He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both man and beast.
Parallel translations
- WEB Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and animal;
- KJV Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
- NKJV He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, Both of man and beast.
- NASB ¶He struck the firstborn of Egypt, Both human firstborn and animal.
- NLT He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God struck down Egypt's firstborn, the climactic plague that broke Pharaoh's grip on Israel.
Overview
Recalling the tenth plague of the Exodus, this verse magnifies Yahweh's mighty acts of redemption and judgment. The death of Egypt's firstborn, both of man and animal, displayed His power to deliver His people from bondage. The Passover lamb that shielded Israel that night anticipates Christ, our Passover, whose blood spares all who trust in Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 78:51He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.
- Ps 105:36Then He struck all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their vigor.
- Exod 12:12On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.
- Exod 13:15And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’
- Ps 136:10He struck down the firstborn of Egypt His loving devotion endures forever.
- Exod 12:29–30Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 135:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.