The Passover Reviewed
| << Deuteronomy 15:23 | Deuteronomy 16:2 >> |
What Does Deuteronomy 16:1 Mean?
Deuteronomy 16:1
That "God brought you out of Egypt by night" ought to give us a clue as to what this context is about. It is about coming out, the Exodus from Egypt, not Passover night and the slaying of the firstborn. This is what we have called the Night To Be Much Observed (Exodus 12:40-42). Anyone who understands the context of Exodus 12 and similar places can understand that the instruction in Deuteronomy 16:1-8 does not contemplate Passover per se. It certainly speaking of the Passover season, but it is generally describing the Days of Unleavened Bread and specifically the Night To Be Much Observed.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Night to be Much Observed
| << Deuteronomy 15:23 | Deuteronomy 16:2 >> |
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Deuteronomy 16:1 refers to the Exodus from Egypt by night, pointing to the Night To Be Much Observed during the Days of Unleavened Bread rather than Passover night and the slaying of the firstborn. The phrase "observe the month of Abib" connects elsewhere only with Unleavened Bread, not Passover. This verse alone links Passover with departure from Egypt, though Israel remained in houses on Passover and left on the fifteenth. It subtly associates Passover with leaving to prepare acceptance of following commands about Passover while generally describing Unleavened Bread.