For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

EXODUS 12:23KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 12:23 (KJV)

What does Exodus 12:23 mean?

Exodus 12:23 explains that when the LORD passes through Egypt to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the doorframes of the Israelites’ houses and will pass over those homes, not allowing the destroyer to enter and harm them. The verse highlights that the visible sign of blood protects the inhabitants from the judgment coming upon Egypt.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites during the first Passover in Egypt. The people have been instructed to mark their doorways with lamb’s blood as a sign. The verse describes a specific moment when God Himself will move through Egypt, but the blood will serve as a protective sign, ensuring that the “destroyer” does not enter the marked houses.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 12:23

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing that it is God Himself who acts and protects.
  • pass through (עָבַר, avar): This word means to move across or through, showing that God is actively present in the event, not distant or uninvolved.
  • destroyer (מַשְׁחִית, mashchit): This term refers to an agent of destruction, often understood as an angel or force carrying out God’s judgment. The verse makes clear that this destroyer acts only with God’s permission.
  • blood (דָּם, dam): The blood is the crucial sign; it is not the door itself or the people inside, but the visible mark of blood that causes God to spare the house.

Why Exodus 12:23 matters

  • Exodus 12:23 clarifies that the protection of the Israelites was not automatic but depended on their obedience to God’s specific instructions about the blood.
  • The verse emphasizes God’s direct involvement and authority, both in judgment and in mercy, by using His personal name and by controlling the actions of the destroyer.
  • This verse connects to the larger Passover narrative, showing how the ritual actions of the Israelites were tied to their deliverance and became a lasting symbol for future generations.

Where else these words appear

“lintel” Hebrew H4947 · used in 3 verses

  • Exodus 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
  • Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

“over” Hebrew H6452 · used in 7 verses

  • Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
  • 2 Samuel 4:4 And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
  • 1 Kings 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

“posts” Hebrew H4201 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
  • Judges 16:3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
  • Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

“smite” Hebrew H5062 · used in 46 verses

  • Exodus 8:2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:
  • 1 Samuel 4:2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;