Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

EXODUS 12:9KJV
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Exodus 12:9 (KJV)

What does Exodus 12:9 mean?

Exodus 12:9 instructs the Israelites not to eat the Passover lamb raw or boiled in water, but to roast it whole over fire, including its head, legs, and inner parts. This command sets out exactly how the lamb should be prepared and eaten during the first Passover in Egypt.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses and Aaron, giving them detailed instructions for the Israelites to follow on the night of the Exodus. The focus on roasting with fire rather than boiling or eating raw highlights a specific method of preparation that sets the Passover meal apart from ordinary meals, emphasizing obedience and the seriousness of the occasion.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 12:9

  • "Raw" (נָא, na'): This word means uncooked or underdone. The instruction not to eat the lamb "raw" stresses that the meal should not be hastily or carelessly prepared.
  • "Sodden" (בָּשַׁל, bashal): This word means boiled or cooked in water. The command to avoid boiling the lamb further narrows the method to roasting only, which was less common and more symbolic.
  • "Roast" (צָלָה, tsalah): This word means to cook over fire. Roasting was a direct, intense method, possibly symbolizing purity or judgment, and it made the meal distinct.
  • "Purtenance" (קֶרֶב, qerev): This word refers to the inner parts or entrails. Including the head, legs, and inner parts in the roasting shows the lamb was to be kept whole, not divided or prepared in pieces.

Why Exodus 12:9 matters

  • Exodus 12:9 clarifies that the Passover meal was not just about eating lamb, but about following a specific ritual that marked the Israelites as set apart for God.
  • The verse helps prevent misunderstandings about how the Passover lamb was to be prepared, showing that every detail mattered in this foundational event.
  • By requiring the lamb to be roasted whole, Exodus 12:9 connects to the themes of wholeness, unity, and obedience that run through the Passover story and the broader narrative of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

Where else these words appear

“sodden” Hebrew H1311 · used in 2 verses

  • Numbers 6:19 And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:

“roast” Hebrew H6748 · used in 3 verses

  • Exodus 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
  • Isaiah 44:16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:

“legs” Hebrew H3767 · used in 9 verses

  • Exodus 29:17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.
  • Leviticus 1:13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
  • Leviticus 9:14 And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar.

“sodden” Hebrew H1310 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 40:10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
  • Numbers 11:8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
  • 2 Kings 6:29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.