How do you interpret Exodus 12:29?

Question

Do you see it as a victory over oppression?
Do you see it as failed diplomacy?
Do you see it as a temper tantrum?
What do you see it as?

Exodus 12:29
29Now it came about at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.

Answer 1

God proves that He is powerfull and shows that the god of Pharaoh is helpless.
God warn Pharaoh before He permitted that to happen, he send Moises to to talk to Pharaoh but Pharaoh ignored Moises.
It shows that no body can stop His people in praising him and to walk in his path.

God give as opportunity to walk with him. You do not need to join the oppressor of the people of God, Don't wait for his anger. Read the book of Exodus completely, so that you will not misinterpreted it.

Answer 2

(1) The prelude to the the victory over opressors and self-made slaveholding gods.
(2) Nope, maybe perhaps the result of "hardening Pharao's heart"
(3) Nope, but as the decisive hit regarding (1)
(4) The first birth of every living being (human, animal, plant) belongs, according the commandments of the Thora to god. Usually God did not like it when humans sacrifice their children. Hence the firstborn sons of Israel were redeemed. In Ex God causes Pharao's breakdown by acting out His full claim of the first birth against the Egyptians.

Besides, the Lord did not only murder these firstborn Egyptians, He kills every living being as well as he brings every living being to life. Read Psalm 104:29.30. So the point of Ex 12:29 is not that these living beings had to die. Everyone has to die. That's trivial. The point is that they all died in the same night. This was a strong sign that forced the Pharao to his knees.

Answer 3

The final plague: the death of Egypt's firstborn.

1. (29-30) God slays the firstborn of Egypt.

And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

a. The Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: God told Moses that Pharaoh would not let them go until he was forced to by God's mighty works (Exodus 3:19-20), and that this work would somehow touch the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 4:21-23). Now the situation unfolds just as God said it would.

b. All the firstborn in the land of Egypt: This plague was directed against two significant Egyptian gods. First, Osiris was the Egyptian god thought to be the giver of life. Second, against the supposed deity of Pharaoh himself, because his own household was touched (the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne).

i. An inscription was found in a shrine connected with the great Sphinx that records a solemn promise from the Egyptian gods vowing that Thutmose IV would succeed his father Amenhotep II - whom many believe to be the pharaoh of the Exodus. Why did they make such a unique, emphatic promise from the gods that something so natural would happen - the eldest son take his father's place as Pharaoh? Undoubtedly, because Thutmose IV was not his father's firstborn son, and the firstborn was struck dead at the first Passover. Therefore, they believed that the second born son needed special protection from the gods and the inscription seeks to provide that.

c. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt: In dealing with Pharaoh, God first had to inform his mind, and then break his will. Pharaoh's problem wasn't that there was insufficient intellectual evidence; his heart had to be broken and made soft towards God.

i. Egypt and Pharaoh would not give God His firstborn - Israel (Exodus 4:22-23); so God took the firstborn of Egypt.

ii. Pharaoh once asked, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord." (Exodus 5:2) Now he knows that the Lord God is greater than all the Egyptian gods, and greater than Pharaoh himself - who was thought to be a god.

Answer 4

In Exodus 1:22 Pharaoh commands that all boy Hebrew babies be killed. God spends a long time trying to release his people from slavery before finally killing the firstborn when Pharaoh will not listen to Moses. That verse needs to be seen in the context of Exodus 1 to 12, and the end of Genesis, where Joseph, a Hebrew, helps save Egypt from starvation.

Answer 5

The Passover. God delivering justice and punishment. If it was just a plague, how did it only single out the first born? They were singled out to prove that it was at the hand of God. He could have smote them all. After all, He is God, and He can do what He likes with His creation. Our government did the same after 9/11.

Why did God harden Pharaohs heart?
Exodus 7:3
"But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 14:4
"Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so.

Answer 6

Well, if that is your view then you have not read before this. The Israelites were enslaved. God gave the Pharaoh 9 chances before the Angel of Death came. The Pharaoh seen the power of God and didn't let the people go. Each plague was an oppurtunity for the Pharaoh to set the people free. I wonder what the conditions were like that the Israeli's lived with day in and day out. I see it as a arrogant and merciless Pharaoh recieving just judgment on him and his people for their sins. God will not be mocked.

Answer 7

I think I told you this already but on the benefit of a doubt lets review, just in case you really want to know about this scripture.

The Jews had been praying for God to get them out of there. God, because He is keenly aware of the causes and of and results of physical phenomina here on earth, knew that the ten plagues (actually natural occurances as most if not all the really big "miracles were" ) Passed on instructions to Moses in an effort to fulfill the answers to those who were praying.

The entire sequence of events are today forseeable even to us. Since Pharoe no doubt had history books and advisors he too was aware of most of these phenomina (thats a guess as to why he did not respond earlier). The last plague was CO2 which came about because of the movement of the earth's crust, and the fact that the first born by tradition slept at a lower level, which was a position of honor. CO2 being heavy killed those sleeping closer to the ground.

So God took a coming natural phenomina and used it to set those whom He chose to pass on the oracles of God (you have to admit the Jews were the perfect choice for this) free. Becuase of this and research about other questionable "acts of God" which I have researched out in the past, I am quite confident that while events are told from the viewpoint of man, if we were aware of the viewpoint of God we would not question His motives. You can continue to ask and research or you can accept that my answers are right on and that I did the reasearch and move ahead from there, but that would mean taking what I say on faith.

Most likely you will stick with your anger and continue aiming your pistol at the weak of faith and see how many you can confuse.

I have raised cattle and although I have not reseached the areas of herding customs at that time, I know this 1. The best grass grows in the bottoms amd
2. The first born calves have always been more highly valued because if they live (small birth canal kills some) they are very likely the strongest offspring. This was true of humans also as women got pregnant early in life.

Answer 8

BEST ANSWER!
God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that the next plague would come from the Pharaohs own mouth...and the Pharohs heart was hardened by his woman, mostly because she loved Moses too.. The Pharaoh called for the first born of the slaves do be killed, so God killed also the first born of Pharaohs people, any one that did not paint the doorways of their homes with lamb's blood lost the first born of that home, including the Pharaoh. That's when the Pharaoh finally believed in the God of Moses...watch the movie the ten commandments,

METALLICA has a song called CREEPING DEATH its from that verse in the bible. here are the lyrics...cool hey?

Answer 9

(1) Polemics (2) Getting the Pharoah to release the Jews from slavery.

This plague was directed against "all of the gods of Egypt" (Exo. 12:12) and would show the total inability of the gods of Egypt to protect their subjects. In the face of unparalleled tragedy, "all of the gods of Egypt" were silent. Where was Meskhenet, the goddess who presided at the birth of children? Where was Hathor, one of the seven deities who attended the birth of children? Where was Min, the god of procreation? Where was Isis, the goddess of fertility? Where was Selket, the guardian of life? Where was Renenutet, the cobra-goddess and guardian of Pharaoh?

Following the death of Thutmose III, his son, Amenhotep II, took the throne and ruled for at least twenty-six years. This king, according to the early date of the exodus, would have been the Pharaoh of the exodus and the one who lost his firstborn son in the final judgment of God.

Answer 10

Christians think it's not god's fault. Pharoah made him do it. God told him what would happen, and Pharaoh did it anyway so god had no choice.

Well, god DID have a choice. He could have told Pharaoh that the punishment would not be that severe. He could have decided not to harden his heart. He could have simply not delivered the punishment.

Plus what's the point of punishing someone for doing what you created them to do. God knew what would happen so why is he surprised?

Answer 11

It's an easy answer, but you to put the text back in his context.

1. The Egyptians worship many idols and the 10 plagues attacked each single one of those idols, to proof that none of the Egyptians gods where able to protect the Egyptians.... to proof them who was the real and only God. He humiliated each single Egyptian god and the one in Ex. 12:29 was there most important one.

2. As the only God could read the hearts and minds of the Egyptian, he knew what was need to get his nation released out of Egyptian.

I can explain more.... but I think this will do for now ;- )