Exodus 4:23 kjv
And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Exodus 4:23 nkjv
So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn." ' "
Exodus 4:23 niv
and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'?"
Exodus 4:23 esv
and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"
Exodus 4:23 nlt
I commanded you, "Let my son go, so he can worship me." But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!'"
Exodus 4 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 3:12 | "When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God..." | Purpose of release is service |
| Exod 7:16 | "The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you, 'Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.'" | Repeated demand for service |
| Exod 9:1 | "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”'" | Divine demand for release for worship |
| Exod 11:5 | "every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die..." | Prophecy of tenth plague |
| Exod 12:12 | "On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn..." | Fulfillment of the judgment |
| Exod 12:29 | "At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt..." | Execution of the final judgment |
| Num 3:13 | "For all the firstborn are mine...On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel..." | God's claim on firstborn and redemption |
| Deut 7:6 | "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you..." | Israel's chosen status |
| Jer 31:9 | "...for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." | Reinforces Israel as God's firstborn |
| Hos 11:1 | "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." | God's fatherly love and call |
| Psa 78:51 | "He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength..." | Remembers judgment on Egypt |
| Psa 105:36 | "He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength." | Commemorates the plague on firstborn |
| Psa 135:4 | "For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession." | Israel as God's possession |
| Psa 136:10 | "to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt..." | God's deliverance power |
| Prov 21:1 | "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord..." | God's sovereignty over rulers |
| Isa 43:1 | "...fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." | Israel's redeemed identity |
| Rom 8:29 | "...to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." | Christ as the Firstborn, foreshadows new Israel |
| Col 1:15 | "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." | Christ's pre-eminence |
| Heb 1:6 | "And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, 'Let all God’s angels worship him.'" | Christ as supreme Firstborn |
| Heb 11:28 | "By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them." | Faith's role in avoiding judgment |
| Heb 12:23 | "...and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven..." | Spiritual Israel as "firstborn" |
| Rev 1:5 | "...and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead..." | Christ as Firstborn, brings life |
Exodus 4 verses
Exodus 4 23 Meaning
Exodus 4:23 presents God's sovereign declaration to Pharaoh through Moses, asserting Israel's unique status as God's "firstborn son." It issues a direct command for Pharaoh to release Israel to worship Him. The verse delivers a stern warning: if Pharaoh refuses this divine mandate, the consequence will be the death of Pharaoh’s own firstborn son. This statement establishes the core theological and dramatic conflict of the Exodus narrative.
Exodus 4 23 Context
Exodus 4:23 is a pivotal moment in God's commissioning of Moses. Moses, hesitant about confronting Pharaoh, is given divine assurances and signs (staff to snake, hand leprosy, water to blood) to authenticate his mission. After these signs, God reveals the specific, climactic message Moses is to deliver. This verse encapsulates the theological battle that is about to unfold. Pharaoh, viewed as a living god in Egyptian cosmology, stands against YHWH, the one true God. The demand for Israel's release is framed as a parent's claim over their prized son for dedicated service. The direct threat to Pharaoh’s firstborn directly precedes the actual plagues, laying the groundwork for the most devastating plague, the death of the firstborn. This divine ultimatum challenges Pharaoh’s perceived deity and absolute authority, asserting YHWH’s supreme power over all of Egypt's gods and rulers.
Exodus 4 23 Word analysis
- Then say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord:
- Then say to Pharaoh: This direct address highlights the immediate and personal confrontation that God intends to initiate through Moses. Pharaoh (פרעה, par‘ōh) represents the highest human authority, whom God challenges.
- Thus says the Lord: (כה אמר יהוה, koh amar YHWH) This is a powerful, authoritative prophetic formula asserting divine origin and absolute truth. It leaves no room for debate, establishing YHWH's (יהוה, YHWH - God's personal covenant name) sovereignty above all other deities or human rulers. This directly undermines Pharaoh's own claims to divine authority.
- Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.”
- Israel: Refers to the entire nation descended from Jacob, who was renamed Israel. It signifies God's chosen people.
- my firstborn son: (בְּנִי בְּכֹרִי, bənī bəḵōrī) This is a highly significant theological declaration. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the firstborn possessed preeminence, special status, and inheritance rights. By calling Israel His "firstborn son," God asserts their unique relationship and privileged position among nations. It's a polemic against Pharaoh, who might have seen himself as a divine son of Ra, or Egypt as the "firstborn" among nations. God here claims ownership and ultimate authority over His cherished "firstborn."
- Let my son go: (שַׁלַּח אֶת־בְּנִי, šallaḥ ’eṯ-bənī) The central divine command, framed not merely as liberation from slavery, but as the release of God's "son" held captive by another power. This implies an unjust usurpation of God's property by Pharaoh.
- that he may serve me: (וְיַעַבְדֵנִי, wəyaʿaḇdəynī) The ultimate purpose of Israel's liberation. "Serve" (עָבַד, ʿābaḏ) encompasses not only worship but also obedience, loyal devotion, and communal living in accordance with God's covenant. This distinguishes Israel’s freedom from mere rebellion; it is for divine service.
- If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’
- If you refuse to let him go: (וְאִם־מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלְּחוֹ, wə’im-mā’ēn ’attāh ləšalləḥō) This highlights Pharaoh’s agency and accountability for his choice. It is a direct challenge to his will.
- behold, I will kill your firstborn son: (הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת־בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶךָ, hinnēh ’ānōḵî hōrēg ’eṯ-binḵā bəḵōreḵā) This is the dire, explicit consequence. The punishment directly parallels Pharaoh's refusal, employing the "measure-for-measure" principle (lex talionis in a cosmic sense). It directly foreshadows the Tenth Plague and targets the very heir and continuation of Pharaoh's dynasty, demonstrating YHWH's power over life and death, even over those considered divine. This also functions as a powerful polemic against Egyptian gods associated with fertility, life, and royal succession.
Exodus 4 23 Bonus section
The concept of "firstborn" in ancient Near Eastern thought often conveyed privilege, leadership, and special relationship, not necessarily being chronologically the first in birth order (e.g., Ephraim over Manasseh, Gen 48:19; David as "firstborn" though youngest, Psa 89:27). Thus, God calling Israel His "firstborn" emphasizes their preeminence, special election, and sacred duty. The direct challenge to Pharaoh also functions as an implicit challenge to Egyptian pantheon. By striking the firstborn, God targets the very vitality and future of Egypt, as well as the efficacy of deities responsible for protection, fertility, and succession, culminating in a demonstration of His supremacy over all of them (Exod 12:12). This verse highlights God’s profound commitment to His people and His willingness to contend directly and powerfully for their freedom and for His glory.
Exodus 4 23 Commentary
Exodus 4:23 serves as the theological hinge of the Exodus narrative, articulating the core demand and its stark consequence. By declaring Israel His "firstborn son," God not only establishes their unique, cherished status among nations but also initiates a cosmic legal claim against Pharaoh's oppression. This declaration directly challenges Pharaoh's self-proclaimed divinity and highlights the illicit nature of his dominion over God's people. The demand "Let my son go that he may serve me" defines the purpose of liberation: not mere freedom, but dedicated worship and obedience to God. The retaliatory threat – "I will kill your firstborn son" – demonstrates divine justice and perfect reciprocity. It is a terrifying prophecy that foreshadows the climactic tenth plague, confirming God's absolute sovereignty over all human and presumed divine powers, demonstrating that the oppressor who denied God's ownership of His firstborn would lose his own.