Exodus 4:22

22 and thou shalt say to him, The Lord saith these things, My first begotten son is Israel (Israel is my first-born son);

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 Moses took his wife, and his sons, and set them on an ass, and he turned again into Egypt, and he bare the rod of God in his hand. (And Moses took his wife, and his sons, and put them on donkeys, and he returned to Egypt, holding the staff of God in his hand.)

21 And the Lord said to him turning again into Egypt, See, that thou do all the wonders, which I have put in thine hand, before Pharaoh; I shall make hard his heart, and he shall not deliver the people; (And the Lord said to him as he returned to Egypt, See, that thou do all the miracles before Pharaoh, which I have put in thy hand; but I shall harden his heart, and he shall not let the people go;)

22 and thou shalt say to him, The Lord saith these things, My first begotten son is Israel (Israel is my first-born son);

23 I said to thee, Deliver thou my son, that he serve me, and thou wouldest not deliver him; lo! I shall slay thy first begotten son. (I said to thee, Let my son go, so that he can worship me, but thou wouldest not let him go; so now I shall kill thy first-born son.)

24 And when Moses was in the way, in an inn, the Lord came to him, and would slay him. (And when Moses was on the way, at an inn, the Lord came to him, intending to kill him.)