MPV Commentary

The Rite of the Passover.

When you eat this meal, do so with your belts securely fastened and your shoes on your feet, as if you were ready to leave at a moment's notice. The first instruction refers to the practice of wearing a loose outer garment that could be easily tied up around the waist, allowing for freedom of movement in the legs and knees. As for the second, it's worth noting that people in ancient Egypt and the Middle East typically didn't wear shoes indoors.

These instructions seem to have been primarily intended for the initial celebration of this rite.

This meal is known as the Lord's Passover because the blood-marked doorposts of the Israelites' homes were figuratively "passed over" by the destroying angel.

12. Strike down every firstborn son in Egypt, including those who serve as gods to Pharaoh.

Some interpreters suggest that this phrase refers specifically to Egyptian princes and nobles, while others believe it alludes to the idols worshipped by the Egyptians (see Numbers 33:4; Isaiah 19:1). According to Jewish tradition, these idols were indeed broken in pieces on that night.

14. This meal is to be observed as a lasting reminder of our deliverance from slavery in Egypt.