Death of the Firstborn Announced
Exodus 11:1 And Yahweh said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3 And Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt... and then: "The Egyptians would be so anxious for the Israelites to leave that, far from hindering them, they would urge them to go… ask [them] . Cf. Ex 3:22.” (Wycliffe Commentary)
Moses involves the children of Israel. Go and: "Borrow or ask of his neighbour jewels of silver. It was a law of the gentiles, as well as of the Jews, that a servant must not go out empty. The vulgate reads here, vessels of silver and gold; and the LXX adds, raiment, which seems to be founded on the law of custom to give a good servant suitable clothing. See note, Exodus 3:22.” (Sutcliffe Commentary)
Egyptians had regard for Israel. But perhaps they hoped to win their favor with their God. Be advised: “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:17-21) In fact, God later instructed them to use the gifts to build the tabernacle of God in the wilderness
4 Then Moses said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals.
About midnight… Not midnight of the day in which he was speaking, but midnight of the day appointed by God (cf. 12:6).” (Wycliffe Commentary)
I will go out... "The servant with his symbolic action retires; Jehovah will Himself step forth from His hidden throne, and march through the whole of hostile Egypt in judicial majesty…” (Lange) On the appointed day, He will likewise judge the world.
"The death of the firstborn had been threatened, Exodus 4:23, but is at last executed, and less judgments are tried; which, if they had done the work, would have prevented this. See how slow God is to wrath, and how willing to be met in the way of his judgments, and to have his anger turned away!.” (Sutcliffe Commentary) Perhaps some souls were converted along the way.
And ALL of the firstborn of Egypt shall die. “The design of these expressions is to show that none would escape this calamity threatened, neither the king nor his nobles, nor any of his subjects, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free: and all the firstborn of beasts;” (Gill Expositonl)
The firstborn of the families of all the Egyptians were to die. It was a term used for a family's oldest son... (Gn 22:21; 29:26) "The first-born represented the whole race of which it was the strength and bloom.” (Wycliffe) They were all under the condemnation of sin and eternal death, unless they became Israelites by faith.
Yahweh oft used delivery from this plague, as well as from slavery in Egypt, as an incentive to obey Him. Specifically here: "Because God delivered Israel's firstborn sons from death in Egypt, he expected each firstborn to be sanctified to him (Ex 11:4- 7; 13:12). The first male child was a representative of the entire offspring (Gn 49:3; Ex 22:29; Nm 3:13). The firstborn of all animals used in sacrifice was to be sanctified to the Lord (Ex 13:2, 15)… The firstborn acted as priest of the family in the father's absence or death.. (Gn 27:19, 32..).” (Tyndale Bible Dictionary)
6 Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again.
What a great cry shall be heard on the day of the eternal judgment: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)
7 But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that Yahweh does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’
"At first sight, Egypt had the advantage. The Egyptians had a lash in their hand and the sons of Jacob bent their backs under the lash making bricks and buildings which the Egyptians inhabited. But soon God turned the tables, sending plagues on the Egyptians and sparing the Israelites. When He sent over Egypt darkness which could be felt so that no one rose up from his place for three days we read, 'But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.' When the angel of the Lord went through the land with his sword, the Egyptians' firstborn were killed but Israel's firstborn were spared when the angel saw the blood on the doorposts.... On the Egyptians He poured out His curse and troubled and destroyed them. On Israel He poured out His blessing and kept them.” (Carl Haak)
8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.” Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger. 9 But Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.