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Exodus 12:48
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

Leviticus 22:10
There shall no stranger eatof the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eatof the holy thing.

Numbers 9:14
And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.

This is the statute of the Passover
The term "statute" signifies a permanent ordinance or law, highlighting the enduring nature of the Passover celebration. The Passover commemorates the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian bondage, marking a pivotal moment in their history. It is a foundational event that prefigures Christ's sacrificial death, as the Passover lamb is a type of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

No foreigner is to eat of it
This restriction underscores the covenantal relationship between God and Israel. The Passover meal is a sacred observance meant for those within the covenant community. It signifies belonging and participation in the promises of God. In the New Testament, this exclusivity is transformed as Gentiles are grafted into the covenant through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:12-13). The term "foreigner" here refers to those not part of the Israelite community, emphasizing the importance of identity and faith in the covenant relationship.

The verse opens by naming the Speaker and His chosen messengers.

• “The LORD” (Yahweh) affirms that what follows carries divine authority, just as He earlier directed Moses inExodus 12:1–2 and later inLeviticus 23:1–2.

• Addressing both Moses and Aaron underscores that the instruction is for leadership and for the whole covenant community they represent (Numbers 27:18–23).

• God’s personal involvement reminds Israel that redemption is relational; the same God who delivered them inExodus 6:6 continues to guide their worship.

Now the command is framed as a “statute,” meaning a fixed, enduring ordinance.

• Statute signals permanence—Passover was to be kept “throughout your generations” (Exodus 12:14).

• Calling it “the Passover” links the meal to the historic act of salvation when the LORD “passed over” Israel’s homes (Exodus 12:12–13).

• Every year, the memorial retold the gospel-in-advance: rescue through a substitutionary lamb (John 1:29;1 Corinthians 5:7).

• Statutes safeguard the purity of worship, preventing Israel from reshaping God’s truths to suit cultural moods (Deuteronomy 12:32).

The core restriction protects the covenant meaning of the meal.

• “Foreigner” refers to anyone outside the covenant family; only those marked by circumcision could join the meal (Exodus 12:48).

• Exclusion is not hostility but gospel clarity—participation requires identification with the God who saves (Genesis 17:10–14).

• The principle reappears in the New Testament: the Lord’s Table is for those who “examine themselves” in faith (1 Corinthians 11:27–29), and Gentiles are welcomed only through union with Christ (Ephesians 2:12–13).

• The boundary guards both insiders (keeps the meal holy) and outsiders (keeps them from empty ritual).

• Yet the very next verses show inclusion is possible; a foreigner may eat after embracing the covenant sign, foreshadowing the gospel’s reach to “every nation” (Revelation 7:9).

Exodus 12:43 teaches that the Passover is God’s own ordinance, entrusted to covenant leaders, designed to rehearse redemption, and reserved for those who belong to Him. By guarding the table, the LORD preserves the message: salvation comes through a divinely provided substitute, and only those who enter His covenant may partake. The verse therefore calls every generation to honor God’s boundaries while inviting outsiders to join the covenant through faith, a truth fulfilled in Christ, our Passover Lamb.

(43-51)This is the ordinance.--These directions, together with those which follow with respect to the sanctification of the firstborn (Exodus 13:1-16), seem to have been given to Mosesat Succoth, and were consequently recorded at this point of the narrative. They comprise three principal points:--(1) The exclusion of all uncircumcised persons from the Passover (Exodus 12:43); (2) the admission of all full proselytes (Exodus 12:48-49); and (3) the injunction that no bone of the lamb should be broken (Exodus 12:46).

(43)No stranger.--Comp,Exodus 12:48 for limitations. If a stranger wished to join, and would accept circumcision for himself and the males of his family, he might partake in the rite. . . .

1. The absolute exclusion of all uncircumcised persons from participation in the passover rite;

2. The extension of the rite (implied in ver. 19) to all full proselytes; and,

3. The injunction that not a bone of the lamb should be broken. (This last is repeated inNumbers 9:12)Verses 43. -This is the ordinance of the passover -i.e., "This is the law, in respect of the persons who are to partake of it" - there shall no stranger eat thereof, or literally, "No son of a stranger shall eat thereof." By a "stranger" here is meant one of a foreign race who wishes to retain his foreign character and to remain uncircumcised. Compare ver. 48.

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