The Significance and Observance of the Passover in Judaism
The Significance and Observance of the Passover in Judaism
The Passover, a pivotal festival in Judaism, commemorates the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It is rooted in the biblical account of the tenth plague, where God "passed over" the houses of the Israelites, sparing their firstborn sons [1]. The festival is also known as the "feast of unleavened bread" due to the prohibition on consuming leavened bread during its celebration [1, 3].
The Passover's origins are detailed in Exodus 12, where God instructs Moses to mark the Israelites' doorposts with the blood of a lamb, so that the angel of death would pass over their homes. The Israelites were to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and the festival was to be observed annually [5]. The Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan), and it marked the beginning of the Israelites' calendar year [2, 5].
The Passover was one of three major pilgrimage festivals in Judaism, along with the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of Tabernacles [10]. During the Passover, all male Israelites were required to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem [3]. The festival involved the sacrifice of a lamb, which was later replaced by the sacrifice of a lamb or other animal in the Temple [1]. The Passover meal, known as the Seder, included the eating of unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and the recitation of the Haggadah, a narrative of the Exodus [4].
The significance of the Passover extends beyond its historical commemoration. It is also seen as a typological precursor to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the "Lamb of God" in the New Testament [8]. The Last Supper, which Jesus shared with his disciples, is understood by many scholars to be a Passover meal, highlighting the connection between the Jewish festival and the Christian tradition [4].
Throughout Jewish history, the Passover has remained an essential aspect of religious practice. It continues to be observed with great fervor, involving the gathering of families and communities to retell the story of the Exodus and to reaffirm their faith [6, 7]. The Passover's enduring significance is a testament to the profound impact of the Exodus event on Jewish identity and theology.
The Passover's connection to the Christian tradition is also evident in the New Testament accounts of Jesus' ministry. The Gospel of John, for example, mentions three Passover festivals during Jesus' public ministry, suggesting a three-year duration [9]. The Passover's themes of liberation and redemption are echoed in the Christian understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Passover — The name given to the chief of the three great historical annual festivals of the Jews. It was kept in remembrance of the Lord's passing over the houses of the Israelites (Ex. 12:13) when the first born of all the Egyptians were destroyed. It is called also the "feast of unleavened bread" (Ex. 23:15; Mark 14:1; Acts 12:3), because during its celebration no leavened bread was to be eaten or even kept in the household (Ex. 12:15). The word afterwards came to denote the lamb that was slain at the feast (Mark 14:12-14; 1 Cor. 5:7). A detailed account of the in”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Passover — the first of the three great annual festivals of the Israelites celebrated in the month Nisan (March-April, from the 14th to the 21st. (Strictly speaking the Passover only applied to the paschal supper and the feast of unleavened bread followed, which was celebrated to the 21st.) (For the corresponding dates in our month, see Jewish calendar at the end of this volume.) The following are the principal passages in the Pentateuch relating to the Passover: (Exodus 12:1-51; 13:3-10; 23:14-19; 34:18-26; Leviticus 23:4-14; Numbers 9:1-14; 28:16-25; 16:1-6) Why ins”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Feast of the Passover, The — Ordained by God -- Ex 12:1,2. Commenced the fourteenth of the first month at even -- Ex 12:2,6,18; Le 23:5; Nu 9:3. Lasted seven days -- Ex 12:15; Le 23:6. Called the Passover. -- Nu 9:5; Joh 2:23. Jew's passover. -- Joh 2:13; 11:55. Lord's passover. -- Ex 12:11,27. Feast of unleavened bread. -- Mr 14:1; Lu 22:1. Days of unleavened bread. -- Ac 12:3; 20:6. All males to appear at -- Ex 23:17; De 16:16. Paschal lamb eaten first day of -- Ex 12:6,8. Unleavened bread eaten at -- Ex 12:15; De 16:3. Leaven Not to be in their houses during. -- E”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 26:26: 26:26-29 The Last Supper derives its significance in part from the Jewish Passover (see Exod 12). The phases of the Jewish liturgy for Passover are as follows: (1) Festal blessing; (2) first cup (see Luke 22:17-18); (3) eating bitter herbs (see Matt 26:23 and corresponding study note); (4) eating unleavened bread (26:26; Mark 14:22); (5) second cup is mixed; (6) the Passover haggadah (reading) is given (Exod 12); (7) first part of the hallel (Pss 113–114; see study note on Pss 113–118); (8) second cup is taken; (9) blessing and eating of unleavened bread (Matt 2”
- Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 16:1: 16:1-8 The Passover (Hebrew pesakh) was the festival marking Israel’s deliverance from the tenth plague and from bondage in Egypt (see Exod 11–12; Lev 23:5-8). • The Exodus was such a significant event in Israel’s history that the month of Abib, when the Exodus took place, became the beginning of Israel’s annual calendar (see Exod 12:2).”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 12:26: 12:26-27 In the future, the Passover celebration would be a memorial reminding future generations of Israelites of God’s grace in providing them a way of escape from death. For more than 3,000 years the Jewish people have celebrated this great formative event in their history.”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 12:14: 12:14 The Jewish people still commemorate Passover, since it was instituted as a law for all time.”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 5:7: 5:7-8 Paul draws an analogy between the traditional Jewish Passover celebration and the sacrifice of Christ. In the Passover celebration, a lamb was sacrificed and unleavened bread was eaten (see Exod 12:1-27; 13:3-7). The sacrifice of Christ, which occurred at Passover (Matt 26:2; cp. John 1:29; 1 Pet 1:19), results in the removal of sin for believers.”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 2:13: 2:13 Passover, an annual spring festival, commemorated Israel’s rescue from slavery in Egypt (Exod 12). Jews traveled to Jerusalem to participate in the festival (Deut 16:1-16). Because John refers to three Passover festivals (John 2:13; 6:4; 11:55), many conclude that Jesus had a three-year public ministry.”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 23:14: Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year - The three feasts here referred to were, 1. The feast of the Passover; 2. The feast of Pentecost; 3. The feast of Tabernacles. 1. The feast of the Passover was celebrated to keep in remembrance the wonderful deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. 2. The feast of Pentecost, called also the feast of harvest and the feast of weeks, Exo 34:22, was celebrated fifty days after the Passover to commemorate the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, which took place fifty days after, and hence called by the Greeks Pentecos”