And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
And when a foreigner lives among you and wants to celebrate the Passover to the LORD, all the males in his household must be circumcised first. Then he can come and celebrate it, and he will be treated just like someone who was born in your country. No uncircumcised person is allowed to eat the Passover meal.
God is establishing that foreigners can join in celebrating Passover, but they must first commit to following God's covenant through circumcision, making them equal to native-born Israelites.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Exodus, God is preparing the Israelites for their deliverance from Egypt through the Passover feast, which commemorated the night when the angel of death passed over their homes. This verse specifically deals with foreigners living among the Israelites who wished to participate in the Passover, requiring them to be circumcised as a sign of entering into God's covenant, which was originally established with Abraham. Circumcision symbolized a commitment to God's promises and a separation from the idolatrous practices of surrounding nations.
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