Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 16:3
Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, [even] the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
3, 4. See introd. note.
bread of affliction ] The affliction of Israel in Egypt, Exo 3:7; Exo 4:31, culminating in the haste or trepidation (Driver) with which they ate their last meal there. So P, Exo 12:11; cp. for the meaning of the word, Deu 20:3 ; 1Sa 23:26; Isa 52:12.
no leaven neither shall any of the flesh remain ] The two prohibitions are connected because anything fermenting or putrefying was not admissible in sacrifice (W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem. 221 n.). Cp. P, Exo 12:19.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. Bread of affliction] Because, being baked without leaven, it was unsavoury, and put them in mind of their afflictive bondage in Egypt.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
With it, to wit, with the passover, in the sense delivered; or, in it, i.e. during the time of the feast of the passover.
The bread of affliction, i.e. bread which is not usual nor pleasant, but unsavoury and unwholesome, to put thee in mind both of thy miseries endured in Egypt, and of thy hasty coming out of it, which allowed thee no time to leaven or to prepare thy bread.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. seven days shalt thou eatunleavened breada sour, unpleasant, unwholesome kind of bread,designed to be a memorial of their Egyptian misery and of the hastewith which they departed, not allowing time for their morning doughto ferment.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it,…. With the passover, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it; that is, with the passover lamb, nor indeed with any of the passover, or peace offerings, as follows; see Ex 12:8
seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread therewith; with the passover; this plainly shows, that by the passover in the preceding verse is not meant strictly the passover lamb, for that was eaten at once on the night of the fourteenth of the month, and not seven days running, and therefore must be put for the whole solemnity of the feast, and all the sacrifices of it, both the lamb of the fourteenth, and the Chagigah of the fifteenth, and every of the peace offerings of the rest of the days were to be eaten with unleavened bread:
[even] the bread of affliction; so called either from the nature of its being heavy and lumpish, not grateful to the taste nor easy of digestion, and was mortifying and afflicting to be obliged to eat of it seven days together; or rather from the use of it, which was, as Jarchi observes, to bring to remembrance the affliction they were afflicted with in Egypt:
for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste; and had not time to leaven their dough; so that at first they were obliged through necessity to eat unleavened bread, and afterwards by the command of God in remembrance of it; see Ex 12:33,
that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life; how it was with them then, how they were hurried out with their unleavened dough; and that this might be imprinted on their minds, the master of the family used p, at the time of the passover, to break a cake of unleavened bread, and say, this is the bread of affliction, c. or bread of poverty as it is the way of poor men to have broken bread, so here is broken bread.
p Haggadah Shel Pesach, in Seder Tephillot, fol. 242. Maimon. Chametz Umetzah, c. 8. sect. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Deu 16:3
Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it. Because by this sign they were reminded of their having escaped in haste, as it were from the very flames; therefore does Moses so often enforce the prohibition of leaven. And here this reason for it is alleged, viz., that their recollection should be recalled to the affliction from which they were rescued; for they must needs have been involved in the greatest straits, when there was no time even for baking bread. Unleavened bread is therefore called “the bread of affliction,” that the manner of their deliverance may the more enhance God’s grace. He repeats what we have seen before, that none of the flesh of the Lamb should be reserved to the following day. In the former passage from the Book of Exodus, because Moses speaks generally, the command may at first sight be referred to the perpetual sacrifice; but the latter passage takes away all obscurity, by the express mention of the passover. We need not wonder that in one place the word “fat” is used for the whole carcase, or any part of the lamb, either by synecdoche, or that God might commend the superior sanctity of the fat, of which they were not permitted to eat, and which was burnt in all sacrifices.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
3. The bread of affliction The people left Egypt in haste, and, no doubt, with anxiety and dread. The unleavened bread was a symbol to them of their flight and of the burdens and servile life that preceded it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 3. Even the bread of affliction So called because it was insipid, and not easily digested, and therefore served to remind them of their afflicted state in Egypt. Concerning these several feasts, we refer to the passages in the Margins of our Bibles. The word passover, in ver. 2 signifies not only the paschal lamb, which was offered on the fourteenth day, but all the paschal service which followed after as appears by the next words, of the flock and the herd.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 211
REDEMPTION TO BE EVER BORNE IN MIND
Deu 16:3. Remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt, all the days of thy life.
OF all the facts recorded in the Old Testament, the Resurrection of our blessed Lord created the most general and intense interest; because, by that, the hopes of his enemies were blasted, and the fears of his followers were dispelled. We may judge of the emotions that were excited by it from this circumstance, that, when two of the disciples, in their way to Emmaus, had seen their Lord, and had returned to Jerusalem to inform their brethren, they, on entering the room where they were assembled together, found them all saying one to another with most joyous exultation, The Lord is risen indeed! the Lord is risen indeed [Note: Luk 24:1-3; Luk 24:30-34.]! Between that and the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, there is a strict analogy. In fact, the deliverance from Egypt was typical of our redemption by Christ: and, as God required that the people of Israel should remember the one to their latest hour, so does he expect that we should remember the other all the days of our life.
The words which I have read to you are assigned by Moses as the end for which the paschal feast, and the feast of unleavened bread, were instituted; namely, to keep up in the minds of that people, to their latest posterity, the remembrance of the typical deliverance: and with the same object in view, I would now call your attention to the Resurrection of our blessed Lord. Beloved Brethren, it is a subject of supreme importance: and to every one of you I would say,
I.
Treasure it up in your minds
Good reason was there why the Jews should remember their deliverance from Egypt
[Most grievous was their bondage there [Note: Exo 3:7.]: and most wonderful were Gods interpositions for them [Note: The ten plagues, and the passage of the Red Sea, &c] Never, from the beginning of the world, had God exerted himself in behalf of any people as he did for them [Note: Dent. 4:3234.]. There was good reason, therefore, why so singular a mercy should be had in everlasting remembrance.]
But far greater reason is there why we should bear in mind the resurrection of our blessed Lord
[Far more grievous was our bondage to sin and Satan, death and hell And infinitely more wonderful were the means used for our deliverance [Note: The incarnation and death of Gods only-begotten Son.] Yea, and infinitely more blessed the issue of it [Note: Not mere temporal benefits in Canaan, but everlasting happiness in heaven.] Shall we, then, ever forget this? Would not the very stones cry out against us? ]
Yet, dwell not on it as a mere fact; but,
II.
Improve it in your lives
The Jews, in remembrance of their redemption, were to kill the passover, and to keep the feast of unleavened bread [Note: ver. 13.] And, if we would answer Gods end in our deliverance, we must improve it,
1.
By a renewed application to that sacrifice by which the deliverance was obtained
[It was by sprinkling the blood of the paschal lamb on the door-posts and lintels of their houses that the Jews obtained deliverance from the sword of the destroying angel [Note: Deu 12:21-24.] And to the blood of Christ, who is the true paschal sacrifice,. must we apply, sprinkling it on our hearts and consciences [Note: Heb 10:22.], and expecting from it the most perfect deliverance [Note: Psa 51:7.] To those who use these means, there is no danger [Note: 1Jn 1:7.] to those who neglect to use them, there is no escape [Note: Heb 2:3.] ]
2.
By more diligent endeavours after universal holiness
[What the meaning of the unleavened feast was, we are told by the Apostle Paul, who urges us to carry into effect what that typified: Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth [Note: 1Co 5:7-8.]. In vain we keep the passover, if we do not also keep the feast of unleavened bread: they are absolutely inseparable. The very end for which Christ redeemed us, was, that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works [Note: Tit 2:14.]: and, if we would reap the full benefit of his resurrection, we must seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God [Note: Col 3:1.]. This was designed by God in the appointment of the feast we have been speaking of [Note: Exo 13:8-10.]; and the same is designed in the mercy vouchsafed to us [Note: Rom 14:9.] ]
In conclusion, then, I say,
[Be thankful to God for the special call which is now given you to observe this day. If to the Jews it was said, This is a night to be much observed to the Lord, for bringing them out of the land of Egypt; this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations [Note: Exo 12:42.]; how much more may it be said to us! Methinks, any man who kept the Passion-week, as it is appointed to be observed amongst us, could scarcely fail of attaining the salvation of his soul; so plain are the instructions given us throughout the whole course of our services, and so exclusively is Christ held forth to us as the way, the truth, and the life. My dear Brethren, we really are great losers by our neglect of these seasons. Doubtless they may be observed with superstitious formality: but they may be kept with infinite profit to the soul. And I beg of you not to let the present opportunity pass away without a suitable improvement: but, as David said, with a direct reference to the Saviours resurrection, This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it [Note: Psa 118:22-24.]; so do you engage with your whole souls in securing the blessings which the Redeemers triumphs, as on this day, have obtained for us ]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 16:3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, [even] the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
Ver. 3. Even the bread of afliction. ] Or, Of poverty; as who should say, poor folk’s bread, illleavened, ill-prepared.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
bread of affliction. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject) = bread which is the symbol of their affliction in Egypt.
in haste. Not the reason given in Exo 12:17 for the Exodus. But here the reason why the bread was un-. leavened. There was no time for it to “rise” by fermentation.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
eat no: Exo 12:15, Exo 12:19, Exo 12:20, Exo 12:39, Exo 13:3-7, Exo 34:18, Lev 23:6, Num 9:11, Num 28:17, 1Co 5:8
the bread: 1Ki 22:27, Psa 102:9, Psa 127:2, Zec 12:10, 2Co 7:10, 2Co 7:11, 1Th 1:6
for thou camest: Exo 12:32, Exo 12:33, Exo 12:39
mayest: Exo 12:14, Exo 12:26, Exo 12:27, Exo 13:7-9, Psa 111:4, Luk 22:19, 1Co 11:24-26
Reciprocal: Exo 12:8 – unleavened Exo 13:10 – General Exo 34:25 – leaven Lev 11:3 – cheweth 2Ch 35:17 – the feast Isa 30:20 – the bread Mic 6:5 – remember
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
16:3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, [even] the bread of {c} affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
(c) Which signified the affliction which you had in Egypt.