What is the main event described in this passage about Egypt and Israel?

This passage describes God announcing the final plague He will send on Egypt before Israel is set free. God tells Moses that around midnight He Himself will go through Egypt and all the firstborn will die, from Pharaoh’s heir on the throne down to the poorest servant and even the animals. At the same time, God promises that Israel will be protected so completely that “not a dog” will bark against them. This last act of judgment will break Pharaoh’s resistance so much that he will not just allow Israel to leave, but force them out.

Why did God say all the firstborn in Egypt would die?

God sent this final plague as a response to Egypt’s long oppression of Israel and Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal to listen after many clear warnings. The death of the firstborn shows that God rules over life and death and that no rank can shield a person from His judgment, not even a king. From the palace to the grinding mill, everyone is touched. This is not random cruelty, but a serious answer to hard-hearted rebellion. At the same time, it prepares the way for Israel’s release and shows that God will bring justice for His people.

What does it mean that God put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel?

When God says He will put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel, He is talking about how He will judge one group and protect the other at the same time. Egypt will face a great cry of sorrow as every household loses a firstborn, but among the Israelites not even a dog will move its tongue against man or beast. This sharp contrast shows that God knows those who belong to Him and can keep them safe even in the middle of disaster. It also points ahead to a final separation between those who trust Him and those who resist Him.

Why did the Egyptians give Israel silver and gold before they left?

God told Moses to have the Israelites ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold. After years of harsh slavery, this was a way of paying them for their labor. God also worked in the hearts of the Egyptians so they looked favorably on Israel and gave generously. This was not simple borrowing in today’s sense, since Israel was leaving for good and would not return. It shows that God cares about justice, can change people’s attitudes, and makes sure His people are provided for as they step out into an uncertain future.

Who is Moses in this passage, and why is he called very great in Egypt?

Moses in this passage is God’s chosen leader for Israel and the one who speaks God’s words to Pharaoh. By this point, after many plagues, he is described as “very great in the land of Egypt,” respected by Pharaoh’s servants and the people. They have seen that what Moses says happens, and they fear the God who sends him. His greatness is not about personal pride, but about how God has lifted him up so that everyone can see that the message he brings is from the true God, not from himself.

What does it mean that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart?

The passage says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not listen and the wonders in Egypt would be multiplied. This can feel hard to understand. Pharaoh had already stubbornly refused many times, even when he saw clear signs. God’s hardening is a judgment on that ongoing rebellion, letting Pharaoh go further in the path he has chosen so that God’s power and justice are displayed clearly. Faithful readers have wrestled with how this fits with human choice, but the passage stresses that God is not weak or surprised. He rules even over proud hearts.

Why did Moses leave Pharaoh in great anger after giving this message?

Moses leaves Pharaoh “in a great anger” after telling him about the death of the firstborn. This shows that Moses is not cold or detached. He has seen plague after plague and Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal to listen. His anger is not about an insult to himself, but about Pharaoh’s hard heart toward God and the suffering this brings on Egypt and Israel. This kind of anger can be a right grief over sin and its results. It reminds us that even faithful leaders feel the weight of other people’s choices and the pain that stubbornness brings.

How does this passage show God’s justice and mercy at the same time?

God’s justice is seen in the severe plague on Egypt after many ignored warnings. The death of the firstborn shows that sin and oppression are taken seriously and will be answered. At the same time, His mercy appears in how He protects Israel completely, gives them favor with the Egyptians, and brings them out of slavery. He does not wipe everyone out, but makes a clear difference between those who oppose Him and those He has chosen to save. The passage invites readers to take His judgment seriously and also to rest in His care for His people.

Exod.11.1

Exodus 11:1

KJV GOD

And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

The Plague on the Firstborn Foretold

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

3 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.

4 And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:

5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

8 And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.