Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Exodus 12:38 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 38. 38And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Within Exodus 12:37–42, 12:38 contributes “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle,” so the line belongs to “Israel Departs with a Mixed Company” rather than an isolated slogan.
From Rameses to Succoth, and not Israel alone
This verse is one part of that explanation in Exodus 12:37–42. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Exodus 12:37–42
Read Exodus 12:38 with 12:37–42. Within Exodus 12:37–42, 12:38 contributes “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle,” so the line belongs to “Israel Departs with a Mixed Company” rather than an isolated slogan. The whole unit shows: The journey begins from Rameses to Succoth with families, a mixed multitude, livestock, unleavened dough, and a schematic sojourn total remembered as a night of watching.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within Exodus 12–15's Passover, departure, sea deliverance, judgment, song, and first wilderness test, this unit makes the following contribution: The journey begins from Rameses to Succoth with families, a mixed multitude, livestock, unleavened dough, and a schematic sojourn total remembered as a night of watching. At 12:38, the wording “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle” makes this verse's contribution precise. Within Exodus 12:37–42, 12:38 contributes “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle,” so the line belongs to “Israel Departs with a Mixed Company” rather than an isolated slogan.
What Remains True
Because Exodus 12:38 contributes “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle” to “Israel Departs with a Mixed Company,” its proportionate enduring truth is: Embodied household memory teaches that rescue, grief, identity, time, food, and the formation of future generations belong together.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Exodus 12:37–42 — Israel Departs with a Mixed CompanySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage for this thought unit.
Exact location: Exodus 12:37–42, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Exodus
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording, morphology, names, speech, law, ritual vocabulary, older-English controls, and translation limits.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Exod.xml, words and morphology for 12:37–42
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Exodus with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
eBible.org distribution of the NET Bible, PDF generated 2026-08-12
Supports: Unit-bounded Hebrew, syntax, lexical, textual, name, measure, legal, ritual, and older-English notes; silence is not evidence.
Exact location: NET Bible Exodus PDF, complete 127-page PDF, translation and verse-attached translator notes for 12:37–42
Open source ↗