Exodus 12:2

12:2 “This month is to be your beginning of months; it will be your first month of the year. 1 

Exodus 29:38

29:38 “Now this is what you are to prepare 2  on the altar every day continually: two lambs a year old.

Exodus 34:23

34:23 At three times 3  in the year all your men 4  must appear before the Lord God, 5  the God of Israel.

Exodus 40:17

40:17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month, in the second year.

1 sn B. Jacob (Exodus, 294-95) shows that the intent of the passage was not to make this month in the spring the New Year – that was in the autumn. Rather, when counting months this was supposed to be remembered first, for it was the great festival of freedom from Egypt. He observes how some scholars have unnecessarily tried to date one New Year earlier than the other.

2 tn The verb is “you will do,” “you will make.” It clearly refers to offering the animals on the altar, but may emphasize all the preparation that was involved in the process.

3 tn “Three times” is an adverbial accusative.

4 tn Heb “all your males.”

5 tn Here the divine name reads in Hebrew הָאָדֹן יְהוָה (ha’adon yÿhvah), which if rendered according to the traditional scheme of “Lord” for “Yahweh” would result in “Lord Lord.” A number of English versions therefore render this phrase “Lord God,” and that convention has been followed here.

sn The title “Lord” is included here before the divine name (translated “God” here; see Exod 23:17), perhaps to form a contrast with Baal (which means “lord” as well) and to show the sovereignty of Yahweh. But the distinct designation “the God of Israel” is certainly the point of the renewed covenant relationship.