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.

EXODUS 12:14KJV
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Exodus 12:14 (KJV)

What does Exodus 12:14 mean?

Exodus 12:14 says that the day of Passover is to be remembered every year as a special celebration for God, kept by the Israelites and their descendants forever. This verse sets up Passover as an ongoing tradition, not just a one-time event, and calls it a lasting law for all generations.

God is speaking to Moses and Aaron, giving instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to leave Egypt. The verse is part of the directions for the first Passover, marking the night when God would spare the Israelites and bring judgment on Egypt. By calling this day a "memorial" and an "ordinance forever," the verse emphasizes the importance of remembering and retelling what God did for them.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 12:14

  • "memorial" (זִכָּרוֹן, zikaron): This word means something meant to help people remember. Here, it stresses that Passover is not just a party, but a way to keep the story alive.
  • "ordinance" (חֻקָּה, chuqqah): This word refers to a rule or statute that is meant to be kept permanently. It signals that this feast is not optional or temporary, but a binding practice for all future generations.
  • "ever" (עוֹלָם, olam): This word often means "forever" or "for a long time." In this context, it underlines the lasting nature of the Passover celebration.

Why Exodus 12:14 matters

  • Exodus 12:14 makes clear that Passover is not just a historical event but a living tradition meant to be observed continually by the community.
  • The verse highlights that remembering God’s deliverance is central to Israel’s identity, shaping how each generation understands its relationship with God.
  • By calling Passover an "ordinance forever," Exodus 12:14 connects this command to the broader theme of remembrance and obedience that runs throughout the book of Exodus.

Where else these words appear

“keep” Hebrew H2287 · used in 14 verses

  • Exodus 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
  • Numbers 29:12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:
  • Psalms 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.

“memorial” Hebrew H2146 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
  • Numbers 5:15 Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
  • Esther 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.

“feast” Hebrew H2282 · used in 55 verses

  • Exodus 10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
  • Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
  • Psalms 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

“ordinance” Hebrew H2708 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
  • Numbers 9:3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
  • 2 Kings 23:3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.