Exodus 12:29

Death of Firstborn and Deliverance from Egypt

29 {And} in the middle of the night, Yahweh struck all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who [was] in the prison house and every firstborn of an animal.

Exodus 12:29 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 12:29

And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt
The midnight of the fifteenth of Nisan, as the Targum of Jonathan, when fast asleep, and thoughtless of any danger; and it being at such a time must strike with a greater horror and terror, when sensible of the blow, which might be attended with a great noise, that might awaken the rest: from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne;
the heir to his crown, who was to have sat upon his throne, or already did, being taken a partner with him in it: unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon;
or prison, that was grinding at the mill there, ( Exodus 11:5 ) which was the work and business the prisoners were often put to, as appears from the case of Samson, ( Judges 16:21 ) , and all the firstborn of cattle;
which were left of the other plagues, which had consumed great numbers of them.

Exodus 12:29 In-Context

27 you will say, 'It [is] a Passover sacrifice for Yahweh, who passed over the houses of the {Israelites} in Egypt when he struck Egypt; and he delivered our houses.'" And the people knelt down and they worshiped.

28 And the {Israelites} went, and they did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did.

29 {And} in the middle of the night, Yahweh struck all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who [was] in the prison house and every firstborn of an animal.

30 And Pharaoh got up [at] night, he and all his servants and all Egypt, and a great cry of distress was in Egypt because there was not a house where there was no one dead.

31 And he called Moses and Aaron [at] night, and he said, "Get up, go out from the midst of my people, both you as well as the {Israelites}, and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "and it was"