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Question Regarding The Death of The Firstborn in Egypt? Recently, I was asked a question dealing with the 10th plague on Egypt, the death of the firstborn. In the New King James, Exodus 12.29-30 reads as follows, "And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who [was] in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for [there was] not a house where [there was] not one dead." Did God kill just the firstborn males or all of the firstborn male and female? Exodus 12.29-30 does not specify the gender of the firstborn? In answering Bible questions we need to remember to look at all the Bible says on a particular subject, seek unity and not contradictions, and let the plain explain the difficult. Therefore, in looking to answer this question I looked up other passages dealing with the death of the firstborn. Later on God gave instructions to Israel to consecrate the firstborn and connects this with the plague in Egypt. "On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord" (Numbers 3.13). Notice the word "man" is used here. Is the word "man" here used in the generic sense of mankind or is it specific in meaning males. That is answered in Numbers 3.15 when the word male is used. Therefore, they were to sanctify all firstborn males as God struck the firstborn males in Egypt. Exodus 11.4-5 is the pronouncement of the 10th plague on Egypt. Most translations simply use the term, firstborn, but the New International Version includes the word "son" in this passage. "Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well." (Emphasis mine, D.T "So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him. “And all the firstborn males, according to the number of the names from a month old and above" (Numbers 3.42-43a). A precursor to the 10th plague is given in Exodus 4.22-23, "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord: Israel is my son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn." The term "firstborn" when used almost always refers to males. To show the extent of this plague, even the firstborn of the slave or female servant was to die. The firstborn does not refer to the female slave dying, but her firstborn son. Therefore, every house in Egypt was touched by this plague. -- Dennis Tucker |