while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them. On their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just mention the Egyptians burying their dead; it highlights that they were forced to focus on this somber task, implying a divine incapacitation that prevented them from pursuing the fleeing Israelites. Furthermore, the text pointedly states that God "executed judgments" not just on the people, but also "upon their gods," revealing that the plagues were a direct assault on Egypt's entire belief system, not just its population.
while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them. On their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears right after the account of the Passover and the tenth plague, detailing the Exodus from Egypt. It serves as a somber reminder of the devastating judgment God brought upon the Egyptians, emphasizing their preoccupation with burying their firstborn sons and the destruction of their idols as reasons the Israelites could depart unhindered. The list of journeys that follows in the chapter serves as a historical record of God's faithfulness and Israel's frequent disobedience during their forty years in the wilderness.
The Exodus wasn't just a human achievement; it was a cosmic battle. God didn't just defeat Pharaoh; He shattered Egypt's entire worldview.
Numbers 33:4 highlights a crucial aspect of the tenth plague: the judgment not only fell on Egypt's firstborn but also on their gods. This shows God's supreme authority over all spiritual and physical powers.
The Lord's Authority
This divine demonstration was intended to be seen by both Egyptians and the Israelites, proving that the God of Israel was the one true God.
Why does the Bible mention the Egyptians burying their dead right as Israel is leaving? It's more than just a historical note; it's a key to understanding their escape.
Verse 4 provides a subtle but significant reason for Israel's unhindered departure: the Egyptians were preoccupied with burying their firstborn. This wasn't an accident of timing but a divine orchestration.
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The Impact of Grief and Shock
This allowed Israel to leave 'with an high hand,' meaning with confidence and boldness, a testament to God's protective power even in the midst of Egypt's catastrophe.
Understand the original words
bekor · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the eldest son, who held a position of honor and inheritance; in the Exodus narrative, the death of the Egyptian firstborn represented the complete judgment of Egypt's power and future.
shefatim · Hebrew Noun
The act of pronouncing or enforcing a formal sentence of justice; in the context of God's dealings with Egypt, it refers to His sovereign act of punishing idolatry and delivering His people.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Ten Plagues on Egypt
God unleashes ten devastating plagues upon Egypt, culminating in the death of all Egyptian firstborn, to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, depart from Rameses under Moses' leadership, with the Egyptians still reeling from the plagues.
c. 1446 BC
Crossing the Red Sea
God miraculously parts the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross, then allows it to engulf the pursuing Egyptian army, ensuring their complete destruction.
c. 1446 BC - 1406 BC
Forty Years in the Wilderness
The Israelites wander in the Sinai desert for forty years as a consequence of their disobedience and lack of faith, experiencing God's provision and judgment.
This passage describes the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, and explicitly states that God would 'execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt,' directly correlating with the judgment mentioned in Numbers 33:4.
Isaiah 19:1This prophetic passage describes the Lord coming against Egypt and the idols of Egypt trembling, which echoes the divine judgment against Egyptian gods mentioned in Numbers 33:4.
Psalm 78:43-51This psalm recounts God's mighty acts in Egypt, including the plagues and the destruction of the Egyptians and their beasts, reinforcing the theme of God's judgment upon Egypt and its gods for the oppression of His people.
Jeremiah 46:25-26This prophetic oracle speaks of God punishing 'Pharaoh and Egypt and their gods and their kings,' paralleling the divine judgment executed upon Egypt and its deities as described in Numbers 33:4.
gillNumbers 33:4: "For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments."
For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had smitten among them,.... Which contributed much to the more easy and safe deliverance of the children of Israel; for their hearts were heavy with sorrow, and their hands were full, and they had other work to do, namely, to bury their dead, than to molest Israel; and besides, they kne…
calvinNumbers 33:1-56: "These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron."
And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
Profecti sunt igitur Ramesse mense primo, decimaquinta dic mensis primi, postera dic Phase egressi sunt filii Israel i…
The verse doesn't just mention the Egyptians burying their dead; it highlights that they were forced to focus on this somber task, implying a divine incapacitation that prevented them from pursuing the fleeing Israelites. Furthermore, the text pointedly states that God "executed judgments" not just on the people, but also "upon their gods," revealing that the plagues were a direct assault on Egypt's entire belief system, not just its population.
This verse appears right after the account of the Passover and the tenth plague, detailing the Exodus from Egypt. It serves as a somber reminder of the devastating judgment God brought upon the Egyptians, emphasizing their preoccupation with burying their firstborn sons and the destruction of their idols as reasons the Israelites could depart unhindered. The list of journeys that follows in the chapter serves as a historical record of God's faithfulness and Israel's frequent disobedience during their forty years in the wilderness.
This verse appears right after the account of the Passover and the tenth plague, detailing the Exodus from Egypt. It serves as a somber reminder of the devastating judgment God brought upon the Egyptians, emphasizing their preoccupation with burying their firstborn sons and the destruction of their idols as reasons the Israelites could depart unhindered. The list of journeys that follows in the chapter serves as a historical record of God's faithfulness and Israel's frequent disobedience during their forty years in the wilderness.
"while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them. On their gods also the LORD executed judgments." — The verse doesn't just mention the Egyptians burying their dead; it highlights that they were forced to focus on this somber task, implying a divine incapacitation that prevented them from pursuing t…
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Last reviewed October 2026