Exodus Chapter 11
God Announces the Death of the Firstborn
A. God’s Instructions to Moses Concerning the Final Calamity
(Exodus 11:1–3)
And the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” And the LORD gave the people favor 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.
The Lord now prepared Moses for the climactic act of judgment that would break Pharaoh’s defiance. God declared that after this final plague, Pharaoh would not merely permit the Israelites to leave, but would drive them out completely. This was in direct fulfillment of what the Lord had earlier revealed to Moses in Exodus 4:21–23, when He warned that the death of the firstborn would be the decisive blow. After enduring nine devastating plagues, Pharaoh’s pride would finally collapse, compelling him to expel Israel from his land.
God instructed the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold. The Lord gave His people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that the Egyptians willingly handed over their valuables. In this act, the Israelites were not robbing the Egyptians, but receiving their rightful compensation for generations of unpaid labor. What they took with them was, in a sense, the back wages of their servitude. This also fulfilled Genesis 15:14, where God told Abraham, “And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” The wealth of Egypt was thus transferred into the hands of God’s covenant people.
These treasures were later sanctified for divine purposes. As F. B. Meyer observed, “These jewels were employed afterwards in the adornment and enrichment of the Sanctuary. They flashed in the breastplate of the High Priest, and shone in the sacred vessels.” What had once symbolized Egypt’s luxury now became an offering of worship to the Lord.
The text notes that “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.” Although Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, the people of Egypt recognized that Moses was no ordinary leader. They had seen the undeniable power of the God he served, and reverence for Moses spread throughout the nation. Even Pharaoh’s own servants had begun to acknowledge that the God of Israel was greater than the gods of Egypt.
(Exodus 11:4–8)
Then Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘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 who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’ And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.” Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
As Moses stood before Pharaoh, he delivered the final and most severe pronouncement of judgment. God declared that about midnight He Himself would pass through the land of Egypt, and every firstborn would die. This would include the highest in the land—the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on the throne—to the lowest—the firstborn of the servant girl grinding grain behind the handmill. The devastation would even extend to the firstborn of the animals. The social and economic order of Egypt would be struck at every level. The principle of primogeniture, by which the firstborn held preeminence and inheritance, would be shattered in one night. As C. H. Thomas observed, “In view of the law of primogeniture, the blow would be the most terrible that could be inflicted.”
The Lord described the horror that would follow: “Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again.” This cry would echo the anguish that the Egyptians had caused the Israelites when they cried out under bondage (Exodus 2:23). The judgment was measured and just, divine retribution for Pharaoh’s cruelty toward God’s firstborn, Israel.
Yet amid the chaos, the Lord promised perfect peace for His people: “But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue.” In that night of death, not even a dog would bark against the Israelites. This striking image conveys complete calm and divine protection. The distinction between Egypt and Israel would be unmistakable. God would make it known that His covenant people were under His covering, untouched by the wrath that fell upon the unbelieving nation. As Charles Spurgeon remarked, “The Lord hath put a difference between those who are his people and those who are not. There are many distinctions among men which will one day be blotted out; but this is an eternal distinction.”
Pharaoh and his servants would eventually bow in humiliation before Moses and Israel, pleading for them to leave Egypt. Moses declared that all Pharaoh’s servants would come and bow down, saying, “Get out, and all the people who follow you.” Moses then left Pharaoh’s presence “in great anger.” His righteous indignation reflected both God’s holiness and his own deep sorrow for Egypt’s stubborn rebellion. This was not anger born of pride, but of grief over Pharaoh’s hardened heart and the devastation that his arrogance had invited upon his people.
(Exodus 11:9–10)
But the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
The Lord revealed to Moses that Pharaoh would continue in stubborn unbelief, refusing to heed the divine warning even after witnessing the devastating plagues. Though Moses had faithfully delivered God’s messages and performed miraculous signs, Pharaoh’s defiance remained unbroken. The Lord explained the reason for this: “So that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” God would use Pharaoh’s rebellion to display the full measure of His power and sovereignty, leaving Egypt without excuse and making His name known among the nations. Each act of resistance from Pharaoh became an opportunity for God to reveal another facet of His might, authority, and judgment.
As commentator Thomas noted, “The nine plagues can now be seen as a whole. They touched every phase of nature: mineral, animal, vegetable, human. They affected persons and property, and included all, from the highest to the lowest.” This comprehensive display of divine power showed that no domain of creation lay outside the reach of the Creator’s control. The plagues were not random acts of vengeance but deliberate, targeted judgments against Egypt’s gods, economy, and pride. Through them, God demonstrated His supremacy over all creation and exposed the impotence of Egypt’s deities.
The passage concludes by emphasizing that “the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” This statement, repeated several times throughout the Exodus narrative, must be understood in light of Pharaoh’s prior self-hardening. Scripture is clear that Pharaoh first hardened his own heart repeatedly before God confirmed him in that state. Earlier passages—Exodus 7:13, 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, and 9:7—all describe Pharaoh’s deliberate rejection of God’s command. Only afterward does the text shift to say that “the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12, 10:20, 10:27, and 11:10). This distinction shows that divine hardening is a judicial act of confirmation, not the initial cause of rebellion. God solidified Pharaoh in the very hardness he had chosen for himself.
Pharaoh’s persistent rejection of God’s truth stands as a solemn warning. When a person continually resists the conviction of the Holy Spirit and refuses to humble himself before God, there comes a point when God may give that person over to his own stubbornness. As Paul wrote, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:24–25). Pharaoh’s story thus becomes a timeless lesson in the danger of hardened unbelief and the futility of resisting the sovereign will of God.
Even in Pharaoh’s rebellion, God’s purpose prevailed. His wonders were multiplied in Egypt so that His glory would be declared to all generations. The Israelites would later be commanded to remember these mighty acts, telling their children how the Lord brought them out of bondage “with a strong hand” (Exodus 13:14). In the end, Pharaoh’s defiance only served to magnify the power and faithfulness of Israel’s Redeemer.
