Exodus 11:5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 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 (Exod. 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 11:5

And all the firstborn in the land of Eygpt shall die, .... By the destroying angel inflicting a disease upon them, as Josephus says F17 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 14. sect. 6. , very probably the pestilence; however, it was sudden and immediate death, and which was universal, reaching to all the firstborn that were in the families of the Egyptians in all parts of the kingdom: from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne : this periphrasis, "that sitteth upon his throne", either... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 11:5

The first-born of Pharaoh, etc. - From the heir to the Egyptian throne to the son of the most abject slave, or the principal person in each family. See Clarke's note on Exodus 12:29 . The maid-servant that is behind the mill - The meanest slaves were employed in this work. In many parts of the east they still grind all their corn with a kind of portable mill-stones, the upper one of which is turned round by a sort of lever fixed in the rim. A drawing of one of these machines as used in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 11:4-8

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 11:4-10

A finale. These verses end the story of how God wrought with Pharaoh to subdue him to his will. They prepare us for the catastrophe which brought the long conflict to a termination, and forced a way of egress for two millions of Hebrews through the barred gates of Egypt. I. LAST WORDS TO PHARAOH (verses 4-9). Verses 1-3 of this chapter are obviously parenthetical. They relate to a communication made to Moses prior to the visit to Pharaoh recorded in Exodus 10:24-29 , and in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 11:4-36

The tenth plague and its decisive result-the destruction of the first-born. In Exodus 10:29 , Moses says to Pharaoh, " I will see thy face again no more," while in Exodus 11:4-8 , he is represented as making to Pharaoh an announcement of the last plague. Perhaps the best way of clearing this apparent contradiction is to suppose that in the narrative as it originally stood there was really no break between Exodus 10:29 and Exodus 11:4 , and that the three intervening verses were... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 11:5

All the first-born . The law of primogeniture prevailed in Egypt, as among most of the nations of antiquity. The monarchy (under the New Empire, at any rate) was hereditary, and the eldest son was known as erpa suten sa , or "hereditary Crown Prince." Estates descended to the eldest son, and in many cases high dignities also. No severer blow could have been sent on the nation, if it were not to be annihilated, than the less in each house of the hope of the family—the parents' stay, the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 11:5-7

The issues of life and death are in the hand of God. For the most part there is, or there seems to be, one event to the righteous and to the wicked ( Ecclesiastes 9:2 ). Death happens alike to all, and does not appear to choose his victims on any principle of sparing good and punishing ill desert. War, famine, pestilence, sweep away equally the good and the bad. This is the general law of God's providence; but he makes occasional exceptions. The issues of life and death are really his.... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Exodus 11:5

Two points are to be noticed:1. The extent of the visitation: the whole land suffers in the persons of its firstborn, not merely for the guilt of the sovereign, but for the actual participation of the people in the crime of infanticide Exodus 1:22.2. The limitation: Pharaoh’s command had been to slay ALL the male children of the Israelites, but only one child in each Egyptian family was to die. If Tothmosis II was the Pharaoh, the visitation fell with special severity on his family. He left no... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Exodus 11:5

Exodus 11:5. The death of the firstborn had been threatened, Exodus 4:23, but is last executed, and less judgments are 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 in the way of his judgments, and to have his anger turned away! That sitteth upon his throne: the maidservant behind the mill The poor captive slave, employed in the hardest labour. It was the custom then, as it is with the Arabs at present, to... read more

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