The Meaning of Exodus 12:4 Explained

Exodus 12:4

KJV: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

YLT: '(And if the household be too few for a lamb, then hath he taken, he and his neighbour who is near unto his house, for the number of persons, each according to his eating ye do count for the lamb,)

Darby: And if the household be too small for a lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; each according to the measure of his eating shall ye count for the lamb.

ASV: and if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbor next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man's eating ye shall make your count for the lamb.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And if the household  be  too little  for the lamb,  let him and his neighbour  next  unto his house  take  [it] according to the number  of the souls;  every man  according  to his eating  shall make your count  for the lamb. 

What does Exodus 12:4 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 12:4 mean?

And if is too small the household - for the lamb and let take [it] him and his neighbor next to his house according to the number of the persons man according to his eating you shall make your count for the lamb
וְאִם־ יִמְעַ֣ט הַבַּיִת֮ מִהְיֹ֣ת מִשֶּׂה֒ וְלָקַ֣ח ה֗וּא וּשְׁכֵנ֛וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֶל־ בֵּית֖וֹ בְּמִכְסַ֣ת נְפָשֹׁ֑ת אִ֚ישׁ לְפִ֣י אָכְל֔וֹ תָּכֹ֖סּוּ עַל־ הַשֶּֽׂה

וְאִם־  And  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יִמְעַ֣ט  is  too  small 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָעַט  
Sense: to be or become small, be few, be diminished.
הַבַּיִת֮  the  household 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
מִהְיֹ֣ת  - 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִשֶּׂה֒  for  the  lamb 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.
וְלָקַ֣ח  and  let  take  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וּשְׁכֵנ֛וֹ  and  his  neighbor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכֵן  
Sense: inhabitant, neighbour.
הַקָּרֹ֥ב  next 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָרֹוב  
Sense: near.
בֵּית֖וֹ  his  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בְּמִכְסַ֣ת  according  to  the  number 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִכְסָה  
Sense: computation.
נְפָשֹׁ֑ת  of  the  persons 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אִ֚ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְפִ֣י  according  to 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
אָכְל֔וֹ  his  eating 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹכֶל  
Sense: food.
תָּכֹ֖סּוּ  you  shall  make  your  count 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: כָּסַס  
Sense: (Qal) to estimate, reckon, compute.
הַשֶּֽׂה  the  lamb 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.

What are the major concepts related to Exodus 12:4?

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