Lexical Summary kasas: To scrape, to scratch, to cut Original Word: כָּסַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make count A primitive root; to estimate -- make count. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to compute NASB Translation divide (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כָּסַס] verb compute (perhaps originally divide up, make small, fine; Late Hebrew chew; Aramaic  break small (rare), usually (Aph`el etc.) correct, convict; Arabic  pulverize; Assyrian kasâsu, perhaps cut in two, or up, whence kissatu, fodder) — only Qal Imperfect2masculine plural אִישׁ לְפִי אָכְלוֺ תָּכֹסּוּ עַלהַֿשֶּׂה Exodus 12:4 (P) each one according to his eating shall ye compute for the lamb. Topical Lexicon Occurrence and Immediate Scriptural Context כָּסַס appears once, in Exodus 12:4. Within instructions for the first Passover, households were told to “share [the lamb] with the nearest neighbor, taking into account the number of people” (Exodus 12:4). The verb signals intentional calculation so that every participant would be fed, no lamb would be wasted, and all were included in the covenant meal. Historical Background Israel was on the eve of deliverance from Egypt. The Passover regulations balanced urgency with order: blood on the doorposts brought protection, but the meal itself demanded measured preparation. Calculating portions ensured that each household experienced the same redemptive sign without excess or deficiency—a remarkable detail amid the dramatic exodus narrative. Covenantal and Redemptive Significance 1. Every soul counts. The Lord’s requirement to measure portions points to His personal knowledge of each Israelite under the blood of the lamb. Patterns of Careful Provision in Scripture • Census themes: numbering for service (Numbers 1) parallels counting for salvation in Exodus 12. Corporate Solidarity and Neighborly Responsibility Households too small for a whole lamb were commanded to join their nearest neighbor. The verb כָּסַס thus ties enumeration to fellowship: redemption is experienced in community, not isolation. From Jerusalem’s early believers who “broke bread from house to house” (Acts 2:46) to today’s congregations, the principle endures—God’s people share Christ together, making sure none are overlooked. Practical Implications for Ministry • Pastoral oversight: shepherds count the flock, not for statistics but to ensure every believer partakes of Christ’s provision. Summary כָּסַס encapsulates deliberate care in God’s redemptive economy. From Egypt’s night of deliverance to the Church’s ongoing mission, the counted portion of the lamb teaches that salvation is precisely sufficient, communal, and thoughtfully administered by the Lord who “knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). Forms and Transliterations תָּכֹ֖סּוּ תכסו tā·ḵōs·sū taChossu tāḵōssūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 12:4 HEB: לְפִ֣י אָכְל֔וֹ תָּכֹ֖סּוּ עַל־ הַשֶּֽׂה׃ NAS: should eat, you are to divide the lamb. KJV: to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. INT: according to his eating divide and the lamb 1 Occurrence |
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