Exodus 12:18

In the first month you are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD issues this command to Moses and Aaron in Egypt to establish a permanent statute for Israel (Exodus 12:17). The instruction follows the initial Passover declaration and the announcement of the Exodus (Exodus 12:1).

The words — The Hebrew specifies תֹּאכְל֖וּ (to.khe.Lu) as "you will eat" and מַצֹּ֑ת (ma.Tzot) as "unleavened bread" (H398; H4682). It anchors the timeline with בָּ/עֶ֔רֶב (ba./'E.rev) meaning "in the evening" and לַ/חֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ (la./Cho.desh) meaning "of the month" (H6153; H2320).

The thread — This seven-day eating window corresponds to the removal mandate in Exodus 12:15 and the Passover start at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month in Leviticus 23:5. The surrounding text extends the leaven prohibition to every resident, native or foreigner, with a covenant penalty (Exodus 12:19).

Why it lands — The text commands a strict calendar boundary for consuming unleavened bread and purging leaven from all dwellings. Readers must observe this exact period as a non-negotiable communal statute.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

בָּרִאשֹׁ֡ןba./ri.Shonin the/ first [month]בְּאַרְבָּעָה֩be./'ar.ba.'Ahon/ [the] four-עָשָׂ֨ר'a.Sarteen י֤וֹםYomday לַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙la./Cho.deshof the/ month בָּעֶ֔רֶבba./'E.revin the/ evening תֹּאכְל֖וּto.khe.Luyou will eat מַצֹּ֑תma.Tzotunleavened bread<s>עַ֠ד'aduntil י֣וֹםYom[the] day הָאֶחָ֧דha./'e.Chad<the>/ one וְעֶשְׂרִ֛יםve./'es.Rimand/ twenty לַחֹ֖דֶשׁla./Cho.deshof the/ month בָּעָֽרֶב׃ba./'A.revin the/ evening

King James Version

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

Cross-references

Exodus 12:15 For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.
Leviticus 23:5 The Passover to the LORD begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Exodus 12:1 Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
Numbers 28:16 The fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover.