Exodus 12:26

King James Version

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
It will happen, when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this service?'

Lexham English Bible
And when your children say to you, ‘What is this religious custom for you?'

New Century Version
When your children ask you, ‘Why are we doing these things?'

New English Translation
When your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?'—

Amplified Bible
"When your children say to you, 'What does this service mean to you?'

New American Standard Bible
"And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?'

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when your children aske you, What seruice is this ye keepe?

Legacy Standard Bible
And it will be when your children say to you, ‘What is the meaning of this new slavery to you?'

Contemporary English Version
Your children will ask you, "What are we celebrating?"

Complete Jewish Bible
When your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this ceremony?'

Darby Translation
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you, What mean ye by this service?

Easy-to-Read Version
When your children ask you, ‘Why are we doing this ceremony?'

English Standard Version
And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?'

George Lamsa Translation
And it shall come to pass when your children shall say to you, What is the meaning of this service?

Good News Translation
When your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean?'

Christian Standard Bible®
When your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’

Literal Translation
And it shall be, when your sons say to you, What is this service to you?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan youre children saye vnto you: What seruyce is this, that ye haue?

American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

Bible in Basic English
And when your children say to you, What is the reason of this act of worship?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when your chyldren aske you, what maner of seruice is this ye do?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you: What mean ye by this service?

King James Version (1611)
And it shall come to passe, when your children shall say vnto you, What meane you by this seruice?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass, if your sons say to you, What is this service?

English Revised Version
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

Berean Standard Bible
When your children ask you, 'What does this service mean to you?'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and whanne youre sones schulen seie to you, What is this religioun? ye schulen seie to hem,

Young's Literal Translation
and it hath come to pass when your sons say unto you, What [is] this service ye have?

Update Bible Version
And it shall come to pass, when your sons shall say to you, What do you mean by this service?

Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you, What mean you by this service?

World English Bible
It will happen, when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this service?'

New King James Version
And it shall be, when your children say to you, "What do you mean by this service?'

New Living Translation
Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?'

New Life Bible
When your children ask you, ‘What does this special time mean to you?'

New Revised Standard
And when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this observance?'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and it shall come to pass that your sons shall say unto you, - What is this your service?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when your children shall say to you: What is the meaning of this service?

Revised Standard Version
And when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?'

Contextual Overview

²¹ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. ²² And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. ²³ For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. ²⁴ And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. ²⁵ And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. ²⁶ And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? ²⁷ That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord 's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. ²⁸ And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

your children: Exodus 13:8, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:14, Exodus 13:15, Exodus 13:22, Deuteronomy 6:7, Deuteronomy 11:19, Deuteronomy 32:7, Joshua 4:6, Joshua 4:7, Joshua 4:21-24, Psalms 78:3-6, Psalms 145:4, Isaiah 38:19, Ephesians 6:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:29 - General Exodus 13:5 - thou shalt keep Deuteronomy 6:20 - when thy son Deuteronomy 16:3 - mayest Psalms 111:4 - He hath Ezekiel 17:12 - Know

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, what mean ye by this service?] Of killing and roasting a lamb, and eating it with bitter herbs, and of abstaining from leavened bread.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 12:26. What mean ye by this service? — The establishment of this service annually was a very wise provision to keep up in remembrance this wonderful deliverance. From the remotest antiquity the institution of feasts, games, c., has been used to keep up the memory of past grand events. Hence God instituted the Sabbath, to keep up the remembrance of the creation and the passover to keep up the remembrance of the deliverance from Egypt. All the other feasts were instituted on similar reasons. The Jews never took their sons to the tabernacle or temple till they were twelve years of age, nor suffered them to eat of the flesh of any victim till they had themselves offered a sacrifice at the temple, which they were not permitted to do before the twelfth year of their age. It was at this age that Joseph and Mary took our blessed Lord to the temple, probably for the first time, to offer his sacrifice. See Calmet.