As this is the season of
Pesach/Passover
and
Chag HaMatzot (חַג הַמַּצּוֹת) – Feast of Unleavened Bread:
and the Israelites were required to eat unleavened bread for seven days, beginning on the 14th, first day of Passover, and Nisan 15 through Nisan 22.
Let’s look and see if there’s a connection we may have missed with the Divine Name YHVH and Pesach.
The matstsah: Unleavened bread…
In Hebrew is: מַצָּה
Transliteration: matstsah
Pronunciation: mahts-tsaw’
Phonetic Spelling: mats-tsaw’
Meaning: sweetness, sweet, an unfermented cake, loaf, the festival of Passover
From the root verb מָצַץ matsats,
meaning: to drain or to suck out.
Corresponding Greek G106 (ἄζυμος, azymos): Referring to unleavened bread, used in the New Testament in the context of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. e.g., Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:1.
The term matstsah refers to unleavened bread, which is bread made without yeast. In the Hebrew Bible, it is primarily associated with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a significant observance in Jewish tradition. The unleavened bread symbolizes purity and the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, as they did not have time to let their bread rise. In ancient Israelite culture, unleavened bread was a staple during the Passover festival. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts seven days, begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, immediately following Passover. This festival commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, when the Israelites were commanded to eat unleavened bread for seven days as a reminder of their swift departure and God’s deliverance. The absence of leaven (yeast) is symbolic of removing sin and corruption, as leaven is often used metaphorically in the Bible to represent sin.
The noun מצה massa, from matstsah literally describes something “drained/liquid” and specifically denotes unleavened bread. Leaven is a fungus that creates bubbles in bread and beer and unleavened bread is bread without spirit. The word for leaven, שאר – se’or, literally means: remnant, and anything unleavened was either made in such haste that the residual starter batch of leaven had had no time to spread through the rest of the dough, or otherwise, the baker had had no access to a properly cultivated culture mentioned in 1 Samuel 28:24.
Unleavened bread מצה, massa came in the form of לחם lehem, which is general bread, חלה halla, possibly a donut or pretzel, and רקיק raqiq, a thin wafer. All three are mentioned in Exodus 29:2.
There is a symbolic meaning with this unleavened bread. Anything leavened was called: חמץ – hames, which is probably closely related to the verb חמץ – hamas, meaning: to violate violence, or push into the wrong direction. The word for bread is לחם – lehem, whereas the highly similar verb לחם – laham means: to fight or do battle. The noun מצה – massa, in turn, is closely similar to the noun מצוה – miswa, meaning: commandment.
It is significant to remember that the plagues that befell Egypt were sent in order for Pharaoh to release the children of Israel so they could worship YHVH. We know it as the Exodus which is annually remembered as the Lord commanded in Exodus 12:14
‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. NKJV
‘Now this day shall be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. NAS
It is one of the 3 The Three Pilgrimage Festivals,
In Hebrew: shalosh regalim,
which are: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot,
to these three, all males are required to attend in Jerusalem.
רגלים שלוש in Hebrew: shalosh regalim
During the Passover meal/Pesach seder, as
the Haggadah is read,
a drop of wine is spilled at the mention of each plague since the suffering of the Egyptians lessens the joy of the participants.
Haggadah in Hebrew: הַגָּדָה, means:
the”telling”;
plural: Haggadot;
is a foundational Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder.
An interesting note in the Exodus scriptures is that before the Lord sent the plague of insects, He instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh that the plague would not affect the region of Goshen but it would strike the rest of Egypt:
that you may know that I am the lord in the midst of the earth.
By means of the plague the Lord would make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians.
The Lord was forewarning once again, that Israels status of
His firstborn
was not to be disregarded, even at the risk of imperiling the firstborn sons of Egypt.
The word pedut comes from the root padah
meaning: to ransom or redeem
and from which is derived
pidyon ha ben, the ransom of the first born.
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.
So I said to you, ‘Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I am going to kill your son, your firstborn. Ex. 4:22-23.
Despite hearing the warnings and witnessing these miracles however, Pharaoh remained proud and unmoved. After Pharaoh still failed to relent the Lord God of Israel further hardened Pharaoh’s heart, setting the stage for the final plagues upon the people and the great Exodus from Egypt that was to follow.
The destruction that came and pidyon ha ben /redeeming the firstborn, were on the 14th Nisan.
Pedut from root padah: to ransom or redeem.
Strong’s Hebrew: 6304.
פְּדוּת (peduth) — ransom
Transliteration: peduth
Phonetic Spelling: ped-ooth’
Definition: ransom
Word Origin from padah
Definition ransom NASB Translation division (1 ), ransom (1 ), redemption (2 ) . Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּדוּת …
Strong’s Hebrew: 6302b.
peduyim — a ransom
Transliteration: peduyim
Definition: a ransom
Word Origin from padah
Definition: a ransom NASB Translation ransom
Strong’s Hebrew: 6302a.
paduy — that are to be that were redeemed
Transliteration: paduy
Definition: that are to be that were redeemed, NAS
Word Origin pass. part. of padah ,
from the root padah
Strong’s Hebrew: 6299. פָּדָה (padah) — to ransom
Original Word: פָדָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: padah
Phonetic Spelling: paw-daw’
Definition: to ransom
6299 padah: To redeem, ransom, rescue
Original Word: פָדָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: padah
Pronunciation: pah-DAH
Phonetic Spelling: paw-daw’
Definition: To redeem, ransom, rescue
Meaning: to sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve
Corresponding Greek G3084 (λυτρόω, lutroō): To release on receipt of ransom, to redeem
– G629 (ἀπολύτρωσις, apolytrōsis):Redemption, deliverance.
The Hebrew verb padah, primarily means: to redeem or ransom. It conveys the idea of delivering or rescuing someone or something from a state of bondage or danger, often through the payment of a price. In the Old Testament, padah is frequently used in the context of God’s deliverance of His people, whether from physical captivity or spiritual bondage.
In ancient Israel, the concept of redemption was deeply embedded in the social and religious fabric. Redemption often involved a kinsman-redeemer (go’el), who had the responsibility to redeem a relative in distress, whether by buying back land, freeing them from slavery, or avenging blood. This practice is clearly recorded in the book of Ruth.
Strongs #1350 gaal: Redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, ransom, deliver.
This cultural practice is reflected in the spiritual context of God’s redemptive work for Israel, particularly in the Exodus narrative, where God redeems His people from slavery in Egypt.
From this comes pidyon ha ben – the ransom of the 1st born.
It is customary for a firstborn male (whose father or mother are not a Kohen or Levi) to undergo Pidyon HaBen, meaning “Redemption of the (firstborn) son.” The ceremony of redeeming the firstborn occurs on the 31st day after birth Ex 13:13 and Num. 18:16 with 5 silver/shekalim, given to the Kohen/priest. It symbolically relieves the child from service in the priesthood referring back to Num. 3:12-14.
Strong’s Hebrew: 6306b. pidyon — a ransom
Transliteration: pidyon
Definition: a ransom NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin from padah
Also:
Strong’s Hebrew: 6306a. pidyom —
ransom, that were redeemed, redemption
Transliteration: pidyom
Definition: ransom, that were redeemed, redemption
Word Origin another reading for padah , q.v., and peduyim , q.v.
Israel is YHVH/God’s first born son and
He declared His warning to Egypt in Exodus 4:22,23.
bekor: Firstborn
Original Word: בְּכוֹר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: bkowr
Pronunciation: beh-kor
Phonetic Spelling: bek-ore’
Definition: Firstborn
Meaning: firstborn, chief
Derived from the root בָּכַר bakar,
meaning: to be born first or to bear early fruit.
Corresponding Greek G4416 (πρωτότοκος, prototokos):
Used in the New Testament to refer to Yeshua/Jesus as the
firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15
and the firstborn from the dead. Revelation 1:5.
The term bekor refers to the firstborn son in a family. In the Hebrew Bible, the firstborn held a place of special significance, often associated with inheritance rights and familial leadership. The firstborn son traditionally received a double portion of the inheritance and was expected to assume the role of family head upon the father’s death. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the firstborn son was often seen as the primary heir and successor to the family lineage. This concept is deeply embedded in the biblical narrative, where the firstborn’s rights and responsibilities are both a matter of legal and spiritual importance. The firstborn was also significant in religious practices, as we have seen in the Passover narrative where the firstborn of Egypt were struck down, and the firstborn of Israel were consecrated to YHVH, Exodus 13:2.
How is this connected to the Divine Name?
The divine name known as Ab is JA or YA,
but before the Exodus and
all the miracles and
the Passover itself,
they only knew Him as
el shaddai – Almighty God,
which is evident in Ex. 6:2,3,8.
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as
El-Shaddai – ‘God Almighty’ –
but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.
“And God spoke.”
Exodus 6:2 The announcement “I am the Lord ”
( Heb “Yahweh”)
and this draws in the preceding revelation in Exod. 3:15.
15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord,[a] the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Maybe we should take note of that!
Two important statements have just been made:
Exodus 3:14.
The first was our Heavenly Father’s description of Himself,
to be used as His name: e’heyeh aser’ e’heyeh
This means “I am Who I am.”
The second used similar language to instruct Moses to tell the people of Israel that he had been sent by I am.
Both imply a being Who must exist.
Unlike all created things, our Heavenly Father is not the product of anything else. John 1:1–3. He simply “IS.”
Here, scripture continues with a third statement from YHVH regarding His name. Moses is to specify that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had sent him to the Israelites. The I AM, Who now speaks to Moses is the same ONE who appeared to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3.
God refers to Himself using the word Lord, spelled YHWH in Hebrew letters. This is related to the root verb hayah, earlier translated as I am. Exodus 3:14. God is the I am, the self-existent one, and the Lord of Abraham and his descendants. Many believe the term was initially pronounced as YAH-way, often spelled in modern contexts as Yahweh.
It is sometimes transliterated as Jehovah. The name Yahweh would be known as the unique name of Israel’s God throughout Jewish history. Later, the name YHWH was considered so holy that readers would not pronounce it. Instead, they substituted another word for Lord – Adonai. This was intended to keep Jews from accidentally breaking the commandment regarding using the Lord’s name in vain, Exodus 20:7.
As a name, our Heavenly Father uses the phrase I AM, indicating His eternal, uncreated, necessary, absolute existence. This connects to the Hebrew term YHWH, most often seen as Lord, Yahweh, or sometimes translated as Jehovah. Messiah Yeshua/Jesus used this same phrasing in the New Testament.
I and my Father are One in John 10:30,
In that place where God called Moses
in Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
Verse 2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am Yahweh. Jehoveh
Verse 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Israel) as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles]. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not reveal My name Yahweh to them.
6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
7 Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who redeemed you and brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
This passage and the accompanying revelation of YHVH ‘s 4 verbs of redemption describes what He was about to do as YHVH for HIs Firstborn…
I will free – deliver – redeem – take you.
All because of His covenant stated in verse 4, I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers.
It is intended to indicate that the direct experience of YHVH’s power and glory was not fully understood or experienced by the forefathers of Israel. What He was about to do would change their lives forever as the promises made to Abraham were now being fulfilled.
The 4 verbs of redemption declared by YHVH.
