They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.

NUMBERS 9:12KJV
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Numbers 9:12 (KJV)

What does Numbers 9:12 mean?

Numbers 9:12 instructs that none of the Passover lamb should be left until morning and that no bone of it should be broken, following all the established rules for celebrating Passover. This verse emphasizes careful obedience to the specific rituals God gave for the Passover meal.

In Numbers 9, God is speaking to Moses, giving instructions for how the Israelites should observe Passover, especially for those who missed it the first time due to impurity or travel. The verse highlights the importance of following every detail of the Passover ordinances, showing that even small actions—like not breaking a bone or leaving leftovers—carry meaning in this sacred event.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 9:12

  • leave (שָׁאַר, sha'ar): This word means to leave behind or let remain. The instruction is not to let any part of the lamb remain until morning, stressing the completeness and urgency of the ritual.
  • break (שָׁבַר, shavar) / bone (עֶצֶם, etsem): The command not to break any bone (עֶצֶם, etsem) of the lamb is very specific, marking the meal as special and set apart from ordinary meals where bones might be broken.
  • ordinances (חֻקָּה, chuqqah): This word refers to prescribed rules or statutes. The verse underscores that every detail of the Passover (פֶּסַח, pesach) must be kept according to these established instructions.

Why Numbers 9:12 matters

  • Numbers 9:12 clarifies that the Passover was not just a symbolic meal, but a carefully regulated event with precise instructions, highlighting its significance in Israel’s relationship with God.
  • The detail about not breaking any bone of the lamb sets the Passover apart and later becomes important in other parts of the Bible, showing a continuity in how God’s instructions are remembered and honored.
  • This verse connects to the broader context of Numbers 9, where God provides a way for everyone to participate in Passover, emphasizing both the seriousness and the inclusiveness of this foundational observance.

Where else these words appear

“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

“ordinances” 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.
  • Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
  • 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.

“bone” Hebrew H6106 · used in 108 verses

  • Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
  • 2 Kings 13:21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
  • Proverbs 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

“leave” Hebrew H7604 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
  • Joshua 13:2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
  • Nehemiah 1:2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.