Passover — Meaning in the Bible
The festival remembering the night God brought Israel out of Egypt, when the plague passed over houses marked with a lamb's blood.
What it means
On the night of the last plague each household killed a lamb and put its blood on the doorframe; the LORD passed over those houses. Israel was to keep the Passover every year as a memorial. Exodus 12:1–14Exodus 12:21–27
Jesus' last supper was at Passover time; the Gospels and Paul connect his death with the Passover lamb. Luke 22:7–20John 1:291 Corinthians 5:7
Key passages
- Exodus 12:1–28 — The first Passover.
- Deuteronomy 16:1–8 — Keeping the Passover.
- Luke 2:41–42 — Jesus' family goes up for Passover.
- Luke 22:7–20 — The last supper.
- 1 Corinthians 5:7 — Christ our Passover.
Original language
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
For children
Passover is a special meal to remember how God rescued his people from Egypt. They put a lamb's blood on their doors and God passed over their houses. Exodus 12:13
Study further
- Exodus 12:1–42 The night of deliverance.
- Luke 22:7–23 Jesus' Passover meal.