◄ Exodus 4:23 ►
and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!'"
Study Bible
So I said to you
This phrase indicates a direct communication from God to Pharaoh through Moses. The Hebrew root for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which often denotes a declaration or command. This highlights the authority and intentionality behind God's words. In the context of Exodus, God is asserting His sovereignty over the situation in Egypt, emphasizing that His commands are not mere suggestions but divine mandates.

Let My son go
The term "My son" refers to Israel, whom God has chosen as His firstborn. The Hebrew word for "son" is "בֵּן" (ben), which signifies a special relationship and covenant. This phrase underscores the intimate and protective nature of God's relationship with Israel. Historically, this reflects the covenantal promise God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, positioning Israel as a nation set apart for His purposes.

so that he may worship Me
The purpose of Israel's liberation is not merely freedom from oppression but freedom to serve and worship God. The Hebrew word for "worship" is "עָבַד" (avad), which can also mean "to serve." This dual meaning reflects the idea that true worship involves service and obedience to God. Theologically, this points to the ultimate purpose of human existence: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

But you refused to let him go
Pharaoh's refusal is a direct challenge to God's authority. The Hebrew root for "refused" is "מָאֵן" (ma'en), indicating a stubborn and willful rejection. This highlights the hardness of Pharaoh's heart and sets the stage for the subsequent plagues. Historically, this reflects the common ancient Near Eastern belief in the divine right of kings, which Pharaoh would have seen himself as embodying.

so I will kill your firstborn son
This is a pronouncement of judgment, reflecting the principle of divine retribution. The Hebrew word for "kill" is "הָרַג" (harag), which conveys the seriousness and finality of God's judgment. The mention of the "firstborn son" is significant, as it mirrors the special status of Israel as God's firstborn. This judgment is both a direct consequence of Pharaoh's actions and a demonstration of God's justice and power. Historically, the death of the firstborn would have been a devastating blow to Egyptian society, symbolizing the collapse of Pharaoh's divine claims and the supremacy of the God of Israel.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He is the one delivering God's message to Pharaoh.

2. Pharaoh
The ruler of Egypt who is refusing to release the Israelites from slavery, representing opposition to God's will.

3. Israelites
Referred to as God's "son," they are the people enslaved in Egypt whom God intends to free.

4. Egypt
The land where the Israelites are enslaved, representing a place of bondage and oppression.

5. God
The sovereign Lord who commands Pharaoh through Moses and declares the consequences of disobedience.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and Authority
God has ultimate authority over nations and rulers. His commands are not suggestions but divine mandates that carry consequences for disobedience.

The Importance of Obedience
Pharaoh's refusal to obey God's command led to severe consequences. This highlights the importance of aligning our actions with God's will.

God's Relationship with His People
Referring to Israel as His "son" emphasizes the intimate and covenantal relationship God has with His people. Believers today are also called to live as children of God.

Judgment and Redemption
The warning of judgment upon Egypt's firstborn foreshadows the ultimate redemption through Christ, who is the firstborn over all creation and the means of our deliverance from sin.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's sovereignty in Exodus 4:23 impact your view of current world events and leaders?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are obedient to God's commands in our daily lives?

3. How does the concept of Israel as God's "son" in Exodus 4:23 relate to our identity as children of God in the New Testament?

4. What lessons can we learn from Pharaoh's hard-heartedness, and how can we guard against similar attitudes in our own hearts?

5. How does the theme of judgment and redemption in Exodus 4:23 connect to the broader account of salvation through Jesus Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 11:4-5
This passage describes the fulfillment of God's warning to Pharaoh, where the firstborn of Egypt are struck down.

Hosea 11:1
This verse refers to Israel as God's son, whom He called out of Egypt, reinforcing the familial relationship between God and Israel.

Matthew 2:15
This New Testament reference to Hosea 11:1 draws a parallel between Israel's exodus and Jesus' return from Egypt, highlighting God's redemptive plan.

Romans 9:17
Paul references Pharaoh to illustrate God's sovereignty and purpose in using even those who oppose Him to fulfill His divine plan.
Sermons
True Faith and its JoyJ. Urquhart Exodus 4:18-23
Facing EgyptH.T. Robjohns Exodus 4:18-31
My Times are in Thy HandG.A. Goodhart Exodus 4:19-29
A Divine ThreatJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 4:22-23
Israel a Type of SonshipJ. Orr Exodus 4:22, 23
The Divine Intention in the Moral Freedom of ManJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 4:22-23
The Great EmancipatorSpurgeon, Charles HaddonExodus 4:22-23
The Primogeniture of the GoodJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 4:22-23
People
Aaron, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Jethro, Moses, Pharaoh, Zipporah
Places
Egypt, Horeb, Midian, Nile River
Topics
Behold, Death, Firstborn, First-born, Hast, Kill, Refuse, Refused, Serve, Slay, Slaying, Sons, Worship
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 4:23

     8345   servanthood, and worship

Exodus 4:22-23

     1235   God, the LORD
     7021   church, OT anticipations

Library
January 13. "Thou Shalt be to Him Instead of God" (Ex. Iv. 16).
"Thou shalt be to him instead of God" (Ex. iv. 16). Such was God's promise to Moses, and such the high character that Moses was to assume toward Aaron, his brother. May it not suggest a high and glorious place that each of us may occupy toward all whom we meet, instead of God? What a dignity and glory it would give our lives, could we uniformly realize this high calling! How it would lead us to act toward our fellow-men! God can always be depended upon. God is without variableness or shadow of turning. …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

May the Eleventh but -- --!
"And Moses answered and said, But----" --EXODUS iv. 1-9. We know that "but." God has heard it from our lips a thousand times. It is the response of unbelief to the divine call. It is the reply of fear to the divine command. It is the suggestion that the resources are inadequate. It is a hint that God may not have looked all round. He has overlooked something which our own eyes have seen. The human "buts" in the Scriptural stories make an appalling record. "Lord, I will follow Thee, but----" There …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

May the Twelfth Mouth and Matter
"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth." --EXODUS iv. 10-17. And what a promise that is for anyone who is commissioned to proclaim the King's decrees. Here can teachers and preachers find their strength. God will be with their mouths. He will control their speech, and order their words like troops. He does not promise to make us eloquent, but to endow our words with the "demonstration of power." "And I will teach thee what thou shall say." The Lord will not only be with our mouths, …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

A Bundle of Myrrh is My Well-Beloved unto Me; He Shall Abide Between My Breasts.
When the Bride, or rather the lover (for she is not yet a bride), has found her Bridegroom, she is so transported with joy, that she is eager to be instantly united to Him. But the union of perpetual enjoyment is not yet arrived. He is mine, she says, I cannot doubt that He gives Himself to me this moment, since I feel it, but He is to me, as it were, a bundle of myrrh. He is not yet a Bridegroom whom I may embrace in the nuptial bed, but a bundle of crosses, pains and mortifications; a bloody husband …
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon

Preaching (I. ).
Earthen vessels, frail and slight, Yet the golden Lamp we bear; Master, break us, that the light So may fire the murky air; Skill and wisdom none we claim, Only seek to lift Thy Name. I have on purpose reserved the subject of Preaching for our closing pages. Preaching is, from many points of view, the goal and summing up of all other parts and works of the Ministry. What we have said already about the Clergyman's life and labour, in secret, in society, in the parish; what we have said about his …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren

To the Saddest of the Sad
I often wonder what those preachers do who feel called to make up their message as they go on; for if they fail, their failure must be attributed in great measure to their want of ability to make up a moving tale. They have to spread their sails to the breeze of the age, and to pick up a gospel that comes floating down to them on the stream of time, altering every week in the year; and they must have an endless task to catch this new idea, or, as they put it, to keep abreast of the age. Unless, indeed, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 34: 1888

The Sweet Uses of Adversity
Now, I propose to address myself to the two classes of persons who are making use of this question. First, I shall speak to the tried saint; and then I shall speak to the seeking sinner, who has been seeking peace and pardon through Christ, but who has not as yet found it, but, on the contrary, has been buffeted by the law, and driven away from the mercy-seat in despair. I. First, then, to THE CHILD OF GOD. I have--I know I have--in this great assembly, some who have come to Job's position. They …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

"For if Ye Live after the Flesh, Ye Shall Die; but if Ye through the Spirit do Mortify the Deeds of the Body, Ye Shall Live.
Rom. viii. s 13, 14.--"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." The life and being of many things consists in union,--separate them, and they remain not the same, or they lose their virtue. It is much more thus in Christianity, the power and life of it consists in the union of these things that God hath conjoined, so that if any man pretend to …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
"He hath hardened their heart."-- John xii. 40. The Scripture teaches positively that the hardening and "darkening of their foolish heart" is a divine, intentional act. This is plainly evident from God's charge to Moses concerning the king of Egypt: "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not harken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Flight into Egypt and Slaughter of the Bethlehem Children.
(Bethlehem and Road Thence to Egypt, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 13-18. ^a 13 Now when they were departed [The text favors the idea that the arrival and departure of the magi and the departure of Joseph for Egypt, all occurred in one night. If so, the people of Bethlehem knew nothing of these matters], behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise [this command calls for immediate departure] and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt [This land was ever the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
ONLY those who have made study of it can have any idea how large, and sometimes bewildering, is the literature on the subject of Jewish Proselytes and their Baptism. Our present remarks will be confined to the Baptism of Proselytes. 1. Generally, as regards proselytes (Gerim) we have to distinguish between the Ger ha-Shaar (proselyte of the gate) and Ger Toshabh (sojourner,' settled among Israel), and again the Ger hatstsedeq (proselyte of righteousness) and Ger habberith (proselyte of the covenant). …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

A Canticle of Love
It is not only when He is about to send me some trial that Our Lord gives me warning and awakens my desire for it. For years I had cherished a longing which seemed impossible of realisation--to have a brother a Priest. I often used to think that if my little brothers had not gone to Heaven, I should have had the happiness of seeing them at the Altar. I greatly regretted being deprived of this joy. Yet God went beyond my dream; I only asked for one brother who would remember me each day at the Holy …
Therese Martin (of Lisieux)—The Story of a Soul

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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