The Meaning of Exodus 12:3 Explained

Exodus 12:3

KJV: Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

YLT: speak ye unto all the company of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month -- they take to them each man a lamb for the house of the fathers, a lamb for a house.

Darby: Speak unto all the assembly of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month let them take themselves each a lamb, for a father's house, a lamb for a house.

ASV: Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers houses, a lamb for a household:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Speak  ye unto all the congregation  of Israel,  saying,  In the tenth  [day] of this month  they shall take  to them every man  a lamb,  according to the house  of [their] fathers,  a lamb  for an house: 

What does Exodus 12:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 12:1-14 - The Passover Lamb And Its Sprinkled Blood
Henceforth, for Israel, there was to be a new beginning of the year. We should date our birthdays not from the cradle, but from the Cross. The Paschal Lamb was an evident foreshadowing of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 5:7.
(1). He was without blemish. Searched by friend and foe, no fault was found in Him.
(2). He was in His prime, when He laid down His life.
(3). Set apart at the opening of His ministry, it took three years to consummate His purpose.
(4). His blood-that phrase being equivalent to His sacrificial death-speaks of the satisfaction of the just claims of inviolable law, where His flesh is "meat indeed."
(5). Roasting with fire, unleavened bread and bitter herbs denote the intensity of His sufferings, and the chastened spirit with which we draw nigh.
And does not the pilgrim's attitude bespeak the attitude of the Church, which, at any moment, may be summoned to go forth at the trumpet sounding? 1 Corinthians 15:52. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 12

1  The beginning of the year is changed
3  The Passover is instituted
11  The import of the rite of the Passover
15  Unleavened bread
29  The firstborn are slain
31  The Israelites are driven out of the land
37  They come to Succoth
41  The time of their sojourning
43  The ordinance of the Passover

What do the individual words in Exodus 12:3 mean?

Speak to all the congregation of Israel saying On the tenth [day] month of this and shall take for himself every man a lamb according to the house of [his] father a lamb for a household
דַּבְּר֗וּ אֶֽל־ כָּל־ עֲדַ֤ת יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בֶּעָשֹׂ֖ר לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וְיִקְח֣וּ לָהֶ֗ם אִ֛ישׁ שֶׂ֥ה לְבֵית־ אָבֹ֖ת שֶׂ֥ה לַבָּֽיִת

דַּבְּר֗וּ  Speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עֲדַ֤ת  the  congregation 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בֶּעָשֹׂ֖ר  On  the  tenth  [day] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָשֹׂור  
Sense: ten, decade.
לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ  month 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
הַזֶּ֑ה  of  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וְיִקְח֣וּ  and  shall  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לָהֶ֗ם  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
אִ֛ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
שֶׂ֥ה  a  lamb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.
לְבֵית־  according  to  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבֹ֖ת  of  [his]  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
שֶׂ֥ה  a  lamb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.
לַבָּֽיִת  for  a  household 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.