Back to index

The Passover

Exodus 12:23

For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

Full bible text

Exodus 12 verse 21 to 23
​21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them: “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.
22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

About this painting

After the death of Joseph and his brothers their descendants become numerous in Egypt. As time goes by a new pharaoh, who never knew Joseph, comes to power. He oppresses the Israelites with forced labour.
Then the Lord hears their groaning and remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give them the land of Canaan.
The Lord calls Moses and appoints him as the one who will bring the Israelites out of Egypt. However, the pharaoh refuses to let them go.
Because of this refusal God strikes Egypt with ten plagues. The tenth plague is the killing of every firstborn in the land of Egypt.
The Israelites will not be touched by this plague if they put some of the blood of a slaughtered lamb on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses. When the Lord sees the blood, He will pass over then and spare their firstborn.

Pascha or Pesach means:"to pass over".
On the painting the firstborn son is looking at his father who applies the blood on the doorposts. His life is at stake.
Pascha or Passover is the foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, Who gave His blood for sinners, and died to reconcile to God those who believe in Him and hide behind His blood.
1 Corinthians 5 verse 7.

Ask a question about this painting

{{ errors.first("field_7") }}
{{ errors.first("field_8") }}
{{ errors.first("field_9") }}
{{ errors.first("privacy") }}
Download the image for free prefer a print on canvas?