Meaning of Exodus 13:3 Unleavened Bread
Exodus 13:3 instructs the Israelites to remember the day of their departure from Egypt, specifically by observing the eating of unleavened bread. Moses declares, "Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten" [4]. This command establishes the perpetual observance of unleavened bread as a memorial of their liberation.
The immediate context of this verse is the institution of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which are closely linked. Exodus 12 details the initial Passover night, while Exodus 13 outlines the subsequent regulations for its annual commemoration. The "house of bondage" refers to their servile and degrading condition in Egypt [4]. The phrase "by strength of hand" emphasizes that their deliverance was a direct, powerful act of God [4].
The prohibition against leavened bread (Hebrew: chametz) is central to this observance. The Babylonian Talmud notes that three verses prohibit leavened bread, each emphasizing a different aspect or timing of the prohibition [6]. Exodus 13:3 states, "Leavened bread shall not be eaten," while Exodus 12:20 adds, "And all that which is leavened you shall not eat; in all your habitations you shall eat matzot," and Deuteronomy 16:3 says, "You shall eat no leavened bread with it" [6]. This prohibition extends for seven days, during which no leavened bread or yeast is to be seen within their borders [1, 10].
The symbolism of unleavened bread, or matzah, is multifaceted. It commemorates Israel's affliction as slaves in Egypt and their hasty departure, which left no time for bread to rise [12]. John Gill notes that the command to eat unleavened bread for seven days is explicit, not merely an abstention from leaven [9, 10]. The Babylonian Talmud discusses whether the prohibition against leaven during the Passover of Egypt applied for only one day or the full seven, concluding that it applied for the full seven days in subsequent generations [7].
Beyond consumption, the prohibition extends to deriving benefit from leavened bread. The Babylonian Talmud interprets "Leavened bread shall not be eaten" (Exodus 13:3) to mean there should be no permitted consumption at all, including deriving benefit, as benefit could be exchanged for money to buy food [11]. This stricture is further supported by the command that leavened bread "shall not be seen" [8].
Unleavened bread also held sacred significance in other contexts, such as the shewbread placed in the sanctuary, representing the twelve tribes of Israel [3], and offerings to Yahweh [2, 12]. Origen, in ANF Vol 9, interprets the unleavened bread spiritually as the manna, "food for angels rather than men," and connects the Passover lamb, which is Christ, with the unleavened bread [5].
Sources
- Exodus “Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you, neither shall yeast be seen with you, in all your borders. -- Exodus 13:7”
- Exodus “and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh. -- Exodus 29:23”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Shewbread — (Exodus 25:30; 35:13; 39:36) etc. literally "bread of the face" or "faces." Shew-bread was unleavened bread placed upon a table which stood in the sanctuary together with the seven-branched candlestick and the altar of incense. See (Exodus 25:23-30) for description of this table. Every Sabbath twelve newly baked loaves, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, were put on it in two rows, six in each, and sprinkled with incense, where they remained till the following Sabbath. Then they were replaced by twelve new ones, the incense was burned, and they were”
- Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 13:3: MEMORIAL OF THE PASSOVER. (Exo 13:3-10) Moses said unto the people, Remember this day--The day that gave them a national existence and introduced them into the privileges of independence and freedom, deserved to live in the memories of the Hebrews and their posterity; and, considering the signal interposition of God displayed in it, to be held not only in perpetual, but devout remembrance. house of bondage--literally, "house of slaves"--that is, a servile and degrading condition. for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place--Th”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — 13. SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE PASSOVER. (part 5): the unleavened bread is given us, the manna, which is food for angels rather than men. Every one of us, then, may sacrifice his lamb in every house of our fathers; and 391 while one breaks the law, not sacrificing the lamb at all, another may keep the commandment entirely, offering his sacrifice, and cooking it aright, and not breaking a bone of it. This, then, in brief, is the interpretation of the Passover sacrificed for us, which is Christ, in accordance with the view taken of i”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 28b.4: The Gemara asks: What is the reason for the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda? The Gemara explains: There are three verses that are written with regard to this prohibition, and in Rabbi Yehuda’s opinion each one teaches that the prohibition applies at a different time. One verse states: “Leavened bread shall not be eaten” (Exodus 13:3). Another verse states: “And all that which is leavened you shall not eat; in all your habitations you shall eat matzot ” (Exodus 12:20). And a third verse states: “You shall eat no leavened bread with it” (Deuteronomy 16:3). One verse in”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 96b.1: Rather, it refers to leavened bread, which is prohibited all seven days of Passover in the generations following the Exodus. The Gemara asks: Does this prove by inference that during the Passover of Egypt, leaven was prohibited for only one night and not more? But wasn’t it taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei HaGelili says: From where is it derived with regard to the Passover of Egypt that its prohibition of leavened bread applied for only one day? The verse states: “No leavened bread shall be eaten” (Exodus 13:3), and juxtaposed to it the verse states: “Thi”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 29a.5: The Gemara comments: Granted, according to the opinion of Rava, this explanation is consistent with that which was taught in the mishna: Leavened bread that belonged to a Jew is forbidden because it is stated: “It shall not be seen” (Exodus 13:7). According to this explanation, the connection between the prohibition against deriving benefit from leavened bread that was owned by a Jew during Passover and the verse prohibiting seeing leaven during Passover is clear. The prohibition against deriving benefit from this leavened bread is a rabbinically instituted f”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 13:6: Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread,.... The Jews (y) gather from this place, and from Deu 16:8, that the obligation to eat unleavened bread lasted no longer than the first night of the seven days, but on the rest it was enough if they abstained from leavened bread, and it was lawful for them to eat of other food as they pleased; see Gill on Exo 12:15, but the words are very express in both places, and so in the following verse, for eating unleavened bread, as well as abstaining from leavened; and, indeed, otherwise it would not be so clear and plain a commemor”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 13:7: Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days,.... From the evening of the fourteenth day, to the evening of the twenty first, Exo 12:18, this is very express as before, that not only they were to abstain from leaven, but that they were obliged to eat unleavened bread; and as for the cakes of eggs and sugar the Jews now use, these, as Leo Modeua says (z), are for those that are dainty and of tender stomachs and such as are sick, who eat unleavened bread also: and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy qu”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 21b.5: Ḥizkiya said: From where is it derived in the mishna that it is prohibited to derive benefit from leavened bread on Passover? As it is stated: “Leavened bread shall not be eaten” (Exodus 13:3). Since the verse uses the passive, it should be understood as follows: There shall be no permitted consumption of it at all, even deriving benefit, as benefit could be exchanged for money, which could be used to buy food. The Gemara reads precisely: The reason deriving benefit is prohibited is that the Merciful One writes in the Torah : “Leavened bread shall not be eate”
- Amos (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Amos 4:5: 4:5 Leavened bread (that is, sourdough fermented by wild yeast) was for daily consumption. The more primitive unleavened bread (made without yeast) became a sacred symbol, commemorating Israel’s affliction as slaves in Egypt (Deut 16:3), the Passover (Exod 12:17-20), and their hasty departure from that land (Exod 12:34, 39). Unleavened bread thus became altar bread (Lev 6:17; 7:12). However, bread made with yeast could accompany a peace offering of thanksgiving (Lev 7:13).”