And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

EXODUS 12:43KJV
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Exodus 12:43 (KJV)

What does Exodus 12:43 mean?

Exodus 12:43 states that God gave Moses and Aaron a specific rule about the Passover meal: no "stranger" was allowed to eat it. This meant that only certain people—those who were part of the Israelite community—could take part in this important event.

In this verse, the LORD (God) is speaking directly to Moses and Aaron as leaders of the Israelites, giving them instructions during the first Passover in Egypt. The rule sets a boundary around the Passover meal, marking it as something special for the community of Israel and not for outsiders or foreigners who were not part of their group.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 12:43

  • "Ordinance" (חֻקָּה, ḥuqqah): This word means a set rule or statute. Its use here shows that the Passover was not just a one-time event but a lasting, formal command for Israel.
  • "Passover" (פֶּסַח, pesach): This is the special meal and ritual remembering God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt. The word itself points to the act of God "passing over" the houses of the Israelites.
  • "Stranger" (בֶּן־נֵכָר, ben-nekar): This phrase means someone who is not part of the Israelite family or community. It highlights that participation in the Passover meal was limited to those who belonged to Israel, underlining the meal’s role in shaping group identity.

Why Exodus 12:43 matters

  • Exodus 12:43 clarifies that the Passover meal was not just a cultural or social event but a religious boundary marker for the Israelites, setting them apart from other peoples.
  • This verse helps explain later passages where exceptions or conditions are given for non-Israelites to join in, showing that inclusion required a formal step into the community.
  • The instruction emphasizes the seriousness and sacredness of the Passover, reinforcing that it was not open to everyone but reserved for those in covenant with God.

Where else these words appear

“stranger” Hebrew H5236 · used in 35 verses

  • Genesis 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
  • 2 Samuel 22:45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
  • Psalms 144:11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

“passover” Hebrew H6453 · used in 46 verses

  • Exodus 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.
  • Numbers 33:3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
  • 2 Chronicles 30:18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one

“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.