Exodus 12:42

“It was a night of watching for YHWH, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; this night is for YHWH a night of watching for all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.”

Exodus 12:42 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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42

Exodus 12:42, word by word

was a nightלֵילlel

night

Night.

Where else “lel” appears
of watchingשִׁמֻּרִיםshimurim

vigil

Vigil: a night of keeping watch. It occurs only in Exodus 12:42.

Where else “shimurim” appears
for YHWHיהוָהyhva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yhva” appears
to bring them outהוֹצִיאָhotsia

bring out

To lead someone out: "I led you out of Egypt".

Where else “hotsia” appears
of the landאֶרֶץerets

land

A region or nation, above all Israel's.

Where else “erets” appears
of Egyptמִצְרָיִםmitsrayim

Egypt, Mizraim

See it on the mapWhere else “mitsrayim” appears
the sonsבְּנֵיbene

descendant

A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".

Where else “bene” appears
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

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
throughout their generationsדֹרֹתָdorota

generation

The people of the same time.

Where else “dorota” appears

Places in this verse

JerusalemEgypt
Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.
  • Egypt

    Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)

    A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.

    Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).

    Genesis 12:10Genesis 37:28Exodus 12:41Matthew 2:14

The context

41At the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that very day, all the armies of YHWH went out from the land of Egypt.

42 · This verse (above)

43YHWH said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it.

Read all of Exodus 12

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