What is the meaning of Psalm 105:36? Then He struck Psalm 105:36 opens with decisive action: “Then He struck….” God Himself intervenes, exactly as He foretold in Exodus 11:4-5 and carried out in Exodus 12:29. • The verb highlights God’s active, personal judgment—no natural coincidence, but a deliberate act, echoing earlier statements in Psalm 105:14-15 that the Lord protects His people and reproves kings for their sake. • This strike is the climax of the plagues (Exodus 7–12); earlier signs gave Pharaoh every chance to repent (Exodus 9:13-19), yet he hardened his heart (Exodus 9:34). • The event vindicates God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14 that He would judge the nation that oppressed Israel and bring His people out with possessions. All the firstborn in their land The text emphasizes the scope: “all the firstborn in their land.” • No household of Egypt escaped (Exodus 12:30), showing the thoroughness of divine judgment. • Firstborn status signified inheritance and leadership (Genesis 49:3); striking the firstborn dismantled Egypt’s future in a single night. • This plague also draws a stark contrast with Israel, whose firstborn were spared by the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:7,13), foreshadowing the protective power of Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Psalm 78:51 repeats the same truth, underscoring that God is consistent in both His mercy to believers and His justice toward the unrepentant. The firstfruits of all their vigor The phrase “the firstfruits of all their vigor” paints a vivid picture of Egypt’s strength being cut down at its prime. • “Firstfruits” usually refers to the earliest and best of a harvest (Exodus 23:19). Here it identifies Egypt’s choicest human “crop”—its brightest hope for continued dominance—removed in a moment. • This overturns Egypt’s pride in its own power (Isaiah 19:1-4); what they treasured most was beyond human rescue when God acted. • It also sets up the principle of redemption: God later required Israel to consecrate their own firstborn to Him (Exodus 13:1-2), underscoring that every life ultimately belongs to the Lord. • By preserving Israel’s firstborn while taking Egypt’s, God showed that relationship with Him, secured by obedience and faith, is the dividing line between life and death (Hebrews 11:28). summary Psalm 105:36 records the climactic blow of the Exodus: God Himself struck Egypt’s firstborn, stripping the nation of its strength and fulfilling His promise to liberate Israel. The verse highlights God’s righteous judgment, Egypt’s helplessness, and the redeeming mercy extended to His covenant people—truths that still call every reader to trust the Lord who rescues and judges with perfect justice. |
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