Read Exodus 10:1-13:16 at Bible Gateway.
the teaching tools of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Exo 10:1-11 {s} Warning of the plague of locusts
Exo 10:12-20 {p} The plague of locusts
Exo 10:21-29 {p} The plague of darkness
Exo 11:1-3 {s} One final plague + favor in the sight of the Egyptians
Exo 11:4-8 {s} One final plague + distinction between Israel
Exo 11:9-10 {s} Pharaoh will/ did not heed + wonders multiplied in Egypt
Exo 12:1-20 {p} Passover + Unleavened Bread instruction
Exo 12:21-28 {s} Israel observed the Passover as YHVH had commanded Moses
Exo 12:29-36 {p} Final plague: death of the firstborn
Exo 12:37-42 {p} Israel ceased their sojourn in Egypt
Exo 12:43-50 {s} The ordinance of the Passover
Exo 12:51 {p} YHVH brought Israel out of Egypt
Exo 13:1-10 {p} Ordinance of the firstborn + Unleavened Bread
Exo 13:11-16 {p} Ordinance of the firstborn a sign to future generations
Strong themes of the parashah
Exo 10:1-20 {s+p} The plague of locusts
Exo 10:21-29 {p} The plague of darkness
Exo 11:1-12:20 {sx3+p} Warning of the final plague
Exo 12:21-36 {s+p} The final plague, the death of the firstborn
Exo 12:37-42 {p} Israel ceased their sojourn in Egypt
Exo 12:43-51 {s+p} By the Passover, YHVH brought Israel out of Egypt
Exo 13:1-16 {p+p} Ordinance of the firstborn a sign to future generations
Exo 10:1-13:16 triennial Torah portions
Exo 10:1-29, triennial Bo, “Go”
Exo 11:1-12:28, triennial Od nega echad, “One more plague”
Exo 12:29-13:16, triennial Bachatzi, “At midnight”
Exo 10:1-13:16 chiastic structure
1a) Exo 10:1-2, I perform these signs before Pharaoh that you may tell your son the mighty things I have done;
1b) Exo 10:3-29 {s+p+p} “Let My people go that they may serve Me,” to be accomplished by the Lord’s outstretched arm;
1c) Exo 11:1-3 {s} Pharaoh will drive you out/ favor in the sight of the Egyptians:
1) Exo 11:1, One more plague, afterward Pharaoh will let you go/ drive you out;
2) Exo 11:2-3 {s} Ask silver + gold/ the Lord gave them favor in the sight of Egyptians;
1d) Exo 11:4-10 {s+s} At midnight I will strike the land of Egypt and the all the firstborn shall die;
1e) Exo 12:1, Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying;
1f) Exo 12:2-14, Passover instruction:
1) Exo 12:2-11, Choose + kill unblemished lamb/ its blood on the doorposts + lintel;
2) Exo 12:12-13, For I will pass through Egypt + strike the firstborn/ when I see the blood, I will pass over you;
3) Exo 12:14, This Passover a memorial feast to the Lord throughout your generations by everlasting ordinance;
1g) Exo 12:15-16, Eat unleavened bread for seven days/ whoever eats leaven will be cut off;
1h) Exo 12:17a, You shall observe Unleavened Bread;
central axis) Exo 12:17b, On this day I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt;
2h) Exo 12:17c, Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance;
2g) Exo 12:18-20 {p} You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days/ whoever eats leaven shall be cut off;
2f) Exo 12:21-27, Passover commandment:
1) Exo 12:21-22, Choose + kill the Passover lamb/ its blood on the lintel + doorposts;
2) Exo 12:23, The Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians/ when He sees the blood, He will pass over the door;
3) Exo 12:24-27, You shall observe this Passover as an ordinance for you and your sons forever;
2e) Exo 12:28 {s} The children of Israel did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did;
2d) Exo 12:29-30, At midnight the Lord struck the firstborn of Egypt, and they died;
2c) Exo 12:31-36 {p} Pharaoh drove them out/ favor in the sight of the Egyptians:
1) Exo 12:31-34, Pharaoh let them go/ Egyptians drove them out in haste;
2) Exo 12:35-36 {p} Israel asked silver + gold/ the Lord gave them favor in the sight of Egyptians;
2b) Exo 12:37-51 {p+s+p} Israel ceased their sojourn in Egypt:
1a) Exo 12:37-42 {p} At the end of 430 years—on that very same day—all the armies of the Lord went out from Egypt;
1b) Exo 12:43, And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover;”
central axis) Exo 12:43b-49, The regulations for the ordinance of the Passover;
2b) Exo 12:50 {s} Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did;
2a) Exo 12:51 {p} On that very same day, the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt according to their armies.
2a) Exo 13:1-16 {p+p} Ordinance of the firstborn / Unleavened Bread a testimony to future generations.
Theme of the parashah
The destruction of the firstborn / the Passover marks Israel’s deliverance from service to the Egyptians to service to God.
Finding Messiah in Bo
Additional readings for this parashah
Jer 46:13-28 | Joh 19:31-37
Studies in Bo
Exo 10:1-11, plague of locusts warning
Exo 10:1-20, the plague of locusts
Exo 10:21-29, the plague of darkness
Exo 11:1-10 chiastic structure
Exo 11:1-12:20 strong theme
Exo 12:1-20, Passover instructions
Exo 12:21-36 strong theme
Exo 12:37-51, Moses wrote about Messiah
Exo 13:1-16 strong theme
Exodus Index of Studies
Further studies off site
Bo – Restoration of Torah
Bo Torah Pearls – Nehemiah Gordon and Keith Johnson
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