Exo 12:4-5 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 4. If the household be too little ] That is, if there be not persons enough in one family to eat a whole lamb, then two families must join together. The rabbins allow that there should be at least ten persons to one paschal lamb, and not more than twenty . Take it, according to the number of the souls ] The persons who were to eat of it were to be first ascertained, and then the lamb was to be slain and dressed for that number .

‏ Exodus 12:4-5

Verse 4. If the household be too little] That is, if there be not persons enough in one family to eat a whole lamb, then two families must join together. The rabbins allow that there should be at least ten persons to one paschal lamb, and not more than twenty.

Take it, according to the number of the souls] The persons who were to eat of it were to be first ascertained, and then the lamb was to be slain and dressed for that number.

Verse 5. Without blemish] Having no natural imperfection, no disease, no deficiency or redundancy of parts. On this point the rabbins have trifled most egregiously, reckoning fifty blemishes that render a lamb or kid, or any animal, improper to be sacrificed: five in the ear, three in the eyelid, eight in the eye, three in the nose, six in the mouth, &c., &c.

A male of the first year] That is, any age in the first year between eight days and twelve months.

From the sheep, or from the goats] The seh means either; and either was equally proper if without blemish. The Hebrews however in general preferred the lamb to the kid.