Exodus 12:4

Exodus 12:4

And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

a. NLT: If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat.

b. NIV: If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.

c. YLT: '(And if the household be too few for a lamb, then hath he taken, he and his neighbour who is near unto his house, for the number of persons, each according to his eating ye do count for the lamb,)

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And if the household is too small to consume the lamb, let him and his next door neighbor take it according to the number of persons, every man according to what each can eat shall make your count for the lamb.

e. Septuagint: And if they be few in a household, so that there are not enough for the lamb, he shall take with himself his neighbour that lives near to him,-- as to the number of souls, every one according to that which suffices him shall make a reckoning for the lamb. 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: But if the household will be too small for a lamb or a kid, then he and his neighbor who is near his house shall take according to the number of people; everyone according to what he eats shall be counted for the lamb or kid.

1. “And if the household be too little for the lamb…”

a. And if the household [1004 * bayith] [Strong: probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

b. be [1961 * hayah] [Strong: a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

c. too little [4591 * ma’at] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective):--suffer to decrease, diminish, (be, X borrow a, give, make) few (in number, -ness), gather least (little), be (seem) little, (X give the) less, be minished, bring to nothing.]

d. for the lamb [7716 * she; or sey] [Strong: probably from 7582 through the idea of pushing out to graze; a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat:--(lesser, small) cattle, ewe, goat, lamb, sheep.]

2. “…let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls…”

a. let him and his neighbor [7934 * shaken] [Strong: from 7931; a resident; by extension, a fellow-citizen:--inhabitant, neighbour, nigh.]

b. next [7138 * qarowb; or qarob] [Strong: from 7126; near (in place, kindred or time):--allied, approach, at hand, + any of kin, kinsfold(-sman), (that is) near (of kin), neighbour, (that is) next, (them that come) nigh (at hand), more ready, short(-ly).]

c. unto his house [1004 * bayith] [Strong: probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

d. take [3947 * laqach] [Strong: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

e. according to the number [4373 * mikcah] [Strong: feminine of 4371; an enumeration; by implication, a valuation:--number, worth.]

f. of the souls [5315 * nephesh] [Strong: from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire, X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they, thing, (X she) will, X would have it.]

3. “…every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.”

a. every man [376 * 'iysh] [Strong: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.]

b. according [6310 * peh] [Strong: from 6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to:--accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, + file, hole, X in, mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk, tenor, X to, + two-edged, wish, word.]

c. to his eating [400 * 'okel] [Strong: from 398; food:--eating, food, meal(-time), meat, prey, victuals.]

d. shall make your count [3699 * kacac] [Strong: a primitive root; to estimate:--make count.]

e. for the lamb [7716 * she; or sey] [Strong: probably from 7582 through the idea of pushing out to graze; a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat:--(lesser, small) cattle, ewe, goat, lamb, sheep.]