A.T. Robertson Commentary


A.T. Robertson Commentary
"By faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them." — Hebrews 11:28 (ASV)
He kept (πεποιηκεν). Perfect active indicative of ποιεω, to make, "he has made," emphasizing the permanent nature of the feast.
The sprinkling of the blood (την προσχυσιν του αιματος). Rather, "the pouring of the blood" (προσχυσις from προσχεω, to pour upon), only here in the N.T. (earliest known example). An allusion to the command in Ex 12:7,22 but in the LXX προσχεω is the usual term for the act (Exodus 24:6; Exodus 29:16; Leviticus 1:5,11; Deuteronomy 16:6).
That the destroyer of the first-born should not touch them (ινα μη ο ολοθρευων τα πρωτοτοκα θιγη αυτων). Negative final clause with ινα μη and the second aorist active subjunctive of θιγγανω, old verb to touch with genitive, in the N.T. only here, 12:20; Colossians 2:21. The articular participle ο ολοθρευων is from Ex 11:23. For πρωτοτοκα see Lu 2:7; Exodus 12:29.