Exodus 12:9

  Exodus 12:9

Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

a. NLT: Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: ye do not eat of it raw, or boiled at all in water, but roast with fire, its head with its legs, and with its inwards; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Eat not of it raw nor boiled at all with water, but roasted—its head, its legs, and its inner parts. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: Ye shall not eat of it raw nor sodden in water, but only roast with fire, the head with the feet and the appurtenances.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: You shall not eat it partially roasted or cooked in water; only roasted over fire—its head, its legs, with the innards. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

1.  “Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water…”

a. Eat [398 * ʼâkal, aw-kal'; a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):—× at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, × freely, × in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, × quite.]

b. not [Strong: 408 ʼal, al; a negative particle (akin to H3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing:—nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.]

c. of [it] [Strong: 4088 min, min; or מִנִּי minnîy; or מִנֵּי minnêy; (constructive plural) (Isaiah 30:11); for H4482; properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses:—above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, × neither, × nor, (out) of, over, since, × then, through, × whether, with.]

d. raw [Strong: 4995 * nâʼ, naw; apparently from H5106 in the sense of harshness from refusal; properly, tough, i.e. uncooked (flesh):—raw.]

e. [nor] sodden [Strong: 1310 * bâshal, baw-shal'; a primitive root; properly, to boil up; hence, to be done in cooking; figuratively to ripen:—bake, boil, bring forth, roast, seethe, sod (be sodden).]

f. at all [Strong: 1311 bâshêl, baw-shale'; from H1310; boiled:—× at all, sodden.]

g. [with] water [Strong: 4325 mayim, mah'-yim; dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:— piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).]

2. “…but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.”

a. but [Strong: kîy, kee; a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:—and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

b. [Strong: 518 ʼim, eem; a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:—(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.]

c. roast [Strong: 6748 * tsâlîy, tsaw-lee'; passive participle of H6740; roasted:—roast.]

d. [with] fire [Strong: 784 * ʼêsh, aysh; a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively):—burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.]

e. [his] head [Strong: 7218 * rôʼsh, roshe; from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, etc.):—band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, × every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), × lead, × poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.]

1). The instructions were to leave the head attached. Why? Because this was a type and foreshadow of the lamb of God being sacrificed. 

a). Psalm 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

b). John 19:31-37 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

19:32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

19:35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

2). Every burnt offering and animal sacrifice, cuts the head off, including the morning and evening offerings. 

a). Leviticus 1:8, 12 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

1:12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

b). Numbers 28:1-8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

28:2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.

28:3 And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering.

28:4 The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;

28:5 And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil.

28:6 It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.

28:7 And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering.

28:8 And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.

f. with [Strong: 5921 ʻal, al; properly, the same as H5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications:—above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.]

g. [his] legs [Strong: 3767 * kârâʻ, kaw-raw'; from H3766; the leg (from the knee to the ankle) of men or locusts (only in the dual):—leg.]

h. and with [Strong: 5921 ʻal, al; properly, the same as H5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications:—above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.]

i. [the] purtenance thereof [Strong: 7130 * qereb, keh'-reb; from H7126; properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition):—× among, × before, bowels, × unto charge, eat (up), × heart, × him, × in, inward (× -ly, part, -s, thought), midst, out of, purtenance, × therein, × through, × within self.] [Gesenius: the interior, the midst of a thing; in the middle.]

1). Albert Barnes Commentary: The bowels were taken out, washed and then replaced.

2). Adam Clarke Commentary: All the intestines, for these were abused by the heathens to purposes of divination; and when roasted in the manner here directed they could not be thus used. The command also implies that the lamb was to be roasted whole; neither the head or legs were to be separated, nor the intestines removed. I suppose that these last simply included the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, etc., and not the intestinal canal.

3). I can’t help but agree with the above commentaries. If the least of the above precautions were not done, the waste in the digestive system would not only defile the offering but also probably sicken whoever ate it.