Matthew Poole and continuators on Exodus 12:5

5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.

Without any deformity or distemper of body. Heb. perfect. Of which see Levit. 22. 22, &c. Deut. 15. 21. and 17. 1. And this the very light of nature taught the heathens to observe in their Sacrifices. This property was required, both to typifie Christ, a lamb without spot or blemish, Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. and to instruct us, that all our services to God must be as perfect as possibly may be.

Partly because that was better and more perfect than the female, whence a male is opposed to a corrupt thing, Mal. 1. 14. and partly to typifie the man Christ Jesus.

(i. e.) A year old, when it is in its vigour and perfection and the fittest type of Christ. Most explain it thus, that it was not to be more than a year old, but it might be much less, seeing it might be offered to God any time after it was 8 days old, Exod. 22. 30. Levit. 22. 27. But though it was then fit to be offered to God, it was not very fit to be eaten by men. And the Hebrew phrase the son of a year seems to require a years age, as S[illegible: 1+ letters]ul is called the son of one year, 1 Sam. 13. 1. when he had reigned one whole year. And it is remarkable, that he doth not say the son of this or that year, which might agree to one brought forth that year, though it was much younger than a year, but the son of a year, without any restrictive article.

Heb. and from the goats: If you want a lamb, you shall take a kid of or from the goats. But the particle and is here well rendred or as it is used, Gen. 13. 8. Exod. 21. 17. compared with Mat. 15. 4. Psal. 8. 4. [illegible: 1+ letters]pared with Heb. 2. 6.

Marginal references: Heb. Son of [illegible: 1+ letters] year.