Exodus 12:21 Meaning: Why Moses Said ‘Kill the Passover’

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.

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Meaning in one sentence

What does ‘kill the Passover’ mean in Exodus 12:21? Why the lamb is called the Passover, and what this teaches about God’s deliverance.

Exodus Old Testament Hebrew

Context

Moses has just received detailed instructions from God about the Passover (Exodus 12:1, 20). Now he calls the elders of Israel and passes on the command in a shortened form. This verse shows Moses acting as God’s messenger, giving the leaders of the people the essential steps: draw a lamb from the flock, take it according to your families, and slaughter the Passover. The elders would then ensure every household obeyed. What follows in the chapter describes the blood on the doorposts, the hurried meal, and the Lord passing over the houses. This is a turning point, the night that Israel’s slavery ended and their life as a redeemed people began.

Key Words

Three Hebrew words carry the weight here. The first is mashakh (‘draw out’). It means to pull or drag something from a place, here, pulling a lamb from the flock. This was not a vague ‘go and get’; it was a deliberate selection. The second is shachat (‘kill’ or ‘slaughter’), the same word used for sacrifice. This was not ordinary butchering; it was an act of worship, setting the animal apart for God. The third is pesach (‘Passover’). The word originally meant the Lord’s ‘passing over’ the houses marked with blood. But here it is used for the lamb itself. The animal and the act of deliverance become one thing. When Christians read this, the deep link between the lamb and salvation points to Christ. Paul calls him ‘our Passover’ (1 Corinthians 5:7), the Lamb who is our rescue.

How Christians Read This Verse

Christians across traditions see the same truth but frame it differently. Adam Clarke (Methodist) notes that the lamb gets the name of the institution itself, just as Christ is called our Passover. Barnes (Protestant) emphasizes that calling the lamb ‘the Passover’ marks it as the sign and pledge of Israel’s exemption. The Cambridge Bible (Anglican) observes that the wording implies the institution was already known, Moses abbreviates because the people understood. All agree: the lamb is not just part of the ceremony; the lamb is the Passover. It carries the saving meaning of the whole event.

A common misunderstanding

Some readers think ‘draw out’ (verse 21) means the families should go outside or withdraw from their homes. In fact, the Hebrew mashakh means to pull an animal from the flock. Ellicott’s Commentary and the interlinear confirm this: ‘draw out’ is transitive, draw the lamb out of the fold. The error misses the concrete, obedient action God required.

Living This Out

This verse puts something in your hands this week: a simple, specific instruction from God that involved the whole community. Moses did not let the people guess what to do. He gave clear direction through the elders, and the elders made sure every family took part. You may not be selecting a lamb, but you are part of a community of faith that passes on what God has said. Who has trusted you to pass along what you have received? And where do you need to take the step of faith, pulling something out, preparing it, acting on God’s word even before you see the rescue? The lamb was chosen days before the doorposts were marked. Sometimes obedience starts long before the deliverance appears.

Main takeaway: The lamb is called the Passover because God’s rescue is wrapped up in the sacrifice He provides, the Lamb and the salvation are one.

For Families

For ages 5, 8

God told Moses to tell the leaders to get a lamb for each family. The lamb was special. Its blood would keep them safe that night.

For ages 9, 12

Moses passed God’s instructions to the elders. They were to pick a lamb from the flock and sacrifice it for each family. This lamb was actually called ‘the Passover’ because its blood caused God to pass over their houses. This points forward to Jesus, who is called our Passover Lamb. He saves us from sin just like that lamb saved Israel from death.

Questions People Ask

What does ‘draw out’ mean in Exodus 12:21?

The Hebrew word is mashakh, which means to pull or drag something out, in this case, a lamb from the flock. It was a deliberate action, not simply walking outside. The families were to select a specific animal from the flock.

Why is the lamb called ‘the Passover’ here?

The word pesach originally describes the Lord passing over the houses marked with blood. But in this verse, the lamb itself is called ‘the Passover.’ This identifies the animal with the act of deliverance. The lamb is not just part of the ceremony; it carries the saving meaning of the whole event.

Did the Passover lamb have to be a lamb or could it be a kid?

Exodus 12:3, 5 says the animal could be from the sheep or the goats. The Hebrew word seh can mean either. The margin notes in some Bibles say ‘lambs or kids.’ So a young goat was also acceptable as the Passover sacrifice.

Why were the elders involved instead of Moses telling everyone directly?

Moses acted as God’s messenger to the leaders of the people. The elders were the heads of families and tribes, responsible for guiding their households. This pattern of passing authority through established leaders appears throughout Exodus (see 3:16, 19:7). It also made the practical task possible, hundreds of thousands of families could not hear Moses at once.

Was this the first time the Passover was celebrated?

Yes, this was the first Passover, instituted on the night before the Exodus. However, some commentators note that the way Moses speaks, calling it ‘the Passover’ as if the name were already familiar, suggests the concept was known from earlier revelation. God had told Abraham about the coming deliverance (Genesis 15:13, 14). The Cambridge Bible suggests the wording implies the institution was already recognized.

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