Exodus 23:18 · Bible study
Exodus 23:18 Commentary: Leaven and Fat
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why leaven and leftover fat are forbidden with the Passover sacrifice, and what they teach about devotion and purity.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Passover sacrifice must be offered without leaven, and its best part consumed before morning.
- Key words: Leaven (חָמֵץ) symbolizes corruption; fat (חֵלֶב) denotes the choicest portion.
- Main debate: Whether “fat of my feast” refers to literal animal fat or the whole lamb as the best part.
- Theological theme: Worship requires purity from corruption and complete devotion of what is best.
- Best use: A text for preaching on sincerity, prompt obedience, and giving God first place.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. The fat of my feast shall not remain all night until the morning.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my feast remain all night until the morning.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Thou dost not sacrifice on a fermented thing the blood of My sacrifice, and the fat of My festival doth not remain till morning;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my feast remain all night until the morning.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt not sacrifice the blood of my victim upon leaven, neither shall the fat of my solemnity remain until the morning.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No ofrecerás con pan leudo la sangre de mi sacrificio; ni el sebo de mi víctima quedará de la noche hasta la mañana.
Não oferecerás com pão levedado o sangue de meu sacrifício, nem a gordura de meu animal sacrificado ficará da noite até a manhã.
Tu n’ offriras point avec du pain levé le sang de la victime sacrifiée en mon honneur; et sa graisse ne sera point gardée pendant la nuit jusqu’ au matin.
Du sollst das Blut meines Opfers nicht neben dem Sauerteig opfern, und das Fett von meinem Fest soll nicht bleiben bis auf morgen.
Gij zult het bloed Mijns offers met geen gedesemde broden offeren; ook zal het vette Mijns feestes tot op den morgen niet vernachten.
Non offrirai il sangue della mia vittima insieme con pane lievitato; e il grasso dei sacrifizi della mia festa non sarà serbato durante la notte fino al mattino.
Nie będziesz ofiarował przy kwasie krwi ofiary mojej, ani zostanie przez noc tłustość ofiary mojej aż do poranku.
[Когда изгоню язычников от лица твоего и распространю пределы твои], не изливай крови жертвы Моей на квасное, и тук от праздничной жертвы Моей не должен оставаться до утра.
「不可 將我祭牲 的血 和 有酵的餅 一同獻上；也不可 將我節上祭牲 的脂油 留 到 早晨。
Do not give the blood of my offering with leavened bread; and do not let the fat of my feast be kept all night till the morning.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 23:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators are united that this verse concerns the Passover sacrifice. Gill, Barnes, and the Cambridge Bible all identify “my sacrifice” as the Paschal Lamb, drawing on Exodus 12 and 34:25. The prohibition of leavened bread echoes the command to remove all yeast before the Passover (Exodus 12:15). Keil and Delitzsch explain that “upon leavened bread” means while any leaven remains in the house. The second clause forbids leaving “the fat of my feast” until morning. Here some commentators differ: Cambridge takes “fat” literally as the animal’s fatty parts destined for the altar; Keil argues it means the whole lamb, the best of the feast. But all agree that nothing from the sacred meal should be kept for ordinary use the next day. The underlying principle is purity, both from corrupting influence (leaven) and from treating holy things as common (leftovers).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Passover sacrifice reference: Most commentators (Gill, Barnes, Keil) identify 'my sacrifice' with the Paschal Lamb from Exodus 12.
- Fat as literal altar fat: Cambridge Bible and others point to Levitical laws where fat is burned on the altar, not left overnight.
- Fat as whole lamb (best of feast): Keil and Delitzsch argue 'fat of my feast' means the entire lamb, the choicest offering, citing Exodus 34:25.
What is clear: Leaven is prohibited in connection with the sacrificial blood, and nothing from the feast may be left overnight — both rules demand purity and completeness in worship.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reference to Passover | All commentators identify 'my sacrifice' as the Passover lamb. | None; this is universally accepted. |
| Meaning of leaven prohibition | Leaven must be removed before the sacrifice; it symbolizes corruption or the old life. | Some emphasize leaven as a symbol of sin (Gill, Henry); others associate it with the haste of the Exodus (Keil). Both are complementary, not contradictory. |
| Meaning of 'fat of my feast' | It refers to the best part of the Passover sacrifice. | Cambridge Bible takes it as the literal fat burned on the altar; Keil and Delitzsch argue it means the whole lamb, the choicest of the feast. |
| Applicability beyond Passover | The immediate context is the Passover festival. | Some see a general principle for all worship purity; others restrict it to the specific ritual. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leaven in the ancient Near East was produced by fermentation, a process often linked to decay and corruption. Unleavened bread was the earliest form of bread, made quickly in emergencies (Genesis 19:3). For Israel, the command to eat unleavened bread during Passover recalled the haste of the Exodus: they left Egypt so quickly that the dough had no time to rise (Exodus 12:34). Removing all leaven from the house became a powerful symbol of separation from the old life of slavery and sin.
The “fat of my feast” refers to the choicest part of the sacrificial animal. In Levitical law, the fat portions of offerings were burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord (Leviticus 3:3-5). Fat was considered the best part, and giving it to God signified offering one’s finest. The instruction that it must not remain until morning ensured freshness and prevented the sacred from being used for common purposes. In a hot climate, meat left overnight would spoil, but the deeper reason was theological: what belongs to God should not be treated casually.
The verse appears within a section on Israel’s three annual feasts (Exodus 23:14-17). Immediately before, God commands that all males appear before Him. Then come two regulations specifically for the Passover: no leaven with the blood of the sacrifice, and no leftover fat. These rules guard the holiness of the feast that commemorates redemption. The connection to the Passover is confirmed by the parallel in Exodus 34:25, which explicitly names “the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover.”
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts. The parallel in Exodus 34:25 uses slightly different wording (slaughter instead of sacrifice) but the same meaning.
Reception History
Jewish tradition has always understood this verse as a Passover regulation. The ritual search for and removal of leaven (bedikat chametz) before Passover is a central practice that directly reflects this command. Early Christian writers like Origen saw the unleavened bread as a type of sincerity and truth, and the consumption of the lamb before morning as a call to spiritual vigilance. The verse has been used in Reformation catechesis to teach that worship must be free from human corruptions. In modern liturgical practice, both Jewish seders and Christian Easter vigils echo the urgency of “not remaining until morning”, the Lamb of God is received fully and without delay.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Remove the leaven. God’s worship must be free from corrupting influences. Leaven symbolizes sin and the old life (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Before approaching the sacrifice, Israel had to purge their homes.
- Offer the best. The fat represents the choicest part. God deserves our first and finest, not leftovers.
- Hold nothing back. Nothing from the sacred feast could remain until morning. Complete devotion, no reserving part for ourselves.
Five-point outline
- Context of the Passover. This law is anchored in redemption from Egypt, pointing forward to Christ our Passover.
- Purity in approach. Leaven removed, we come to God through Christ’s sacrifice, having put away sin.
- The blood and the fat. Blood for atonement, fat for dedication, both belong wholly to God.
- Timely obedience. “Not remain until morning”, act promptly in response to God’s grace.
- Symbolic anticipation. The unleavened bread and consumed lamb foreshadow the sincerity and urgency of the Christian life.
Illustration hooks
- Spring cleaning before a major holiday, the thorough removal of leaven mirrors the heart preparation before worship.
- A family tradition where the best dish on the table is set aside for a guest, God receives the prime portion.
- The practice of not letting leftovers spoil but giving them away, but here nothing is to be kept at all; the entire sacrifice is consumed in worship.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really care about small details like leaven? What does that say about His nature?
- If this is about the Passover, does it apply to me today? How do I “remove leaven” from my heart?
- What does it mean to give God “the fat”, my best, in daily life?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits among instructions for Israel’s feasts. It teaches two things: approach God without the corruption of leaven, and offer Him the best without holding back. Small groups can explore how these principles shape worship and daily devotion.
Discussion questions
- What does leaven represent elsewhere in Scripture (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)? How does that connect to the removal of leaven before Passover?
- Why do you think God linked the blood of sacrifice specifically with leaven? What would mixing them communicate?
- The fat was burned on the altar as God’s portion. In what ways can we give God our “fat”, our best, today?
- Why might God forbid keeping the fat until morning? What does that say about urgency and completeness in giving?
- How does this verse connect to the Passover and ultimately to Jesus as the Lamb of God?
- In what areas of your life do you tend to hold back from God rather than offer fully?
- How can your church community help one another “remove leaven” and offer firstfruits together?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 12:8 | They shall eat the meat in that night, roasted with fire, with unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs. |
| Exodus 12:10 | You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire. |
| Exodus 12:15 | “‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. |
| Exodus 34:25 | “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. The sacrifice of the feast of the Passover shall not be left to the morning. |
| Leviticus 2:11 | “‘No meal offering which you shall offer to Yahweh shall be made with yeast; for you shall burn no yeast, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire to Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 7:12 | If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil. |
| Leviticus 7:15 | The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. |
| Deuteronomy 16:4 | No yeast shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days; neither shall any of the meat, which you sacrifice the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies the sacrifice as the Passover, which God instituted specifically for Israel's redemption from Egypt and as a type of Christ, the Lamb of God. He stresses that the strict ban on leaven during this feast carried deep symbolic meaning, pointing to the purity required in the sacrifice that prefigured Christ's atoning work.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the blood and the fat of the sacrifice as directly referring to the Passover lamb. The blood points to the lamb's sacrificial blood, and the fat means the best part of the feast, which is the lamb itself. He grounds this reading in the Exodus account of the Passover.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary explains that leaven was prohibited in ritual sacrifices partly because unleavened bread had ancient precedent and partly because fermentation was regarded as a species of corruption. On the fat regulation, it notes the fat must be burned the same day and highlights a debate: some interpreters limit the rule to Passover, but the text's general language may apply to any pilgrimage festival.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that both leaven and delay corrupt the sacrifice. Leaven represents impurity, so it must never accompany the blood offering. Leaving the fat
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the command about leaven and the fat refers specifically to the Passover sacrifice. The blood of the Passover lamb was never to be offered while any leaven remained in the house; Jews removed and burned all leaven before the lamb was slain. Likewise, the fat could not remain until morning, just as the flesh was to be burned.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch treat the prohibition against seething a kid in its mother's milk as a moral ordinance, not a pagan ritual. They argue it forbids cooking a kid in its own mother's milk, which subverts the natural parent-young relationship God established, and was a known culinary custom among the Ishmaelites.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads these civil ordinances not as a penal code first but as a system designed to train Israel for freedom. He observes the laws begin with emancipation regulations, and every subsequent section ultimately points toward securing and protecting personal liberty within
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the sabbatical year taught Israel to trust God's provision by letting the land lie fallow. The self-grown crops were not to be stored but eaten immediately, providing food for the poor and even wild animals. This practice cultivated both dependence on God and compassion for the needy.