Every Jot and Tittle: Exodus 1-19

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613.

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The famous set of ten commandments occurs first in chapter 20 of the book of Exodus. But there are other commandments that precede them. Here are the ones that I could find.

(Nisan) shall the be first month of the year.

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Exodus 12:2

On the tenth day of the first month (Nisan), find an unblemished lamb and kill it on the evening of the 14th day.

In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb ... Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Exodus 12:3-6

After killing the lamb, smear some of its blood on the sides and top of your door post.

Take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses. Exodus 12:7

Roast the lamb and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs. Exodus 12:8

Don't eat the lamb raw or boiled in water.

Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire. Exodus 12:9a

Eat all of it. Don't leave any until the morning. Burn the leftovers.

Eat ... his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. Exodus 12:9b

Ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. Exodus 12:10

On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD. Leviticus 22:30

Eat it fast, with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand.

Eat it with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover. Exodus 12:11

The Passover shall be kept as a memorial forever.

This day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:14

And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:17

And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. Exodus 12:24

Eat unleavened bread for seven days during the Passover.

Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread. Exodus 12:15

Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread ... Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. Exodus 13:6-7

Thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee. Exodus 23:15

Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction. Deuteronomy 16:3

During the feast of unleavened bread, all yeast shall be removed from every house.

The first day [of the feast of unleavened bread] ye shall put away leaven out of your houses. Exodus 12:15a

Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses. Exodus 12:19a

There shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. Exodus 13:7

Whoever eats leavened bread during the Passover shall be cut off.

Whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Exodus 12:15b

Whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Exodus 12:19b

Don't work on the first or the seventh day of the feast of unleavened bread.

In the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. Exodus 12:16

In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein ... In the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Leviticus 23:7-8

In the first month (Nisan), eat unleavened bread from the evening of the 14th to the evening of the 21st day of the month. This is the Lord's passover.

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Exodus 12:18

In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. Leviticus 23:5

Don't eat any leavened bread during the feast of unleavened bread.

Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. Exodus 12:20

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. Leviticus 23:6

When your children ask what is the meaning of Passover, tell them about how God killed the Egyptian children.

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. Exodus 12:26-27

Thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. Exodus 13:8

(See Exodus 12:27-41 for the exact words that God commands you to say to your kids.)

Strangers, foreigners, paid servants, and uncircumcised people shall not observe the Passover.

And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof ... A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. ... no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. Exodus 12:43-48

Your circumcised slaves shall observe the Passover.

Every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. Exodus 12:44

Eat the Passover lamb in one place, and don't break any of the lamb's bones.

In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. Exodus 12:46

Circumcised strangers may observe the Passover.

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. Exodus 12:48

Circumcised strangers shall be treated as though they were natives and must obey the law of the land.

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. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Exodus 12:48-49

All firstborn male humans and animals shall be sanctified to the Lord. They belong to him.

Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. Exodus 13:2

Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God. Nehemiah 10:36

On the Passover, show your son what God did to you when you left Egypt.

Thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. Exodus 13:8

Thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD's. Exodus 13:12

All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. ... All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty. Exodus 34:19-20

All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God. Deuteronomy 15:19

Remember the day that you came out of Egypt.

And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place ... This day came ye out in the month Abib. Exodus 13:3-4

Every firstborn donkey shall be redeemed either by sacrificing a lamb or breaking the donkey's neck.

Every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. Exodus 13:13

But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. Exodus 34:20

When your son asks you why your are sacrificing lambs and breaking donkeys' necks, tell him that you are doing it because God killed all the firstborn animals in Egypt.

When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. Exodus 13:14-15

Don't leave your house during the Sabbath.

Abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. Exodus 16:29

Orthodox Jews have created eruvin to get around this law.