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In Deuteronomy 16:1, we might have a figure of speech in the phrase, "the Lord your
God BROUGHT you out of Egypt by night." We say might, because we are going to give
you a literal answer to this verse as well as a figurative answer. This expression does not
indicate that the children of Israel left Egypt by night after Moses had organized them
into ranks, as Joshua blew his shofar during the night that began the 15th. That would be
a literal and specific statement. In fact, it does not even say that the children of Israel
left Egypt at all on Passover night. In plain English in Numbers 33:3, it says that they left
Egypt sometime between the crack of dawn and sunset, during the daylight portion of the
fifteenth day of the first month – and it was probably during the early morning hours of
the 15th when they left. This Scripture in Deuteronomy 16:1 is not about what the
children of Israel did, it is about what God did! The Israelites could not go until Pharaoh
gave the word.
Exodus 10:25, "But Moses said, 'You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may
sacrifice to the Lord our God.'" Verse 27, "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he (Pharaoh)
would not let them go."
Moses required sacrifices of Pharaoh so he refused to let them go! Deuteronomy 16.1 in
this phrase, "brought thee forth out of Egypt by night" is a figure of speech, if we demand
that it is referring to the beginning of the 15th or Passover night. For, if we take this
phrase literally, it means that God raptured them as He did Elijah. In other words, a
literal understanding of this phrase requires us to believe that God picked them up and
set them outside the nation of Egypt during the night of the 15th of Nisan. The reason we
must come to this conclusion – for a literal interpretation – is that the Israelites did not
leave Egypt during either the night of the 14th or the 15th! They were still in Egypt for
several days. We know the facts will not allow a literal interpretation, so we must
conclude that this phrase is a figure of speech, if we demand it to refer to Passover night
or the following night beginning the 15th.
The word brought is Strong's #3318 and according to Strong has a great variety of
applications both <literal> and <figurative>, direct and proximate. From the facts, we
know that God effected their deliverance at night when Pharaoh gave the word, "Rise
and go out from among my people" (Exodus 12.29-32). Their freedom legally began at
that moment. They were free to leave Egypt when daylight came, as God required them
to stay in their houses until then. Undoubtedly they were frantically completing their last
minute packing, as they waited for daylight. Therefore, we could say that God brought
them out of Egypt even before they left their houses – figuratively. Pharaoh was broken
and the Israelites were free at midnight of the 14th of Nisan/Abib. However, Pharaoh
took one last stand, and there we will see the literal interpretation of, “God brought you
out of Egypt by night”!
Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason,
and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason; and none of you shall
go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Those who claim that the original Passover was at the beginning of the 14th, use the
"night theory of escape" and the "requirement" of fantastic logistics to cloud the simple
narrative of the exodus. Deuteronomy 16.1 is a scripture some use to "prove" that Israel
came out of Egypt by night at the beginning of the 15th. The verse is not about what
Israel did, but about what God did. The focus is on God, not on the people. The verse
says nothing about the night of the 14th, or the 15th. All we can know from this verse is
that the night was in the month of Abib!
De 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month
of Abib the LORD thy God brought (03318) [8689] thee forth out of Egypt by night.
The word for brought is Strong's #3318 in the Hebrew. This verb's parsing number is
#8689. As shown below, Hiphil is the parsing stem for the word as used here in
Deuteronomy 16.1. One meaning of the Hiphil stem is, <to cause to go out>. In other
words, God caused the Israelites to go out of Egypt.
***************************************************************
03318 yatsa' {yaw-tsaw'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 893; v
AV - ....out 518, ....forth 411, bring 24, come 24, proceed 16,
go 13, depart 10, misc 53; 1069
1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart
1a2) to go forth (to a place)
1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)
1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)
1a5) to come out of
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
1b2) to bring out of
1b3) to lead out
1b4) to deliver
1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth
08689 Stem - Hiphil
Mood - Perfect
Count – 2675
***************************************************************
God BROUGHT you out of Egypt by night." We say might, because we are going to give
you a literal answer to this verse as well as a figurative answer. This expression does not
indicate that the children of Israel left Egypt by night after Moses had organized them
into ranks, as Joshua blew his shofar during the night that began the 15th. That would be
a literal and specific statement. In fact, it does not even say that the children of Israel
left Egypt at all on Passover night. In plain English in Numbers 33:3, it says that they left
Egypt sometime between the crack of dawn and sunset, during the daylight portion of the
fifteenth day of the first month – and it was probably during the early morning hours of
the 15th when they left. This Scripture in Deuteronomy 16:1 is not about what the
children of Israel did, it is about what God did! The Israelites could not go until Pharaoh
gave the word.
Exodus 10:25, "But Moses said, 'You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may
sacrifice to the Lord our God.'" Verse 27, "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he (Pharaoh)
would not let them go."
Moses required sacrifices of Pharaoh so he refused to let them go! Deuteronomy 16.1 in
this phrase, "brought thee forth out of Egypt by night" is a figure of speech, if we demand
that it is referring to the beginning of the 15th or Passover night. For, if we take this
phrase literally, it means that God raptured them as He did Elijah. In other words, a
literal understanding of this phrase requires us to believe that God picked them up and
set them outside the nation of Egypt during the night of the 15th of Nisan. The reason we
must come to this conclusion – for a literal interpretation – is that the Israelites did not
leave Egypt during either the night of the 14th or the 15th! They were still in Egypt for
several days. We know the facts will not allow a literal interpretation, so we must
conclude that this phrase is a figure of speech, if we demand it to refer to Passover night
or the following night beginning the 15th.
The word brought is Strong's #3318 and according to Strong has a great variety of
applications both <literal> and <figurative>, direct and proximate. From the facts, we
know that God effected their deliverance at night when Pharaoh gave the word, "Rise
and go out from among my people" (Exodus 12.29-32). Their freedom legally began at
that moment. They were free to leave Egypt when daylight came, as God required them
to stay in their houses until then. Undoubtedly they were frantically completing their last
minute packing, as they waited for daylight. Therefore, we could say that God brought
them out of Egypt even before they left their houses – figuratively. Pharaoh was broken
and the Israelites were free at midnight of the 14th of Nisan/Abib. However, Pharaoh
took one last stand, and there we will see the literal interpretation of, “God brought you
out of Egypt by night”!
Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason,
and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason; and none of you shall
go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Those who claim that the original Passover was at the beginning of the 14th, use the
"night theory of escape" and the "requirement" of fantastic logistics to cloud the simple
narrative of the exodus. Deuteronomy 16.1 is a scripture some use to "prove" that Israel
came out of Egypt by night at the beginning of the 15th. The verse is not about what
Israel did, but about what God did. The focus is on God, not on the people. The verse
says nothing about the night of the 14th, or the 15th. All we can know from this verse is
that the night was in the month of Abib!
De 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month
of Abib the LORD thy God brought (03318) [8689] thee forth out of Egypt by night.
The word for brought is Strong's #3318 in the Hebrew. This verb's parsing number is
#8689. As shown below, Hiphil is the parsing stem for the word as used here in
Deuteronomy 16.1. One meaning of the Hiphil stem is, <to cause to go out>. In other
words, God caused the Israelites to go out of Egypt.
***************************************************************
03318 yatsa' {yaw-tsaw'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 893; v
AV - ....out 518, ....forth 411, bring 24, come 24, proceed 16,
go 13, depart 10, misc 53; 1069
1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart
1a2) to go forth (to a place)
1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)
1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)
1a5) to come out of
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
1b2) to bring out of
1b3) to lead out
1b4) to deliver
1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth
08689 Stem - Hiphil
Mood - Perfect
Count – 2675
***************************************************************
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