The bitter herbs mentioned in Exodus 12:8 are an important part of the Passover meal that God commanded the Israelites to eat before the Exodus from Egypt. Here is what Exodus 12:8 says:
They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Exodus 12:8 ESV)
So as part of the Passover feast, along with the roasted lamb and unleavened bread, the Israelites were commanded to eat bitter herbs. This was to commemorate their bitter slavery in Egypt, from which God was now delivering them. The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of their affliction and bondage under Pharaoh’s cruel regime. Eating the bitter herbs was a tangible reminder of where they came from and the harsh treatment they received in Egypt for so many years.
Scholars are not completely certain which specific “bitter herbs” the Bible is referring to here. Some possibilities that have been suggested include endive, chicory, sorrel, lettuce, dandelion leaves or horehound. Most likely, it was a combination of a few different bitter green leafy vegetables that grew around them and were readily available. The point was not the specific plant, but the bitter taste itself which would trigger memories of their intense suffering and hardship in Egypt.
Beyond the immediate historical context, the bitter herbs also came to symbolize other spiritual concepts for the Israelites. Here are some of the key symbolic meanings behind eating bitter herbs during Passover:
1. Reminder of the bitterness of slavery
As mentioned already, the primary symbolic meaning is as a reminder of the bitterness and harshness of their slavery. Just as the bitter taste of the herbs combined with the sweet taste of the meat evoked contrasting tastes and sensations, the experience of the Passover was meant to evoke contrasting memories. Sweet liberation combined with bitter recollection of suffering.
2. Reminder of the need for repentance
The bitter herbs also came to represent the bitterness of repentance and sorrow for sin. As the Israelites ate the Passover meal, they were led to repent and turn from sin and worldliness like leaven, and turn back to the true God. The bitter herbs reminded them of the need for sincere repentance and contrition before God.
3. Foreshadowing of Christ’s suffering
Later Jewish and Christian interpreters also saw in the bitter herbs a foreshadowing of the bitter suffering of Christ on the cross as he became the final Passover Lamb to deliver his people from slavery to sin and death. So eating bitter herbs pointed to Christ enduring the bitter cup of God’s wrath on the cross to secure our redemption (Luke 22:42).
4. Symbolizing life’s bitterness and struggles
On a more general level, bitter herbs at Passover came to represent the fact that life in this fallen world contains bitterness, trials and struggles. For the Israelites entering the promised land, their liberation from Egypt did not mean their struggles were over and it would be smooth sailing. The bitter herbs signified that there would be trials, opposition and suffering ahead, even in the midst of God’s blessings. So Passover was a reminder to be ready to face bitterness and troubles in this life, while trusting in God through it all.
So in summary, the key symbolic meanings of the bitter herbs in the Passover feast were:
- A reminder of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt
- A call to repentance and contrition before God
- A foreshadowing of Christ’s bitter suffering for our deliverance
- A symbol of life’s difficulties and how God carries us through
Old Testament Examples and Teachings on the Bitter Herbs
Beyond Exodus 12, the rest of the Old Testament provides some more details and background on the purpose behind eating bitter herbs at Passover:
1. Numbers 9:11 – Passover regulations
In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (Numbers 9:11 ESV)
The regulations for observing Passover are reiterated here in Numbers. The link with unleavened bread and bitter herbs is emphasized.
2. Lamentations 3:15 – Symbol of suffering
He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood. (Lamentations 3:15 ESV)
Here, Jeremiah compares his grief and affliction emotionally to the consuming of bitter herbs and wormwood, showing how they symbolized suffering.
3. Exodus 1:14 – Reasons for suffering in Egypt
And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. (Exodus 1:14 ESV)
This passage describes the intense labor and slavery the Egyptians forced the Israelites into that gave them such “bitter” suffering, which the herbs later represented.
New Testament References to the Passover Bitter Herbs
The New Testament contains a few references connecting Christ as the Passover Lamb with the traditional Passover meal and its elements:
1. Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:1-23 – The Last Supper
The account of Jesus’ last Passover meal with his disciples notes how they were “reclining at table” and eating, which would imply the full traditional Passover seder meal including bitter herbs and wine.
2. John 13:26-30 – Proof of Christ’s suffering
Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13:26-27 ESV)
Some scholars suggest that this “morsel” Jesus gave Judas was actually the bitter herbs portion of the Passover meal, thus showing Jesus underwent the bitter suffering foretold.
3. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 – Christ as Passover Lamb
Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8 ESV)
Here Paul directly compares Christ to the Passover lamb that was slain and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, showing Jesus fulfilled this role.
Examples of Bitter Herbs in the Passover Meal
Though the exact plants cannot be identified for certain, here are some of the traditional bitter herbs used in Jewish Passover seder meals over history:
- Horseradish – Bitter root often grated and served as part of the meal
- Lettuce – Leafy green vegetable with bitter leaves
- Chicory – Bitter leafy plant often eaten in salads
- Sorrel – Herb with sharp bitter leaves
- Dandelion – Leaves and flowers used in bitter green salads
- Endive – Leafy green with bitter taste often eaten cooked or raw
- Horehound – Ancient bitter herb of the mint family
The strong bitter taste of these herbs contrasts with the sweet charoset dipping sauce also eaten at Passover, representing the sweetness of God’s kindness and deliverance during a time of bitterness and bondage.
Modern Christian Observances of Bitter Herbs at Passover
While Passover traditions have evolved greatly over Jewish history, the core elements like unleavened bread, lamb and bitter herbs are still retained in the seder meals of observant Jews today. Many Gentile Christians have also found value in observing Passover traditions like bitter herbs as well, to help teach their children and remind themselves of Christ’s sacrificial death and deliverance from sin:
Homily on the Pascha by Melito of Sardis (2nd century AD)
When this one came from heaven to earth for the sake of the one who suffers, and had clothed himself with that very one through the womb of a virgin, and having come forth as man, he accepted the sufferings of the sufferer through his body which was capable of suffering. And he destroyed those human sufferings by his spirit which was incapable of dying. He killed death which had put man to death.
For this one, who was led away as a lamb, and who was sacrificed as a sheep, by himself delivered us from servitude to the world as from the land of Egypt, and released us from bondage to the devil as from the hand of Pharaoh, and sealed our souls by his own spirit and the members of our bodies by his own blood.
This is the one who covered death with shame and who plunged the devil into mourning as Moses did Pharaoh. This is the one who smote lawlessness and deprived injustice of its offspring, as Moses deprived Egypt. This is the one who delivered us from slavery into freedom, from darkness into light, from death into life, from tyranny into an eternal kingdom, and who made us a new priesthood, and a special people forever.
This one is the passover of our salvation. This is the one who patiently endured many things in many people: This is the one who was murdered in Abel, and bound as a sacrifice in Isaac, and exiled in Jacob, and sold in Joseph, and exposed in Moses, and sacrificed in the lamb, and hunted down in David, and dishonored in the prophets.
This is the one who became human in a virgin, who was hanged on the tree, who was buried in the earth, who was resurrected from among the dead, and who raised mankind up out of the grave below to the heights of heaven. This is the lamb that was slain. This is the lamb that was silent. This is the one who was born of Mary, that beautiful ewe-lamb. This is the one who was taken from the flock, and was dragged to sacrifice, and was killed in the evening, and was buried at night; the one who was not broken while on the tree, who did not see dissolution while in the earth. who rose up from the dead, and who raised up mankind from the grave below.
Early church fathers like Melito saw the Passover meal as a foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. The bitter herbs were an integral part of this imagery pointing to Christ.
Passover Haggadahs
Messianic and Christianized Passover Haggadahs (scripts guiding the seder meal) today often include the traditional eating of bitter herbs. Prayers and readings are added to point to the suffering of Jesus on the cross for deliverance.
Passover Seder Reenactments
Many churches put on full reenactments of a Passover seder meal with lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs and four cups of wine to deepen understanding of Passover and Christ’s fulfillment of it.
The Lord’s Supper
The bread and wine of communion hearken back to the Passover meal as Christ initiated it. Some churches add bitter herbs to the communion plate alongside the bread, so the traditional elements from Exodus are represented.
Deeper Theological Significance of the Passover Bitter Herbs
When we dig into the biblical meaning of the bitter herbs in Passover, we see a profound theological picture emerging:
1. Humility and Contrition Before God
The harsh bitterness of slavery evoked personal humility and repentance before God. Like the bitter herbs, we are reminded to come before God with contrite hearts, acknowledging our sin and need for his redemption.
2. Christ’s Bitter Sacrifice for Us
Jesus as the Passover Lamb faced the ultimate bitterness of God’s judgment on the cross, so we could know freedom. Partaking of bitter herbs points to our need to trust fully in Christ’s finished work.
3. Thankfulness and Praise
As we taste the bitter herbs, we remember God’s incredible mercy in hearing our cries in bondage and delivering us through mighty wonders. This evokes heartfelt thanksgiving and praise.
4. Moving Forward in Faith
Just as God sustained Israel in the wilderness beyond Egypt, the bitter herbs remind us of God’s faithfulness in the trials beyond our initial deliverance. We can trust him with the unknown future.
5. Hope of Final Deliverance
One day the Lamb will return and all bondage, tears and bitterness will cease forever. The Passover looks forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.”
So in participating in Passover traditions like the bitter herbs, Christians connect back to God’s redemptive purposes throughout history. The rich symbolism reveals our need for humility, Christ’s sacrifice that saves us, and the hope we have in God’s final victory and deliverance.
