Exodus 12:20 Study Bible: You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.'"

◄ Exodus 12:20 ►

You are not to eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes."

You are not to eat anything leavened
This command is a direct instruction from God to the Israelites, emphasizing the prohibition of consuming leavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Hebrew word for "leavened" is "chametz," which refers to any fermented product. In the context of the Exodus, leaven symbolizes sin and corruption, as it permeates and alters the dough. The removal of leaven from their homes and diet was a physical representation of the need for spiritual purity and separation from sin. Historically, this practice served as a reminder of the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not having time to let their bread rise. Spiritually, it calls believers to examine their lives and remove any sin that might corrupt their relationship with God.

eat nothing leavened
The repetition of the command underscores its importance. The Hebrew structure here is emphatic, reinforcing the seriousness of the prohibition. This repetition serves as a pedagogical tool, ensuring that the Israelites understand the gravity of the command. In a broader scriptural context, this mirrors the New Testament teachings where believers are called to live lives free from the "leaven" of malice and wickedness, as seen in 1 Corinthians 5:8. The emphasis on "nothing" highlights the totality of the exclusion, pointing to the comprehensive nature of holiness that God desires from His people.

in all your homes
The phrase "in all your homes" indicates that this command was not just for public observance but was to be practiced within the private sphere of the household. The Hebrew word "beyt" for "homes" signifies not just a physical dwelling but also the family unit. This instruction implies that holiness and obedience to God's commands begin at home, within the family. It is a call for the Israelites to ensure that their domestic life aligns with God's statutes. Archaeologically, evidence of ancient Israelite homes shows that they were central to community life, reinforcing the idea that faith and practice were deeply integrated into daily living.

you shall eat unleavened bread
The command to "eat unleavened bread" is both a literal and symbolic act. The Hebrew word "matzah" refers to bread made without yeast, which is flat and simple. This bread is a reminder of the Israelites' affliction in Egypt and their subsequent deliverance. It symbolizes humility and reliance on God, contrasting with the puffed-up nature of leavened bread, which represents pride and self-sufficiency. Scripturally, unleavened bread is a type of Christ, who is sinless and pure. The act of eating unleavened bread is a call to partake in the life of Christ, embracing His purity and righteousness. This practice is a profound reminder of God's deliverance and the call to live a life set apart for Him.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Moses
The leader chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. He communicated God's instructions regarding the Passover to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The descendants of Jacob, who were enslaved in Egypt and were instructed to observe the Passover as a sign of their deliverance.

3. Egypt
The land where the Israelites were enslaved and from which God was delivering them through the events of the Passover.

4. Passover
A significant event where God passed over the houses of the Israelites marked with lamb's blood, sparing them from the plague of the firstborn.

5. Unleavened Bread
Bread made without yeast, symbolizing purity and the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt.

Teaching Points

Symbolism of Leaven
Leaven often symbolizes sin and corruption in the Bible. The removal of leaven from the home during Passover represents the need for spiritual cleansing and purity.

Obedience to God's Commands
The Israelites' adherence to God's instructions regarding unleavened bread demonstrates the importance of obedience in the life of a believer.

Remembrance of Deliverance
The practice of eating unleavened bread serves as a reminder of God's deliverance and faithfulness, encouraging believers to remember and celebrate God's work in their lives.

Spiritual Readiness
Just as the Israelites had to be ready to leave Egypt at a moment's notice, Christians are called to live in a state of spiritual readiness, prepared for Christ's return.

Community and Family Worship
The command to eat unleavened bread in all homes highlights the importance of worship and obedience within the family and community setting.

Bible Study Questions

1. What does the removal of leaven from the home symbolize in the context of the Passover, and how can this be applied to our spiritual lives today?

2. How does the practice of eating unleavened bread during Passover connect to the New Testament teachings on purity and sin?

3. In what ways can we ensure that our homes and communities reflect the obedience and purity symbolized by unleavened bread?

4. How can the remembrance of God's deliverance in the past encourage us in our current spiritual journey?

5. What practical steps can we take to maintain a state of spiritual readiness, as exemplified by the Israelites during the Passover?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Leviticus 23:6
This verse discusses the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is a continuation of the Passover celebration, emphasizing the importance of eating unleavened bread for seven days.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Paul uses the metaphor of leaven to discuss sin and purity, urging believers to live as unleavened, or pure, in Christ.

Deuteronomy 16:3
This verse reiterates the command to eat unleavened bread, calling it the "bread of affliction," reminding the Israelites of their deliverance from Egypt.

Sermons

The Institution of the Passover	D. Young	Exodus 12:1-28
The Passover	J. Orr	Exodus 12:1-29
The Passover	H.T. Robjohns	Exodus 12:1-28, 43-51
The Passover Feast the Type of the Christian Life	J. Urquhart	Exodus 12:14-20

People

Aaron, Egyptians, Israelites, Moses, Pharaoh

Places

Egypt, Rameses, Succoth

Topics

Anything, Bread, Cakes, Dwellings, Eat, Fermented, Habitations, Leaven, Leavened, Nothing, Unleavened, Wherever, Yeast

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Exodus 12:1-20

4530 unleavened bread
8629 worship, times

Exodus 12:14-20

     4418   bread
     7394   memorial
     7525   exclusiveness

Exodus 12:15-20

7360 Feast of Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:17-20

4554 yeast
7545 outsiders

Library

The Passover: an Expiation and a Feast, a Memorial and a Prophecy
'And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 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: 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 …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Exodus
The land of Egypt is a picture of the house of bondage into which all God's covenant people will, sooner or later, be brought on account of their sin. All those whom God means to give an inheritance in Canaan, he will first take down into Egypt. Even Jesus Christ himself went into Egypt before he appeared publicly as a teacher before the world, that in his instance, as well as in that of every Christian, the prophecy might be fulfilled--"Out of Egypt have I called my Son." Every one who enjoys the …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

A Question for Communicants
"What mean ye by this service?"--Exodus 12:26. IN A SPIRITUAL religion, everything must be understood. That which is not spiritual, but ritualistic, contents itself with the outward form. Under the Jewish dispensation, there was a very strong tendency in that direction; but it was kept to some extent in check. Under the Christian faith, this tendency must not be tolerated at all. We must know the meaning of what we do; otherwise we are not profited. We do not believe in the faith of the man who was …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

The Blood
Now, at the time of which this Book of Exodus speaks, Egypt was exposed to a terrible peril. Jehovah himself was about to march through the streets of all the cities of Egypt. It was not merely a destroying angel, but Jehovah himself; for thus it is written, "I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast." No one less than I AM, the great God, had vowed to "cut Rahab" with the sword of vengeance. Tremble, ye inhabitants …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

The Birthnight of Freedom
(Easter Day.) Exodus xii. 42. This is a night to be much observed unto the Lord, for bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt. To be much observed unto the Lord by the children of Israel. And by us, too, my friends; and by all nations who call themselves FREE. There are many and good ways of looking at Easter Day. Let us look at it in this way for once. It is the day on which God himself set men FREE. Consider the story. These Israelites, the children of Abraham, the brave, wild patriarch …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

Of the Practice of Piety in Holy Feasting.
Holy feasting is a solemn thanksgiving, appointed by authority, to be rendered to God on some special day, for some extraordinary blessings or deliverances received. Such among the Jews was the feast of the Passover (Exod. xii. 15), to remember to praise God for their deliverance out of Egypt's bondage; or the feast of Purim (Esth. ix. 19, 21), to give thanks for their deliverance from Haman's conspiracy. Such amongst us is the fifth of November, to praise God for the deliverance of the king and …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Of Preparation.
That a Christian ought necessarily to prepare himself before he presume to be a partaker of the holy communion, may evidently appear by five reasons:-- First, Because it is God's commandment; for if he commanded, under the pain of death, that none uncircumcised should eat the paschal lamb (Exod. xii. 48), nor any circumcised under four days preparation, how much greater preparation does he require of him that comes to receive the sacrament of his body and blood? which, as it succeeds, so doth it …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Reaction against Egypt
THE XIth DYNASTY: HARMHABI--THE HITTITE EMPIRE IN SYRIA AND IN ASIA MINOR--SETI I. AND RAMSES II.--THE PEOPLE OF THE SEA: MINEPHTAH AND THE ISRAELITE EXODUS. The birth and antecedents of Harmhabi, his youth, his enthronement--The final triumph of Amon and his priests--Harmhabi infuses order into the government: his wars against the Ethiopians and Asiatics--The Khati, their civilization, religion; their political and military constitution; the extension of their empire towards the north--The countries …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 5

The Typical Significance of the Scriptures Declare their Divine Authorship
"In the volume of the Book it is written of Me" (Heb. 10:7). Christ is the Key to the Scriptures. Said He, "Search the Scriptures..they are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39), and the "Scriptures" to which He had reference, were not the four Gospels for they were not then written, but the writings of Moses and the prophets. The Old Testament Scriptures then are something more than a compilation of historical records, something more than a system of social and religious legislation, something …
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

Preparation for Passover. Disciples Contend for Precedence.
(Bethany to Jerusalem. Thursday Afternoon and, After Sunset, Beginning of Friday.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 17-20; ^B Mark XIV. 12-17; ^C Luke XXII. 7-18, 24-30. ^c 7 And the day of unleavened bread came, on which the passover must be sacrificed. [See p. 57. Leaven was to the Jew a symbol of corruption and impurity, because it causes bread to become stale. The feast of unleavened bread began properly on the fifteenth of Nisan, and lasted seven days, but this was the fourteenth Nisan, the day on which the paschal …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Bread and Wine
"And as they were eating, He took bread, and when He had blessed, He brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is My body. And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave to them: and they all drank of it. And He said unto them, This is My blood of the covenant, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." MARK 14:22-25 (R.V.) HOW much does the Gospel of St. Mark tell us …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
ONLY those who have made study of it can have any idea how large, and sometimes bewildering, is the literature on the subject of Jewish Proselytes and their Baptism. Our present remarks will be confined to the Baptism of Proselytes. 1. Generally, as regards proselytes (Gerim) we have to distinguish between the Ger ha-Shaar (proselyte of the gate) and Ger Toshabh (sojourner,' settled among Israel), and again the Ger hatstsedeq (proselyte of righteousness) and Ger habberith (proselyte of the covenant). …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Johannine Writings
BY the Johannine writings are meant the Apocalypse and the fourth gospel, as well as the three catholic epistles to which the name of John is traditionally attached. It is not possible to enter here into a review of the critical questions connected with them, and especially into the question of their authorship. The most recent criticism, while it seems to bring the traditional authorship into greater uncertainty, approaches more nearly than was once common to the position of tradition in another …
James Denney—The Death of Christ

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Opposition to Messiah in Vain
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. T he extent and efficacy [effects] of the depravity of mankind cannot be fully estimated by the conduct of heathens destitute of divine revelation. We may say of the Gospel, in one sense, what the Apostle says of the Law, It entered that sin might abound (Romans 5:20) . It afforded occasion for displaying the alienation of the heart of man from the blessed God, in the strongest light. The sensuality, oppression and …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Sundry Exhortations.
HEBREWS xiii. Let love of the brethren continue. Forget not to shew love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; them that are evil entreated, as being yourselves also in the body. Let marriage be had in honour among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for Himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Peaceable Principles and True: Or, a Brief Answer to Mr. D'Anver's and Mr. Paul's Books against My Confession of Faith, and Differences in Judgment About Baptism no Bar to Communion.
WHEREIN THEIR SCRIPTURELESS NOTIONS ARE OVERTHROWN, AND MY PEACEABLE PRINCIPLES STILL MAINTAINED. 'Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?'--Psalm 58:1 SIR, I have received and considered your short reply to my differences in judgment about water baptism no bar to communion; and observe, that you touch not the argument at all: but rather labour what you can, and beyond what you ought, to throw odiums upon your brother for reproving you for your error, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth Year.
(Nazareth and Jerusalem, a.d. 7 or 8.) ^C Luke II. 40-52. ^c 40 And the child grew [This verse contains the history of thirty years. It describes the growth of our Lord as a natural, human growth (compare Luke i. 80); for, though Jesus was truly divine, he was also perfectly man. To try to distinguish between the divine and human in Jesus, is to waste time upon an impracticable mystery which is too subtle for our dull and finite minds], and waxed strong [His life expanded like other human lives. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Scriptures
Q-II: WHAT RULE HAS GOD GIVEN TO DIRECT US HOW WE MAY GLORIFY AND ENJOY HIM? A: The Word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 2 Tim 3:16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,' By Scripture is understood the sacred Book of God. It is given by divine inspiration; that is, the Scripture is not the contrivance of man's brain, but is divine in its origin. The image of Diana was had in veneration …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jesus, My Rock.
When the storm and the tempest are raging around me, Oh! where shall I flee to be safe from their shock? There are walls which no mortal hands built to surround me, A Refuge Eternal,--'Tis JESUS MY ROCK! When my heart is all sorrow, and trials aggrieve me, To whom can I safely my secrets unlock? No bosom (save one) has the power to relieve me, The bosom which bled for me, JESUS MY ROCK! When Life's gloomy curtain, at last, shall close o'er me, And the chill hand of death unexpectedly knock, I will …
John Ross Macduff—The Cities of Refuge: or, The Name of Jesus

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