Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.

EXODUS 13:6KJV
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Exodus 13:6 (KJV)

What does Exodus 13:6 mean?

Exodus 13:6 commands the Israelites to eat unleavened bread for seven days, and to hold a special feast to the LORD on the seventh day. This instruction is part of the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which follows the Passover.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel after their escape from Egypt. The command sets out a week-long period where only bread made without yeast is eaten, ending with a dedicated celebration to God. This practice was meant to remind the Israelites of their hasty departure from Egypt, when there was no time to let bread rise.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 13:6

  • "Unleavened bread" (מַצּוֹת, matzot) refers to bread made without yeast, symbolizing both purity and the haste of the Exodus.
  • "Feast" (חָג, chag) means a festival or celebration, highlighting that the seventh day was not just the end of the week but a joyful occasion set apart for God.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH) is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing that this feast is directed specifically to Israel’s God, not just a general celebration.

Why Exodus 13:6 matters

  • Exodus 13:6 clarifies that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is not just a single meal but a full week, with a special emphasis on the final day as a feast to God.
  • This verse connects the ritual of eating unleavened bread directly to Israel’s history and identity, tying their worship practices to the story of their deliverance from Egypt.
  • The instruction helps set apart the Israelites’ worship from surrounding cultures by specifying both the duration and the focus of the celebration.

Where else these words appear

“bread” Hebrew H4682 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 19:3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
  • Leviticus 2:5 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
  • 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:

“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.

“seventh” Hebrew H7637 · used in 94 verses

  • Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
  • Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
  • 1 Kings 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.