Passover: The name given to the chief of the three great historical annual
festivals of the Jews. It was kept in remembrance of the Lord's
passing over the houses of the Israelites
(Exodus 12:13) when the first
born of all the Egyptians were destroyed. It is called also the
"feast of unleavened bread"
(Exodus 23:15; Mark 14:1; Acts 12:3) because during
its celebration no leavened bread was to be eaten or even kept in the
household
(Exodus 12:15) The word afterwards came to denote the lamb that
was slain at the feast
(Mark 14:12-14; 1 Corinthians 5:7) A detailed account of the
institution of this feast is given in
(Exodus 12:1-13:1)ff
It was afterwards incorporated in the ceremonial law
(Leviticus 23:4-8) as
one of the great festivals of the nation. In after times many changes
seem to have taken place as to the mode of its celebration as
compared with its first celebration (comp.)
(Deuteronomy 16:2,5,6; 2 Chronicles 30:16)
(Leviticus 23:10-14; Numbers 9:10,11; 28:16-24) Again, the use of wine
(Luke 22:17,20) of sauce with the bitter herbs
(John 13:26) and the
service of praise were introduced. There is recorded only one
celebration of this feast between the Exodus and the entrance into
Canaan, namely, that mentioned in
(Numbers 9:5)
(See JOSIAH)
It was primarily a commemorative ordinance, reminding the children of
Israel of their deliverance out of Egypt; but it was, no doubt, also a
type of the great deliverance wrought by the Messiah for all his
people from the doom of death on account of sin, and from the bondage
of sin itself, a worse than Egyptian bondage
(1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29)
(John 19:32-36; 1 Peter 1:19; Galatians 4:4,5) The appearance of Jerusalem on the
occasion of the Passover in the time of our Lord is thus fittingly
described: "The city itself and the neighbourhood became more and more
crowded as the feast approached, the narrow streets and dark arched
bazaars showing the same throng of men of all nations as when Jesus
had first visited Jerusalem as a boy. Even the temple offered a
strange sight at this season, for in parts of the outer courts a wide
space was covered with pens for sheep, goats, and cattle to be used
for offerings. Sellers shouted the merits of their beasts, sheep
bleated, oxen lowed. Sellers of doves also had a place set apart for
them. Potters offered a choice from huge stacks of clay dishes and
ovens for roasting and eating the Passover lamb. Booths for wine, oil,
salt, and all else needed for sacrifices invited customers. Persons
going to and from the city shortened their journey by crossing the
temple grounds, often carrying burdens...Stalls to change foreign
money into the shekel of the temple, which alone could be paid to the
priests, were numerous, the whole confusion making the sanctuary like
a noisy market" (Geikie's Life of Christ).
