Exodus 12:45

Exo 12:45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

Ver. 45. A foreigner.] Unless a proselyte.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 12:45; Exo 12:48. A hired servant — Unless he submit to be circumcised. All the congregation of Israel must keep it — Though it was observed in families apart, yet it is looked upon as the act of the whole congregation. And so the New Testament passover, the Lord’s supper, ought not to be neglected by any that are capable of celebrating it. No stranger that was uncircumcised might eat of it. Neither may any now approach the Lord’s supper who have not first submitted to baptism; nor shall any partake of the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice, who are not first circumcised in heart. Any stranger that was circumcised might eat of the passover, even servants. Here is an indication of favour to the poor Gentiles, that the stranger, if circumcised, stands upon the same level with the home-born Israelite; one law for both. This was a mortification to the Jews, and taught them that it was their dedication to God, not their descent from Abraham, that entitled them to their privileges.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 45. A foreigner] תושב toshab, from ישב yashab, to sit down or dwell; one who is a mere sojourner, for the purpose of traffic, merchandise, c., but who is neither a proselyte of the gate nor of the covenant.

And a hired servant] Who, though he be bought with money, or has indented himself for a certain term to serve a Jew, yet has not become either a proselyte of the gate or of the covenant. None of these shall eat of it, because not circumcised - not brought under the bond of the covenant and not being under obligation to observe the Mosaic law, had no right to its privileges and blessings. Even under the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is the author of eternal salvation only to them who OBEY him, Heb 5:9; and those who become Christians are chosen to salvation through SANCTIFICATION of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, 2Th 2:13; for the grace of God, that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared, teaching us that, DENYING UNGODLINESS and WORLDLY LUSTS we should live SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, and GODLY, in this present world; Tit 2:11-12. Such persons only walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(45) An hired servant.—It is assumed that the hired servant will be a foreigner; otherwise, of course, he would participate.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45. The settler (tôshâb) and hired servant are not to eat of it. The technical distinction between the tôshâb and the gêr (v. 48) is not altogether clear. To judge from the etymology, the tôshâb was a foreigner, more permanently ‘settled’ in Israel than an ordinary gêr, and also perhaps (Lev_22:10; Lev_25:6) more definitely attached to a particular family (LXX. usually πάροικος), but, like the gêr, without civil rights, and dependent for his position on the good-will of his patronus (cf. Gen_23:4, Lev_25:23, Psa_39:12, 1Ch_29:15): the word also occurs Lev_25:35; Lev_25:40; Lev_25:45; Lev_25:47 (twice), Num_35:15. RV. ‘sojourner,’ except Lev_25:6; Lev_25:45 ‘stranger.’ See further Bertholet, Die Stellung der Isr. zu den Fremden (1896), p. 157 ff. (cf. 172 f.), Bä. p. 107, EB. iv. 4818. The ‘hired servant’ is associated, as here, in Lev_22:10; Lev_25:6; Lev_25:40, with the tôshâb, and in Lev_22:10 with the gêr as well, as having both similar disqualifications, and (Exo_25:39 f.) similar rights; evidently he is to be thought of as a foreigner (cf. Lev_25:6 ‘that sojourn with thee’), whose rights are limited, and who is hired by his master, for fixed wages, for a longer or a shorter time. Why the same permission is not given to the ‘settler’ as to the ‘sojourner’ (v. 48) to partake of the Passover, if he is circumcised, is not apparent; perhaps (cf. Bertholet, 159) he is included in v. 48 in the more general term gêr (cf. Lev_Exo_25:6 end).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

One law shall be to him that is homeborn,.... A proper Israelite, one that is so by descent:

and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you; that becomes a proselyte to the true religion; these were both bound by the same law, and obliged to observe the same rites and ceremonies, and partook of the same ordinances, benefits, and privileges; this was a dawn of grace to the poor Gentiles, and presignified what would be in Gospel times, when they should be fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, be fellow heirs of the same body, and partakers of the promises of Christ by the Gospel, Eph 2:19.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A foreigner - or sojourner: one who resides in a country, not having a permanent home, nor being attached to an Israelitish household.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Except he submit to circumcision, as Exo 12:43. See Num 9:14.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

A foreigner. Literally "a so-journeri.e., a foreigner who is merely passing through the land, or staying for a time, without intending to become a permanent resident. The Septuagint paroikov well expresses the meaning. A hired servant. It is assumed that the "hired servant" will be a foreigner; and intended to guard against any compulsion being put upon him.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

An hired servant - Unless he submit to be circumcised.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The food must be eaten in one house

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Each Israelite family must eat the food in one house" (See: Active or Passive)

you must not break any bone of it

"you must not break any of its bones." Here the word "it" refers to the lamb which the Israelite family will eat.

translationWords

alien

servant

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

תושב A TOLERATED SOJOURNER — this means a stranger who has settled in Palestine (having undertaken to observe the seven precepts of the “Sons of Noah”).

ושכיר AND A HIRED SERVANT — a heathen. But why need Scripture state at all that these (the תושב and the שכיר) may not eat of the Passover lamb? These are uncircumcised and it is said (v. 48) “And no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof”? But it refers to such a one as a circumcised Arabian or a circumcised Gibeonite who is a settler or a hired servant (Mekhilta; Yevamot 71a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

TOSHAV’ (A SOJOURNER) ‘V’SACHIR’ (AND A HIRED SERVANT) SHALL NOT EAT THEREOF. “Toshav is a resident non-Israelite [who has foresworn idolatry, but has not as yet been fully converted to Judaism]. A ‘sachir’ is a non-Israelite. But why should Scripture mention all these? They are uncircumcised, [and an uncircumcised person may not eat of the Passover-offering]! However, it refers to a circumcised Arabian or a circumcised Gibeonite.” ” (Mechilta here). Thus the language of Rashi.I do not know why the Rabbi [Rashi] wrote down matters which are rejected in the Gemara. The Rabbis have objected to this explanation [that the verse refers to a circumcised Arabian or a circumcised Gibeonite], asking: “Are these considered circumcised?! Have we not been taught that he who vows not to have benefit from the uncircumcised is permitted to have benefit from the uncircumcised of Israel, but not from the circumcised of other nations, as it is written, For all the nations are uncircumcised, but all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart?” Instead, the Rabbis [there in the Gemara] explained the verse as referring to a proselyte who was circumcised but who has not yet undergone immersion.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.