How does Psalm 78:51 connect to the Exodus story in Exodus 12?

Psalm 78:51 in View

“He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of their vigor in the tents of Ham.”

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Exodus 12 Snapshot

• Exodus 12:12 – “I will pass through Egypt on that night and strike down every firstborn, both man and beast….”

• Exodus 12:13 – “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you….”

• Exodus 12:29 – “At midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt….”

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Key Connections

• Same event, two lenses

– Psalm 78:51 is the historical summary; Exodus 12 gives the narrative details.

• Emphasis on “all the firstborn”

– Psalm highlights the scope; Exodus records its execution (12:29–30).

• Judgment and redemption intertwined

– Judgment: death of Egypt’s firstborn (Exodus 12:12, 29).

– Redemption: Israel spared by lamb’s blood (Exodus 12:13), foreshadowed in Psalm’s context of covenant faithfulness (78:37–38).

• “Tents of Ham” vs. Egyptian households

– Poetic reference (Psalm 78) to Egypt’s lineage reinforces the literal event recorded in Exodus.

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Theological Threads

• God keeps His word

– Promised plague (Exodus 11:4–6) fulfilled (Exodus 12:29; Psalm 78:51).

• Substitutionary rescue

– Blood of a spotless lamb brings life (Exodus 12:5-7, 13); later echoed in 1 Corinthians 5:7 and John 1:29.

• Covenant remembrance

– Psalm 78 recounts God’s mighty acts to urge Israel to faithfulness (cf. Psalm 78:7-8); Exodus 12 institutes Passover as a perpetual memorial (12:14, 24-27).

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Takeaway for Believers

• God’s past deliverance grounds present trust.

• Judgment for the unprotected, mercy for the covered—still true in Christ.

• Remembering God’s acts (Psalm 78) fuels obedience and worship today (1 Corinthians 11:26).