Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 12:16
And in the first day [there shall be] a holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save [that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
16. On the first and seventh day there was also to be a ‘holy convocation,’ i.e. an assembly at the sanctuary for religious purposes. The expression occurs besides only in the two calendars of P, Lev 23:2-4; Lev 23:7-8; Lev 23:21; Lev 23:24; Lev 23:27; Lev 23:35-37, Num 28:18; Num 28:25-26; Num 29:1; Num 29:7; Num 29:12; and, without ‘holy,’ Isa 1:13; Isa 4:5 (EVV., each time, ‘assemblies’). The assembly was ‘called’ together by silver trumpets (see Num 10:2 [where ‘calling’ is in the Heb. the same as ‘convocation’ here], Num 10:3;Num 10:7, cf. Num 10:10): Kalisch reminds us how in Mohammedan countries festivals are announced by heralds from conspicuous places, especially the towers of mosques.
save that which, &c.] The prohibition of work was thus not as strict as for the sabbath (Exo 16:23, Exo 35:3), or the day of atonement (Lev 23:28). Cf. Lev 23:7-8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
An holy convocation – An assembly called by proclamation for a religious solemnity. See Lev 23:2; Num 10:2-3. In the East the proclamation is made by the Muezzins from the minarets of the mosques.
Save that … – In this the observance of the festival differed from the Sabbath, when the preparation of food was prohibited. The same word for work is used here and in the fourth commandment: it is very general, and includes all laborious occupation.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. In the first day and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation] This is the first place where we meet with the account of an assembly collected for the mere purpose of religious worship. Such assemblies are called holy convocations, which is a very appropriate appellation for a religious assembly; they were called together by the express command of God, and were to be employed in a work of holiness. mikra, convocation, is a word of similar import with the Greek , which we commonly translate Church, and which properly signifies an assembly convened by public call.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
An holy convocation; a solemn day for the people to assemble together, and to attend upon the public worship and service of God in hearing his word, prayers, praises, and sacrifices.
And in the seventh day, because then Pharaoh and his host were drowned in the sea. As on the first day the first-born were killed; so their deliverance was begun on the first, and completed on the seventh day, and therefore those days deserved a special character of honour. And indeed that there were seven days between those two miracles, the Jews unanimously affirm, and it seems probable from the account of their journeys.
No manner of work, i.e. of servile work, Lev 23:7.
Save that which every man must eat: herein, as many think, these days were inferior to the sabbath, in which that was forbidden. But of this See Poole on “Exo 16:23“. See Poole on Exo 35:3.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. there shall be an holyconvocationliterally, calling of the people, which wasdone by sound of trumpets (Nu 10:2),a sacred assemblyfor these days were to be regarded asSabbathsexcepting only that meat might be cooked on them (Ex16:23).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation,…. An holy day, in which the people be called to holy exercises, and wholly abstain from worldly business, done on other days:
and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation unto you; observed in a festival way, and in the like religious manner the first day was, the day of their going out of Egypt; and the seventh was the day in which Pharaoh and his host were drowned in the Red sea, as Aben Ezra observes; for which reason those days are distinguished from the rest, and appointed to be holy convocations, and which appear from the journeying of the children of Israel, as computed by Junius: they came to Succoth on the fifteenth, to Etham the seventeenth, to Pihahiroth the eighteenth, where they were ordered to stay, and wait the coming of their enemies, on the twentieth the army of Pharaoh came up to them, and the night following the Israelites passed through the sea and the Egyptians were drowned:
no manner of work shall be done in them; as used to be done on other days, and as were on the other five days of this festival: the Jewish canons are,
“it is forbidden to do any work on the evening of the passover, from the middle of the day and onward, and whoever does work from the middle of the day and onward, they excommunicate him; even though, he does it for nothing, it is forbidden n: R. Meir says, whatever work anyone begins before the fourteenth (of Nisan) he may finish it on the fourteenth, but he may not begin it on the beginning of the fourteenth, though he could finish it: the wise men say, three workmen may work on the evening of the passover unto the middle of the day, and they are these, tailors, barbers, and fullers: R. Jose bar Judah says, also shoemakers o,”
but in the text no exception is made but the following:
save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you; so that kindling fire and preparing food might be done on those days, which might not be done on sabbath days; and the prohibition of work was not so strict on those days as on that.
n Lebush, par. 1. No. 468. sect. 1. Schulcan Aruch, par. 1. No. 468. sect. 1. o Misn. Pesach. c. 4. sect. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) In the first day there shall be an holy convocation.The Passover was to be kept on the fourteenth day of Abib, at even. The seven following days were to be days of unleavened bread. On the first of these, the fifteenth of Abib (Lev. 23:6), there was to be a holy convocation, i.e., a general gathering of the people to the door of the sanctuary for sacrifice, worship, and perhaps instruction. (Comp. Neh. 8:1.) The term convocation implies that the people were summoned to attend; and the actual summons appears to have been made by the blowing of the silver trumpets (Num. 10:2). On the seventh day, the twenty-first of Abib, was to be another similar meeting. No manner of work was to be done on either of these two days; or rather, as explained in Lev. 23:7-8, no servile work.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Holy convocation The first and seventh days were to be days of general assembly, in which no work but that of necessity should be done sabbaths, when all the people should gather to hear the law, and to adore Jehovah, their Saviour, while they recounted to each other his mighty delivering mercies. This was the origin of the Jewish synagogue.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Reader! observe the solemnity of these holy convocations. Then turn to Lev 23 , where the precept for the observance of them is no less than nine times repeated. Then turn to the New Testament and remark what is said of similar circumstances. Heb 10:25 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 12:16 And in the first day [there shall be] an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save [that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Ver. 16. A holy convocation. ] This same word, in the Hebrew, signifieth the Holy Scripture; to teach us, saith one, that the Scriptures ought to be read in the congregation and holy assemblies. Neh 8:9
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
And. Some Codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac, omit.
man. Hebrew. nephesh, soul (App-13). Compare verses: Exo 12:4, Exo 12:15, Exo 12:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
first day: Lev 23:2, Lev 23:3, Lev 23:7, Lev 23:8, Lev 23:21, Lev 23:24, Lev 23:25, Lev 23:27, Lev 23:35, Num 28:18, Num 28:25, Num 29:1, Num 29:12
no manner: Exo 16:5, Exo 16:23, Exo 16:29, Exo 20:10, Exo 35:2, Exo 35:3, Jer 17:21, Jer 17:22, man Heb. soul
Reciprocal: Lev 16:29 – do no Lev 23:6 – General Deu 16:8 – Six days Neh 10:31 – on the holy day