The judgment on Egypt’s firstborn was the tenth and final plague that the Lord brought upon Egypt, and it served as the decisive act that led to Israel’s release from bondage. This event is recorded in Exodus 11 and 12.
After nine previous plagues that had devastated Egypt but failed to change Pharaoh’s heart, God declared a final plague. In Exodus 11:4–5, Moses told Pharaoh, “About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne even to the firstborn of the female servant… and all the firstborn of the animals.” This plague would bring great mourning throughout the land, unlike anything before or after (Exodus 11:6).
To protect the Israelites, God instituted the Passover. Each household was to take an unblemished lamb, kill it at twilight, and apply its blood to the doorposts and lintel of their house (Exodus 12:3–7). That night, the Lord would pass through the land, striking down the firstborn of the Egyptians, but would “pass over” the homes marked by the blood (Exodus 12:12–13, 23).
At midnight, the Lord struck all the firstborn in Egypt, including Pharaoh’s own son (Exodus 12:29–30). This final judgment broke Pharaoh’s resistance, and he called for Moses and Aaron by night, telling them to leave Egypt with all the Israelites and their possessions (Exodus 12:31–32).
The death of the firstborn represented divine justice upon a nation that had long oppressed God’s people and resisted His commands. It also revealed the necessity of substitutionary sacrifice, pointing forward to Christ, the true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), whose blood spares believers from eternal judgment.
The judgment on Egypt’s firstborn was both an act of retribution and redemption. It showed God’s power to deliver, His faithfulness to His promises, and His provision of salvation through the blood of the lamb.
