Exodus 4:22

22 And you are to say to Pharaoh, The Lord says, Israel is the first of my sons:

Exodus 4:22 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 4:22

And thou shall say unto Pharaoh
When arrived in Egypt, and in his presence: thus saith the Lord;
he was to declare to him that he came in his name, and by his orders, and, as an ambassador of his, required the dismission of the children of Israel out of Egypt: Israel [is] my son, [even] my firstborn;
as dear to him as a man's firstborn is, or as his only son: adoption is one of the privileges peculiar to Israel after the flesh, even national adoption, with all the external privileges appertaining to it, ( Romans 9:4 Romans 9:5 ) .

Exodus 4:22 In-Context

20 And Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on an ass and went back to the land of Egypt: and he took the rod of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have given you power to do: but I will make his heart hard and he will not let the people go.

22 And you are to say to Pharaoh, The Lord says, Israel is the first of my sons:

23 And I said to you, Let my son go, so that he may give me worship; and you did not let him go: so now I will put the first of your sons to death.

24 Now on the journey, at the night's resting-place, the Lord came in his way and would have put him to death.