Comments on Exodus 12 Elements of previous covenants are obviously incorporated into the Passover. Judgement, destruction, election, blood being symbolic of life and the eating of the flesh draw on the Noachide covenant, cf. Gen. 9:1-7. The first-born of Abraham, in this case the heir to the covenant via the lineage of Abraham, being spared and the sacrifice of another draw on the Abrahamic covenant, cf. Gen. 22:7-8, 12. Also, the Hebrew "pesach" translated to "passover" in the KJV is better translated to "protection". The "passover offering" is a protection offering. The passing over is to protect, and not destroy per v. 13, cp. Ps. 57:1, Isa. 26:20-21, Isa. 31:4-5. v7 "blood", according to Gen. 9:4 the blood is equated with life. Thus, it is the blood, or the life, of the lamb that stands between Israel and the Destroyer. v12 "against all of the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement", this is why the Lord strikes Egypt. In the Egyptian view, Pharaoh, as well as the Nile were gods, among the various idolatrous deities. v14-20 The institution of the Passover Sader, which is later reinterpreted by Jesus into the Sacrament, cf. Matt. 26:26-27. v43-49 prohibits non-Israelites from eating of the Sader. Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.