Purtenance
An Obsolete English Word
The word "purtenance" comes from the Old French "apurtenance," meaning "belongings" or "that which pertains to something." In the context of Exodus 12:9, it refers to the internal organs of the Passover lamb. The King James Version reads, "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." Modern translations replace this archaic term with clearer language such as "inner parts" (NIV) or "entrails" (ESV), making the meaning accessible to contemporary readers.
The Passover Instructions
The use of "purtenance" occurs within one of the most important passages in the Old Testament: God's instructions for the first Passover on the night before the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-14). The Israelites were commanded to select a lamb without blemish, slaughter it at twilight, apply its blood to their doorposts, and roast the entire animal over fire. The instruction to include the purtenance, or inner parts, meant that nothing was to be separated from the lamb. It was to be consumed whole, roasted intact, head, legs, and internal organs together.
Why Roast the Whole Lamb?
The requirement to roast the Passover lamb whole, including its inner parts, carried both practical and symbolic significance. Practically, roasting over an open fire was the fastest method of cooking, suitable for a meal eaten in haste as the Israelites prepared for their departure (Exodus 12:11). Symbolically, the wholeness of the lamb emphasized its completeness as a sacrifice. Nothing was to be discarded or treated as unworthy. The entire animal was consecrated to God's purpose of redemption. Similarly, the related sacrificial instructions in Leviticus specify how the inner parts of offerings were to be handled (Leviticus 1:9; 3:3).
The Inner Parts in Sacrificial Worship
The Hebrew word translated as "purtenance" is "qereb," which means "inward" or "interior." This same word appears throughout the sacrificial laws of Leviticus, where the inner parts of animals played a specific role in different types of offerings. In burnt offerings, the entrails and legs were washed with water before being placed on the altar (Leviticus 1:9). In peace offerings, the fat covering the inner parts was burned as an offering to the Lord (Leviticus 3:3-5). These detailed instructions about the internal organs of sacrificial animals reflect the thoroughness with which God directed Israel's worship.
Theological Connections
The Passover lamb roasted with its purtenance foreshadows the completeness of Christ's sacrifice. Just as nothing of the Passover lamb was to be discarded, Jesus gave Himself entirely for the redemption of His people. The apostle Paul makes this connection explicit: "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7). The wholeness required of the original Passover sacrifice points to the total, unreserved nature of Christ's offering on the cross.
Biblical Context
The word 'purtenance' appears only in the KJV of Exodus 12:9, within the instructions for preparing and eating the Passover lamb. The Hebrew word 'qereb' (inner parts) also appears in the sacrificial regulations of Leviticus 1:9, 3:3, and other passages describing how the internal organs of sacrificial animals were to be handled in Israel's worship system.
Theological Significance
The requirement to roast the Passover lamb whole, including its inner parts, emphasizes the completeness and integrity of the sacrifice. Nothing was to be wasted or excluded. This wholeness prefigures the complete sacrifice of Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb, who gave Himself entirely for the redemption of humanity. The careful handling of every part of the sacrificial animal also reflects the reverence and attention to detail that God requires in worship.
Historical Background
The Passover ritual described in Exodus 12 has been practiced continuously in Jewish tradition for over three millennia. Ancient Near Eastern cultures similarly prescribed specific methods for preparing sacrificial animals, with particular attention to the internal organs. In Mesopotamian and Egyptian sacrificial practices, the entrails often held special significance for divination purposes, but Israel's use was distinct, focusing on the wholeness and completeness of the offering to God rather than on reading omens.