V. 1. Keep the month of Abib, to keep the Passover to the Lord.
After the place and the persons are described and provided for, he makes here an order in relation to the times and feasts, particularly over the three main feasts, which concerned first of all this people, whose instruction Moses took upon himself in this book. These feasts are the Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Atonement in the same seventh month in which the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated, Leviticus 23:24, namely, the Feast of Trumpets on the first day and the Feast of Atonement on the seventh day. But each of these two feasts was celebrated only One Day. But the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated in the middle of the month, on the fifteenth day, for eight days, on which all that was male had to appear before the Lord in the place the Lord had chosen, as on the Feast of Passover and Pentecost, as he says in this chapter.
But the text itself is easy, only some words need to be explained. "In the months
Abib", which our Latin text [the Vulgate 2 Mos. 23, 15.] calls the month of new things, but elsewhere [as here v. 1.] the month of new fruits, perhaps because then everything comes forth anew and the whole world is green. But the month of April is also named by the Latins from the opening (Aprilis ab aperiendo), because then the earth opens and everything becomes new, although the Hebrews do not call April Abib, but Ijar 1). Abib, however, comes from Abab, which means a small rod or a tender branch, Deut. 2, 14, as those are when the trees shoot out in spring, by which, as Christ indicates Matth. 24, 32, one can recognize that summer is near. At that time, namely in April, they went out of Egypt; therefore this month is called the beginning of the year and the first month, Ex 12:2. Others, however, make July out of the month Abib. But this is refuted by the exodus of the
1) In the Erlangen and Jena editions: läsr; in the Wittenberg: Lisr. Both are incorrect and should be read Jjar. Compare Seyffarth's corrections of Roman, Greek, Persian, Egyptian, Hebrew history and chronology etc.
Children of Israel out of Egypt, which happened at the beginning of the year in the month of Abib, as it says here and Ex 34:18.
V. 3. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread of affliction: for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt with fear.
"Bread of affliction" he calls it from the past affliction which they suffered at the time when they first ate this bread, which he explains by soon adding: "For with fear thou wentest forth," etc., that is, with fear and trembling, as those who are in distress are wont to hasten and be afraid, so that they flee as quickly as possible. For this is the meaning of this word XXX, that it does not mean merely to hasten or to be fearful, but (as I have said) to seek to flee out of fear, as is said of David 1 Sam. 23, 26. when he was completely surrounded by Saul on the mountain, that he despaired, that is, that he was anxious to hasten with a fearful mind. Thus it is said in Exodus 12:11: "And shall eat it as they hasten away," which is what he says here, "the bread of misery," which they ate in fear and anxious haste. And Ps. 104, 7. [Vulg.]: "At the voice of thy thunder they feared," that is, they might have fled and hastened away. Psalm 116:11: "I spoke in my trembling," that is, in fearful haste.
V. 8. On the seventh day is the assembly of the Lord your God.
Our Latin text (noster) has used the word "gathering" (collectam), but more correctly it means [XXXX] a gathering (coetum), an assembly (concionem), a meeting (synodum), a festive assembly (conventum), as the people are wont to come together in the court (atrium) to hear God's word, or to order something in public affairs, or to hold an election, as the popular assemblies (comitia,) of the Gentiles are. So the people of God, after serving God with sacrifices throughout the Passover and eating in the place that God had chosen, came together on the seventh day in one place, the courtyard, and there the law of God and the commandments were read, which were
they were concerned about. Therefore, he calls it an assembly of God the Lord, that they should come together to hear the law of God.
"The feast of weeks" he calls Pentecost from the weeks counted from the day of the Passover, of which there are seven, as he says [v. 9.], "Seven weeks shalt thou count." This feast he indicates in the second book of Moses by this paraphrase [Cap. 23, 16.], "The feast of the first harvest of the fruits which thou sowest in the field," but here with such a paraphrase: "From the day when one begins with the sickle in the seed, thou shalt begin to count." This I understand in such a way: One begins to count the weeks from the time of the Passover, where the grass has already grown up so far that one can already mow off its luxuriantly rising stalks (comam). Or if this seems harsh, the commandment of counting must be related to the time of Pentecost, in this way: Thou shalt begin to count from the day, that is, when it shall be about the time of Pentecost, 1) when the luxuriantly growing grass is first to be cut, or the first [field] fruits are reaped, thou shalt count backward, until by reckoning (computando) thou shalt have seven weeks full until the Passover. And this pleases me better, because he commands to count the weeks which he intimates are already fulfilled, but at the same time because it is the custom of the Hebrews to read, write and act (agere) backwards.
Then it will agree nicely with Ex. 23, 16: "When you reap the first fruits", because around Pentecost, especially in those warm regions, the first fruits tend to be there (inveniri) and are reaped, as I said, so that it is the same time when the first fruits are reaped, and when the sickle cuts into the seed (mittitur). Hence he also understands by the "freewill offering," which in this place is called missa in Hebrew, the firstfruits which they were to bring to the priests, of which you will find in the third book of Moses, Cap. 2 at the end [v. 12. ff.]. After this has been explained, everything in this chapter is easy.
1) It seems to us that instead of tueris in the editions should be read tuerit. After that we have translated.
Such festivals and outward customs are instituted for worship, because of the rude people, so that they, occupied with the same, do not invent festivals by their own doing. For nature is inclined to do this, indeed, it has no rest until it sets up ceremonies and ordains divine services, therefore it is necessary to forestall it and keep it at God's word, so that we may be sure that we are dealing with divine things and pleasing God. This is also the reason that the people should meet at least two or three times a year and hear and learn the law of God and be kept in unity of faith and life.
But there are three things he wanted to be remembered at these three feasts: at the feast of Passover, the Exodus from Egypt was to be remembered; this was the first feast of all and the highest in the beginning of the year, because of the first and highest miracle that had been performed for them, namely the deliverance from Egypt. But at the feast of Pentecost it was to be remembered that the law was received at Mount Sinai, since the law was given in the third month after the Exodus, about the fiftieth day after the Passover. At the feast of tabernacles one should keep the memory of all bodily benefits, which had been shown to them during the whole forty years in the desert. Thus you see that the feasts are ordered, not for the sake of idleness, idleness and pleasure, but for the sake of our salvation and the glory of God, so that the word of God may be heard and His benefits remembered, so that we may be instructed, nourished and sustained in faith and love for God.
All these feasts, although there were many others, we celebrate through the interpretation (allegoria) of the spirit in one feast. For we keep Passover daily by eating and offering Christ, the Lamb of God, that is, as Paul interprets it in 1 Cor. 11:1) 26, proclaiming and believing that he was sacrificed for us. Thus we have Pentecost every day, receiving the new law, the Spirit, in our hearts through the ministry of the Word. Celebrate daily
1) In the editions: "1 Cor. 10."
we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, teaching and holding that we are strangers in this world, dwelling in the huts of our bodies, which last only a short time, knowing that our πολίτευμα, i.e., our citizens
We are in heaven, where we are in the meantime in faith and live, and here we die daily until our tabernacle is laid down etc. So we rejoice before the Lord at these feasts in the sweet dough of sincerity and truth, that is, in the nourishment of the pure gospel and in the life of the Spirit, without statutes and human infirmities, offering our firstfruits of praise and thanksgiving.
For also this, that he commandeth that every male should not appear empty before him, was ordained at that time that the priests might be fed, but in our time it has been forced by the ungodly priests, to feed their bellies, upon the offerings (offertoriis) of the common people, whereas in truth it signifies that one offer praise and thanksgiving, but now no longer before the Lord on the mercy seat and the ark of the covenant, or in any certain place, but in spirit and in truth. This is that one does not sacrifice the Passover in any place (as Moses again inculcates here), but in the place that God would have chosen. For if one feeds the sacrificers (sacrificulos) with offerings or contributions (pensionibus), this is as much as if one feeds harlots and harlot hosts, yes, wolves and wild beasts, so that they devour us with their pernicious teachings. But to the servants of the Word their honor is due, as we said above [Cap. 14 toward the end]. Therefore, even now, no one who is male appears empty before the Lord, as the believer gives thanks and offers praise in the spirit. The woman, that is, the flesh, and the still remaining infirmities of sin offer nothing, because there is no beautiful praise in the mouth of the sinner.
He calls unleavened bread "bread of misery" because they went out in fear, and he forbids leaven. What leaven is, Christ himself teaches sufficiently Matth. 16, 6. where he commands that they should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Therefore, unleavened bread is the healthy and righteous word.
of faith. It is called a loaf of "misery" from the fear of the hasty departure, because through the gospel the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all men, especially the works saints, Rom. 1, 18. and 2, 16. since the spirit punishes the world for sin, for righteousness, and for judgment. Here the conscience is frightened by the realm of sin and wrath, and rushes out, speaking with those in Acts Cap. 2, 37: "Dear brethren, what shall we do?" and with Paul [Acts 9, 6]: "Lord, what wilt thou that I should do?" For the knowledge of sin urges and impels the elect of God to go forth where the firstborn of Egypt, that is, the righteousness of works with the
trust in it and its hopeful fame has been struck.
Nothing of the flesh of the lamb shall remain until tomorrow, but if anything remains, it shall be burned with fire (Ex. 12:10). This is said against the Jews, who, after the true Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed, still await Him in the future, and put off and delay believing in Him who has come, and let go of the works of the law. But the godly consume the whole (lamb) by the fire of the Holy Spirit, that is, by the Word and faith, simply believing that all is fulfilled by the true and eternal Lamb, after the new morning of the Lord's resurrection has dawned.