Exodus 12:3

12:3 Tell the whole community of Israel, ‘In the tenth day of this month they each ¹  must take a lamb ²  for themselves according to their families ³  – a lamb for each household. ⁴ 

Numbers 9:2-5

9:2 “The Israelites are to observe ⁵  the Passover ⁶  at its appointed time. ⁷  9:3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, ⁸  you are to observe it at its appointed time; you must keep ⁹  it in accordance with all its statutes and all its customs.” ¹⁰  9:4 So Moses instructed ¹¹  the Israelites to observe ¹²  the Passover. 9:5 And they observed the Passover ¹³  on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai; in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.

Joshua 5:10

5:10 So the Israelites camped in Gilgal and celebrated the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴ 

Joshua 5:2

A New Generation is Circumcised

5:2 At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.” ¹⁵ 

Joshua 23:1-2

Joshua Challenges Israel to be Faithful

23:1 A long time ¹⁶  passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies, ¹⁷  and Joshua was very old. ¹⁸  23:2 So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: “I am very old.

Joshua 1:15-17

1:15 until the Lord gives your brothers a place like yours to settle and they conquer the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to them. Then you may go back to your allotted land and occupy the land Moses the Lord’s servant assigned you east of the Jordan.” ¹⁹ 

1:16 They told Joshua, “We will do everything you say. We will go wherever you send us. 1:17 Just as we obeyed ²⁰  Moses, so we will obey you. But ²¹  may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses!

Joshua 1:5-6

1:5 No one will be able to resist you ²²  all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. 1:6 Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them. ²³ 

Ezra 6:20

6:20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, ²⁴  and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues ²⁵  the priests, and for themselves.

Matthew 26:17-19

The Passover

26:17 Now on the first day of the feast of ²⁶  Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and said, ²⁷  “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ²⁸  26:18 He ²⁹  said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” 26:19 So ³⁰  the disciples did as Jesus had instructed them, and they prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:12-16

The Passover

14:12 Now ³¹  on the first day of the feast of ³²  Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, ³³  Jesus’ ³⁴  disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ³⁵  14:13 He sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar ³⁶  of water will meet you. Follow him. 14:14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 14:15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 14:16 So ³⁷  the disciples left, went ³⁸  into the city, and found things just as he had told them, ³⁹  and they prepared the Passover.

Luke 22:7-13

The Passover

22:7 Then the day for the feast ⁴⁰  of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁴¹  22:8 Jesus ⁴²  sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover ⁴³  for us to eat.” ⁴⁴  22:9 They ⁴⁵  said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare ⁴⁶  it?” 22:10 He said to them, “Listen, ⁴⁷  when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water ⁴⁸  will meet you. ⁴⁹  Follow him into the house that he enters, 22:11 and tell the owner of the house, ⁵⁰  ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 22:12 Then he will show you a large furnished room upstairs. Make preparations there.” 22:13 So ⁵¹  they went and found things ⁵²  just as he had told them, ⁵³  and they prepared the Passover.

Luke 22:1

Judas’ Decision to Betray Jesus

22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, ⁵⁴  which is called the Passover, was approaching.

Colossians 1:4

1:4 since ⁵⁵  we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

[12:3]  ¹ tn Heb “and they will take for them a man a lamb.” This is clearly a distributive, or individualizing, use of “man.”

[12:3]  ² tn The שֶּׂה (seh) is a single head from the flock, or smaller cattle, which would include both sheep and goats.

[12:3]  ³ tn Heb “according to the house of their fathers.” The expression “house of the father” is a common expression for a family.

[12:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “house” (also at the beginning of the following verse).

[9:2]  ⁵ tn The verb is simply “to do; to make” (עָשָׂה [’asah] in the jussive). It must have the idea here of “to perform; to keep; to observe” the ritual of the Passover.

[9:2]  ⁶ sn For a detailed study note on the Passover, see the discussion with the original institution in Exod 12. The word פֶּסַח (pesakh) – here in pause and with the article – has become the technical name for the spring festival of Israel. In Exod 12 the name is explained by the use of the verb “to pass over” (עָבַר, ’avar), indicating that the angel of death would pass over the house with the blood applied. Many scholarly attempts have been made to supply the etymology of the word, but none has been compelling enough to be accepted by a large number of biblical scholars. For general literature on the Passover, see J. B. Segal, The Hebrew Passover, as well as the Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias.

[9:2]  ⁷ tc The Greek text uses a plural here but the singular in vv. 7 and 13; the Smr uses the plural in all three places.

[9:3]  ⁸ tn The literal Hebrew expression is “between the evenings” (so also in vv. 5, 11). Sunset is certainly one evening; the other may refer to the change in the middle of the afternoon to the late afternoon, or the beginning of dusk. The idea is probably just at twilight, or dusk (see R. B. Allen, TWOT 2:694).

[9:3]  ⁹ tn The two verbs in this verse are identical; they are imperfects of instruction. The English translation has been modified for stylistic variation.

[9:3]  ¹⁰ tn The two words in this last section are standard “Torah” words. The word חֹק (khoq) is a binding statute, something engraved and monumental. The word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) means “judgment, decision,” but with a more general idea of “custom” at its core. The verse is making it very clear that the Passover had to follow the custom and form that was legislated in Egypt.

[9:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “spoke to.”

[9:4]  ¹² tn The infinitive construct functions as the direct object of the preceding verb (a Hebrew complementary usage), answering the question of what he said.

[9:5]  ¹³ tc The LXX omits this first clause; it also omits “at twilight.”

[5:10]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[5:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “return, circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate the repetition of an action.

[23:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “many days.”

[23:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the Lord had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around.”

[23:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following verse.

[1:15]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Then you may return to the land of your possession and possess it, that which Moses, the Lord’s servant, gave to you beyond the Jordan toward the rising of the sun.”

[1:17]  ²⁰ tn Heb “listened to.”

[1:17]  ²¹ tn Or “Only.” Here and in v. 18 this word qualifies what precedes (see also v. 7).

[1:5]  ²² tn Heb “A man will not stand before you.” The second person pronouns in this verse are singular, indicating Joshua is the addressee.

[1:6]  ²³ tn Heb “For you will cause these people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give to them.” The pronoun “them” at the end of the verse refers to either the people or to the fathers.

[6:20]  ²⁴ tn Heb “as one.” The expression is best understood as referring to the unity shown by the religious leaders in preparing themselves for the observance of Passover. On the meaning of the Hebrew phrase see DCH 1:182 s.v. אֶחָד 3b. See also HALOT 30 s.v. אֶחָד 5.

[6:20]  ²⁵ tn Heb “brothers.”

[26:17]  ²⁶ tn The words “the feast of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[26:17]  ²⁷ tn Grk “the disciples came to Jesus, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.

[26:17]  ²⁸ sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 26:20). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.

[26:18]  ²⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:19]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[14:12]  ³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[14:12]  ³² tn The words “the feast of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[14:12]  ³³ sn Generally the feast of Unleavened Bread would refer to Nisan 15 (Friday), but the following reference to the sacrifice of the Passover lamb indicates that Nisan 14 (Thursday) was what Mark had in mind (Nisan = March 27 to April 25). The celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted eight days, beginning with the Passover meal. The celebrations were so close together that at times the names of both were used interchangeably.

[14:12]  ³⁴ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ³⁵ sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 14:18). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.

[14:13]  ³⁶ sn Since women usually carried these jars, it would have been no problem for the two disciples (Luke 22:8 states that they were Peter and John) to recognize the man Jesus was referring to.

[14:16]  ³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the flow within the narrative.

[14:16]  ³⁸ tn Grk “and came.”

[14:16]  ³⁹ sn The author’s note that the disciples found things just as he had told them shows that Jesus’ word could be trusted.

[22:7]  ⁴⁰ tn The words “for the feast” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[22:7]  ⁴¹ sn Generally the feast of Unleavened Bread would refer to Nisan 15 (Friday), but the following reference to the sacrifice of the Passover lamb indicates that Nisan 14 (Thursday) was what Luke had in mind (Nisan = March 27 to April 25). The celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted eight days, beginning with the Passover meal. The celebrations were so close together that at times the names of both were used interchangeably.

[22:8]  ⁴² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:8]  ⁴³ sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 22:14). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.

[22:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “for us, so that we may eat.”

[22:9]  ⁴⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[22:9]  ⁴⁶ tn In the Greek text this a deliberative subjunctive.

[22:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “behold.”

[22:10]  ⁴⁸ sn Since women usually carried these jars, it would have been no problem for Peter and John to recognize the man Jesus was referring to.

[22:10]  ⁴⁹ sn Jesus is portrayed throughout Luke 22-23 as very aware of what will happen, almost directing events. Here this is indicated by his prediction that a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.

[22:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “to the master of the household,” referring to one who owns and manages the household, including family, servants, and slaves (L&N 57.14).

[22:13]  ⁵¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions.

[22:13]  ⁵² tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[22:13]  ⁵³ sn The author’s note that the disciples found things just as he had told them shows that Jesus’ word could be trusted.

[22:1]  ⁵⁴ sn The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a week long celebration that followed the day of Passover, so one name was used for both feasts (Exod 12:1-20; 23:15; 34:18; Deut 16:1-8).

[1:4]  ⁵⁵ tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).