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Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and animal;
Psalms 135:8 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
  • BSB He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both 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 78:51and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
  • Ps 105:36He struck also all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their manhood.
  • Exod 12:12For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Yahweh.
  • Exod 13:15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of animal. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all that opens the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
  • Ps 136:10To him who struck down the Egyptian firstborn; for his loving kindness endures forever;
  • Exod 12:29–30At midnight, Yahweh 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.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 135:8YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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.