Exodus 12:15

“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. Indeed, on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats anything leavened, that person shall be cut off from Israel, from the first day until the seventh day.”
Exodus 12:15 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Sevenשִׁבְעַתdaysיָמִיםyou shall eatתֹּאכֵלוּunleavened bread.מַצּוֹתIndeed,אַךְon the first dayבַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹןyou shall removeתַּשְׁבִּיתוּleavenשְּׂאֹרfrom your houses,מִבָּתֵּיכֶםforכִּיwhoeverכָּלeatsאֹכֵלanything leavened,חָמֵץthatהַהִואpersonהַנֶּפֶשׁshall be cut offוְנִכְרְתָהfrom Israel,מִיִּשְׂרָאֵלfrom the first dayמִיּוֹם הָרִאשֹׁןuntilעַדthe seventhהַשְּׁבִעִיday.יוֹם

Context

The text itself gives the reason for the unleavened bread: they left Egypt in haste and the dough did not have time to rise (12:39). Deuteronomy 16:3 calls it “the bread of affliction.”

Source: Exodus 12:39; Deuteronomy 16:3

Documented fact

Theme · Matthew 26:17

Go to Matthew 26:17

Matthew 26:17 names the first day of unleavened bread; Exodus 12:15-20 commands eating it for seven days, from the first day.

The same term appears in both passages.

מַצּוֹתmatsotH4682ἀζύμωνazymōnG106“unleavened bread”

Passoverפֶּסַח / πάσχαפסח pascha

Name of the feast of the fourteenth day of the first month and of the animal that was sacrificed at it (Exodus 12:6, 21). Exodus 12:27 explains it with the verb pasach, “pass over”: YHWH passed over the houses of the Israelites. On the following day the seven days of unleavened bread began (Leviticus 23:5-6).

See it in the glossary

Exodus 12:15, word by word

Sevenשִׁבְעַתshivat

seven

Seven, the number of fullness; also "seven times".

Where else “shivat” appears

daysיָמִיםyamim

day

The day, the hours of light, or a whole day.

Where else “yamim” appears

you shall eatתֹּאכֵלוּtochelu

eat

To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.

Where else “tochelu” appears

unleavened breadמַצּוֹתmatsot

unleavened bread

Unleavened bread, made quickly because the dough does not have to rise; also the feast of Unleavened Bread.

Where else “matsot” appears

on the first dayרִאשׁוֹןrishon

first

What comes ahead in order or in time; the first.

Where else “rishon” appears

you shall removeתַּשְׁבִּיתוּtashbitu

put an end

To make something end, remove it.

Where else “tashbitu” appears

leavenשְּׂאֹרseor

leaven

Leaven: the fermented dough kept to make bread rise.

Where else “seor” appears

from your housesבָּתֵּיbate

house

A building to live in, or an enclosed place to keep something or someone.

Where else “bate” appears

anything leavenedחָמֵץchamets

what is leavened

What is leavened: bread or dough that has fermented.

Where else “chamets” appears

personנֶּפֶשׁnefesh

person

Someone as a whole; "my soul" can simply mean me.

Where else “nefesh” appears

shall be cut offנִכְרְתָהnichrta

cut off

To wipe out, or be shut out from the people.

Where else “nichrta” appears

from Israelיִּשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

the seventhשְּׁבִעִיshevii

seventh

Seventh.

Where else “shevii” appears

The context

14This day shall be for you a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a festival to YHWH; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall celebrate it.

15 · This verse (above)

16On the first day a holy convocation, and on the seventh day a holy convocation you shall have. No work shall be done on them; only what is eaten by every person, that alone may be done by you.

Read all of Exodus 12

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