And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
Parallel translations
- WEB and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
- BSB He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.
- NKJV And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
- NASB And struck all the firstborn in Egypt, The first and best of their vigor in the tents of Ham.
- NLT He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family, the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.
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 all the firstborn of Egypt. The final plague broke Pharaoh's resistance.
Overview
The death of the firstborn, 'the chief of their strength,' was the climactic plague that secured Israel's release. It was averted only for those under the blood of the Passover lamb. This points directly to Christ, our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), whose blood shields His people from judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ps 105:23Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
- Ps 106:22Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
- Ps 135:8Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
- Ps 105:36He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
- Ps 136:10To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
- Exod 12:29–30And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
- Exod 13:15And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
- Gen 49:3Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
- Exod 12:12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
- Gen 10:6And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
- Heb 11:28Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
- Gen 9:22–25And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
- Ps 105:27They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
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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 78:51 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
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