Exodus 12:6

II. THE PASCHAL LAMB SLAIN.

6. Ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth of the month.

The Hebrew implies that It was to be kept with great care, which appears to be the meaning of the expression, "keep it up."-- Canon Cook. For three days, which were, as we suppose, the days of darkness in the land of Egypt, the devoted lamb was kept for the sacrifice; in each family the center of prayerful meditations, as they talked together of the great morning of deliverance that was about to dawn on them.-- F. H. Newhall. It should be observed that the offering of our Lord on the self-same day is an important point in determining the typical character of the transaction.-- Canon Cook. It was. famous and old opinion among the ancient Jews that the day of the New Year, which was the beginning of the Israelites' deliverance out of Egypt, should in future time be the beginning of the redemption by the Messiah.-- Masius.

The whole assembly.. shall kill it.

Not by the whole assembled people, as though they gathered together for this purpose, for the slaughtering took place in every house (v. 7). The meaning is simply that the entire congregation, without any exception, was to slay it at the same time.-- Keil.

In the evening.

The Hebrew has "Between the two evenings." The meaning of the expression is disputed. The most probable explanation is that it includes the time from afternoon or early eventide until sunset. This accords with the ancient custom of the Hebrews, who slew the Paschal lamb immediately after the offering of the daily sacrifice, which, on the day of the Passover, took place. little earlier than usual, between two and three P. M. This would allow about two hours and. half for slaying and preparing all the lambs. It is clear that they would not wait until sunset, at which time the evening meal would take place.-- Canon Cook.