In thus doing, they followed neither the Egyptian nor the Babylonian custom. The Egyptians began the year in June, with the first rise of the Nile; the Babylonians in Nisannu, at the vernal equinox. It was this month which was now made, by God's command, the first month of the Hebrew year; but as yet it had not the name Nisan: it was called Abib (Exodus 13:4), the month of "greenness." Henceforth the Hebrews had two years, a civil and a sacred one (Joseph., Ant. Jud., i. 3, ? 3). The civil year began with Tisri, in the autumn, at the close of the harvest; the sacred year began with Abib (called afterwards Nisan), six months earlier. It followed that the first civil was the seventh sacred month, and vice versa.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2 - This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. The Israelite year would seem to have hitherto commenced with the autumnal equinox (Exodus 23:16), or at any rate with the month Tisri (or Ethanim), which corresponded to our October. Henceforth two reckonings were employed, one for sacred, the other for civil purposes, the first month of each year, sacred or civil, being the seventh month of the other. Abib, "the month of ears" - our April, nearly - became now the first month of the ecclesiastical year, while Tisri became its seventh or sabbatical month. It is remarkable that neither the Egyptians nor the Babylonians agreed with the original Israelite practice, the Egyptians commencing their year with Thoth, or July; and the Babylonians and Assyrians theirs with Nisannu, or April.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

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

month
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ (ha·ḥō·ḏeš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

is the beginning
רֹ֣אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

of months for you;
חֳדָשִׁ֑ים (ḥo·ḏā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

it [shall be]
הוּא֙ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

the first
רִאשׁ֥וֹן (ri·šō·wn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

month
לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י (lə·ḥā·ḏə·šê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

of your
לָכֶ֔ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

year.
הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ (haš·šā·nāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

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OT Law: Exodus 12:2 This month shall be to you (Exo. Ex)