Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 12:7
And they shall take of the blood, and strike [it] on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
7. The blood of the slain lamb to be applied to the doorposts and lintel of the house in which it is eaten, as it were, to consecrate the house, and protect its inmates against destruction. This rite is probably a survival of an earlier, perhaps pre-Yahwistic stage, of usage. The Bedawin of the present day, when a new house is dedicated, sprinkle its doors and front with the blood of a goat slaughtered at the ceremony. See p. 411; and Lees, The Witness of the Wilderness (1909), p. 180.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The upper door post – Or lintel, Exo 12:23. This direction was understood by the Hebrews to apply only to the first Passover: it was certainly not adopted in Palestine. The meaning of the sprinkling of blood is hardly open to question. It was a representation of the offering of the life, substituted for that of the firstborn in each house, as an expiatory and vicarious sacrifice.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts] This was to be done by dipping a bunch of hyssop into the blood, and thus sprinkling it upon the posts, c. see Ex 12:22. That this sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb was an emblem of the sacrifice and atonement made by the death of Jesus Christ, is most clearly intimated in the sacred writings, 1Pe 1:2; Heb 9:13; Heb 9:14; Heb 8:10. It is remarkable that no blood was to be sprinkled on the threshold, to teach, as Mr. Ainsworth properly observes, a reverent regard for the blood of Christ, that men should not tread under foot the Son of GOD, nor count the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing; Heb 10:29.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This was afterwards restrained to the priests, but at this time it was allowed to the masters of families, as their present circumstances required.
They shall strike it; with a bunch of hyssop, Exo 12:22, as a badge of distinction between their houses and the Egyptians; not to direct the destroying angel where they were, who could as well discern the houses as the blood in the night, but to direct their thoughts to Christ, whose blood was hereby evidently typified, by whose merits and mediation they obtained this preservation and deliverance from Egypt, as well as their great deliverance from hell.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. take of the blood, and strike iton the two side-posts, c.as a sign of safety to those within.The posts must be considered of tents, in which the Israelitesgenerally lived, though some might be in houses. Though theIsraelites were sinners as well as the Egyptians, God was pleased toaccept the substitution of a lambthe blood of which, being seensprinkled on the doorposts, procured them mercy. It was to beon the sideposts and upper doorposts, where it might be looked to,not on the threshold, where it might be trodden under foot. This wasan emblem of the blood of sprinkling (Heb 12:24Heb 10:29).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they shall take of the blood,…. Of the lamb, being received into a basin, Ex 12:22:
and strike it on the two side posts; with a bunch of hyssop dipped into it:
and on the upper doorpost of the houses, wherein they shall eat it; but not on the posts of those houses, the inhabitants of which joined with their neighbours in eating it; though Levi Ben Gersom thinks they were sprinkled as the rest; but to what purpose, when there were no Israelites, and no firstborn in them? the two side posts were the posts of a folding door, on which the two folds were hung, and the upper doorpost is what is afterwards called the lintel, Ex 12:23 and has its name in Hebrew from looking out; for, as Aben Ezra says, there was a window over the door, as is the custom throughout the whole country of the Ishmaelites or Arabians; and so Schindler says o, which perhaps he took from him, that the word signifies either a lintel, or a little window over the door, through which it might be seen who called or knocked at the door; and adds, in Egypt, as now in Arabia, there were windows over the doors of houses. The sprinkling the blood of the paschal lamb was typical of the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon the hearts and consciences of his people, and of their peace, safety, and security by it from the wrath of God, and the vengeance of divine justice; of the further use of this rite, see
Ex 12:22, Aben Ezra mentions it as the opinion of some, that the sprinkling of the blood on those places was to show that they slew the abomination of the Egyptians openly; but he himself gives a much better reason for this rite, namely, that it was to be a propitiation for everyone that ate in the house, and was a sign to the destroyer, that he might look upon it in like manner, as it is said Eze 9:4, “set a mark, &c.” this seems to be peculiar to the passover in Egypt, and was not used in later times.
o Lex. Pentaglott. col. 1938.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) Strike it.With a bunch of hyssop. (See Exo. 12:22.)
The two side posts and on the upper door post.The idea seems to have been that the destroying influence, whatever it was, would enter the house by the door. The sight of the bloody stains above the door and on either side would prevent its entering. The word translated upper door post appears to be derived from shcaph, to look out, and to signify properly the latticed window above the door, through which persons reconnoitred those who knocked before admitting them. Such windows are frequently represented in the early Egyptian monuments. The blood thus rendered conspicuous would show that atonement had been made for the house, i.e., for its inmates.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. They shall take of the blood Each doorway was made an altar, the lintel and side-posts of which were to be sprinkled with blood from a bunch of hyssop, (Exo 12:22,) and thus was each person who entered consecrated . The blood was not dropped upon the threshold, lest it should be trodden under foot . This was the outward token of expiation and consecration which all the families of Israel were required to set upon themselves, as the outward sacraments are ordained in the Church of Christ; not that God needs to see these signs, but that we need to make them .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 12:7. They shall take of the blood, &c. It appears, from Exo 12:22 that this ceremony was to be performed by dipping a bunch of hyssop into the blood of the lamb. It was peculiar to this first passover: and the reason of it is given in the 23rd verse. In after-times, when the children of Israel were settled, the passover was to be sacrificed only in the appointed place of public worship, when the blood was sprinkled by the priest on the altar, Deu 5:7. Lev 17:6. 2Ch 35:11. This was an emblem of the virtue of the blood of Christ, who delivers us from the destroying angel, and saves us from the wrath of GOD.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
What a striking allusion is here in the sprinkling of the blood, to that of the blood of the Lord Jesus. See Heb 12:24 . Teaching as expressively as possible, that his precious blood must be applied as well as shed and personally applied to each soul too, as the blood of the lamb was to every house of the children of Israel. Rom 5:11 . And what is meant by being applied? Simply this, I apprehend: When the Holy Ghost, whose office it is, to take of the things of Jesus and to show unto his people, so takes of those precious things of salvation and shows them to the sinner, as to satisfy him, that the righteousness of Jesus is sufficient to justify him; and the blood of Jesus sufficient to cleanse him; and the sinner is so taught by the Holy Ghost these divine things, so as to believe in them, and with a firm faith to rest upon them for salvation: here both are applied, for the conscience becomes satisfied and finds peace in Jesus. Reader! the Lord grant that our souls may fully feel the blessed application of Jesus’ blood and righteousness, in this soul-refreshing way to the glory of God in Jesus Christ!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike [it] on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
Ver. 7. And strike it on the two sideposts. ] Not on the threshold. We may not “tread under foot the Son of God, or count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing,” Heb 10:29 but get “our hearts sprinkled” tberewith by the hyssop branch of faith “from an evil conscience, that we may serve the living God.” Heb 9:14
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 12:22, Exo 12:23, Eph 1:7, Heb 9:13, Heb 9:14, Heb 9:22, Heb 10:14, Heb 10:29, Heb 11:28, 1Pe 1:2
Reciprocal: Gen 35:18 – her soul Exo 24:6 – the blood he Num 9:3 – General Deu 6:9 – General Eze 9:4 – set a mark
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 12:7. They shall take of the blood Which was to be sprinkled before the flesh was eaten. Strike it on the two side-posts, and the upper door- post These were to be sprinkled by dipping a bunch of hyssop into the blood, Exo 12:22; but not the threshold, lest any one should tread upon the blood, which would have been profane.