This month is the beginning of months for you;
This phrase marks a significant shift in the Hebrew calendar, establishing a new beginning for the Israelites. The month referred to is Nisan (also known as Abib), which corresponds to March-April in the Gregorian calendar. This change signifies a new identity and a fresh start for the Israelites as they prepare to leave Egypt. Theologically, it represents God's intervention in history, setting apart His people with a distinct calendar that commemorates their deliverance. This month becomes the starting point for the religious year, emphasizing the importance of the Passover event. The concept of a new beginning is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are called to a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

it shall be the first month of your year.
By designating Nisan as the first month, God establishes a calendar that centers around His redemptive acts. This reordering of time underscores the significance of the Passover, which is to be celebrated annually as a perpetual reminder of God's deliverance. Historically, this calendar was used for religious purposes, while a separate civil calendar began in the fall with the month of Tishri. The dual calendar system reflects the dual nature of Israel's identity as both a religious and a national community. Theologically, this first month foreshadows the ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, whose sacrifice brings about a new covenant and a new creation (John 1:29, Revelation 21:5).

1. Moses and Aaron
The leaders of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt. They are the recipients of God's instructions regarding the Passover and the new calendar.

2. Egypt
The land where the Israelites were enslaved. It serves as the backdrop for the events of the Exodus, including the institution of the Passover.

3. The Passover
A pivotal event in Israelite history, marking their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It is instituted in this chapter and becomes a foundational aspect of Jewish identity and worship.New Beginnings
Just as God established a new calendar for Israel, He offers us new beginnings in our spiritual lives. Reflect on how God is calling you to start anew in your walk with Him.

Divine Order
God's establishment of the calendar shows His sovereignty and order. Consider how you can align your life with God's timing and purposes.

Identity in God
The new calendar marked a shift in identity for the Israelites. As Christians, our identity is rooted in Christ. Reflect on how your identity in Christ shapes your daily life.

Remembrance and Celebration
The institution of the Passover was a call to remember and celebrate God's deliverance. How can you incorporate remembrance and celebration of God's work in your life?

Obedience to God's Commands
Moses and Aaron's obedience to God's instructions set a precedent for the Israelites. Consider areas in your life where God is calling you to greater obedience.1. What is the meaning of Exodus 12:2?

2. How does Exodus 12:2 establish a new beginning for the Israelites?

3. Why is the month of Nisan significant in the biblical calendar?

4. How can we apply the concept of new beginnings in our spiritual lives?

5. What connections exist between Exodus 12:2 and the New Testament's concept of renewal?

6. How does setting a new calendar reflect God's authority in Exodus 12:2?

7. Why does Exodus 12:2 mark the beginning of months for the Israelites?

8. How does Exodus 12:2 influence the Jewish calendar and festivals?

9. What is the significance of God establishing a new calendar in Exodus 12:2?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 12?

11. What are the Jewish feasts and festivals in the Bible?

12. What is the structure of the Jewish calendar?

13. What is the Feast of Trumpets?

14. Ezekiel 46:1–2 describes a gate that remains shut during the six working days but opens on the Sabbath; how could such consistent timing be maintained with ancient technology and calendars?This month

God pinpoints a specific moment—“this month”—as He speaks to Moses and Aaron on the eve of the Exodus (Exodus 12:1-3).

• The month is Abib, later called Nisan (Exodus 13:4; Deuteronomy 16:1).

• By mentioning “this month,” the Lord ties His redemptive act to the calendar, showing that history and salvation intersect in real time.

• The phrase signals immediacy and expectancy; what God is about to do will be remembered forever (Exodus 12:14).

• Similar divine time-markers appear when God promises seasons in Genesis 8:22 and when He schedules feasts in Leviticus 23:4-5, underlining His sovereignty over time itself.

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is the beginning of months for you

With these words, God resets Israel’s calendar around redemption.

• The Exodus becomes Israel’s “day one,” much as creation’s first day set time in motion (Genesis 1:14-19).

• For a people born into slavery, this declaration proclaims a fresh identity: no longer Pharaoh’s servants, but the Lord’s covenant community (Exodus 6:6-7).

• Every future month would be counted from this saving event, ensuring that memory of deliverance shapes national life (Leviticus 23:42-43).

• In personal terms, it foreshadows the believer’s new creation in Christ—“the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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it shall be the first month of your year

God elevates Passover month to permanent first-place status.

• “It shall be” is a command, not a suggestion; Israel’s civil and religious rhythms must revolve around salvation (Numbers 9:1-5).

• The lasting nature of this change is seen generations later when Ezra celebrates Passover “on the fourteenth day of the first month” (Ezra 6:19), and when Hezekiah restores worship “in the first month” (2 Chronicles 29:17).

• Ultimately, the month points to Christ: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as Israel’s year begins with the lamb’s blood, the believer’s life begins with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; Luke 22:15-20).

• Practically, the verse calls God’s people in every age to order goals, schedules, and priorities around the finished work of redemption rather than personal ambition or cultural expectation (Colossians 3:1-4).

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summary

Exodus 12:2 reveals that God reorients Israel’s entire concept of time around the Passover. “This month” anchors redemption in real history; “is the beginning of months for you” signals a brand-new identity founded on deliverance; “it shall be the first month of your year” establishes an enduring pattern that keeps salvation front-and-center. Believers today likewise structure life around the greater Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, letting His saving work define every moment that follows.

(2) The beginning of months.--Hitherto the Hebrews had commenced the year with Tisri, at or near the autumnal equinox. (See Exodus 23:16.) In thus doing, they followed neither the Egyptian nor the Babylonian custom. The Egyptians began the year in June, with the first rise of the Nile; the Babylonians in Nisannu, at the vernal equinox. It was this month which was now made, by God's command, the first month of the Hebrew year; but as yet it had not the name Nisan: it was called Abib (Exodus 13:4), the month of "greenness." Henceforth the Hebrews had two years, a civil and a sacred one (Joseph., Ant. Jud., i. 3, ? 3). The civil year began with Tisri, in the autumn, at the close of the harvest; the sacred year began with Abib (called afterwards Nisan), six months earlier. It followed that the first civil was the seventh sacred month, and vice versa.

Verse 2 - This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. The Israelite year would seem to have hitherto commenced with the autumnal equinox (Exodus 23:16), or at any rate with the month Tisri (or Ethanim), which corresponded to our October. Henceforth two reckonings were employed, one for sacred, the other for civil purposes, the first month of each year, sacred or civil, being the seventh month of the other. Abib, "the month of ears" - our April, nearly - became now the first month of the ecclesiastical year, while Tisri became its seventh or sabbatical month. It is remarkable that neither the Egyptians nor the Babylonians agreed with the original Israelite practice, the Egyptians commencing their year with Thoth, or July; and the Babylonians and Assyrians theirs with Nisannu, or April.

Parallel Commentaries ...


“This
הַזֶּ֛ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

month
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ (ha·ḥō·ḏeš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

is the beginning
רֹ֣אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

of months for you;
חֳדָשִׁ֑ים (ḥo·ḏā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

it [shall be]
הוּא֙ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

the first
רִאשׁ֥וֹן (ri·šō·wn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

month
לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י (lə·ḥā·ḏə·šê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

of your
לָכֶ֔ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

year.
הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ (haš·šā·nāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year


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OT Law: Exodus 12:2 This month shall be to you (Exo. Ex)