4 Moses said, "This is what Yahweh says: 'About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt,
It happened at midnight, that 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 cattle.
In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, The mighty are taken away without hand.
For 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.
For Yahweh will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two side-posts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.
Haven't you, God, rejected us? You don't go out with our armies, God.
Yahweh will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up [his] zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yes, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies.
He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. And their king passes on before them, With Yahweh at their head."
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 11
Commentary on Exodus 11 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 11
Pharaoh had told Moses to get out of his presence (ch. 10:28), and Moses had promised this should be the last time he would trouble him, yet he resolves to say out what he had to say, before he left him; accordingly, we have in this chapter,
Exd 11:1-3
Here is,
Exd 11:4-10
Warning is here given to Pharaoh of the last and conquering plague which was now to be inflicted. This was the death of all the first-born in Egypt at once, which had been first threatened (ch. 4:23, I will slay thy son, thy first-born), but is last executed; less judgments were tried, which, if they had done the work would have prevented this. See how slow God is to wrath, and how willing to be met with in the way of his judgments, and to have his anger turned away, and particularly how precious the lives of men are in his eyes: if the death of their cattle had humbled and reformed them, their children would have been spared; but, if men will not improve the gradual advances of divine judgments, they must thank themselves if they find, in the issue, that the worst was reserved for the last.