Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

EXODUS 34:25KJV
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Exodus 34:25 (KJV)

What does Exodus 34:25 mean?

Exodus 34:25 commands the Israelites not to offer the blood of God’s sacrifice together with leavened bread, and not to let any part of the Passover feast’s sacrifice remain until morning. The verse sets specific rules for how sacrifices, especially the Passover, should be handled and respected.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving instructions for Israel’s worship and sacrificial practices. The focus is on purity and proper observance: leaven (yeast) was often seen as a symbol of corruption, so it was not to be mixed with sacrificial offerings. The rule about not leaving the Passover sacrifice until morning emphasizes the importance of following God’s instructions exactly, reflecting the seriousness of the covenant relationship.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 34:25

  • לֶחֶם (leaven, חָמֵץ ḥametz): The Hebrew word for “leaven” refers to anything fermented or containing yeast. Its exclusion from sacrifices highlights the need for purity and separation from everyday life in worship.
  • זֶבַח (sacrifice, zevaḥ): This word means a slaughtered offering, especially one made to God. The verse uses it to refer both to general sacrifices and specifically to the Passover sacrifice.
  • פֶּסַח (passover, pesach): This is the specific word for the Passover festival and its central sacrifice, recalling Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. The instruction not to leave it until morning points to the urgency and obedience required in the original Passover event.

Why Exodus 34:25 matters

  • Exodus 34:25 clarifies that worship practices were not just symbolic but had to follow precise instructions, showing the seriousness of Israel’s relationship with God.
  • The verse connects the Passover sacrifice to the original Exodus story, reminding the people that their rituals are rooted in God’s saving acts.
  • By prohibiting leaven and leftovers, the verse emphasizes the importance of purity and prompt obedience in Israel’s worship, setting them apart from surrounding cultures.

Where else these words appear

“leaven” Hebrew H2557 · used in 11 verses

  • Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
  • Exodus 23:18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
  • Leviticus 7:13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

“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

“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.

“offer” Hebrew H7819 · used in 70 verses

  • Genesis 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
  • Leviticus 9:12 And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.
  • 2 Kings 10:14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.