who were burying all their firstbornThis phrase refers to the Egyptians who were mourning the loss of their firstborn sons. This event is the culmination of the ten plagues that God sent upon Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. The death of the firstborn was a direct and devastating blow to Egyptian families, affecting every household. This plague is recorded in
Exodus 12:29-30, where it states that there was not a house without someone dead. The firstborn held a place of prominence in ancient cultures, often inheriting leadership and a double portion of the family estate, making this loss particularly significant.
whom the LORD had struck down among them
This indicates that the deaths of the firstborn were an act of divine intervention. The LORD's direct involvement underscores His sovereignty and power over life and death. It also highlights the fulfillment of His promise to deliver His people from bondage. This act of judgment was not random but a deliberate response to Pharaoh's hardened heart and refusal to let the Israelites go, as seen inExodus 11:4-7. The LORD's actions demonstrate His justice and the seriousness of opposing His will.
for the LORD had executed judgment against their gods
This phrase reveals the spiritual dimension of the plagues, particularly the death of the firstborn. Each plague was a direct challenge to the pantheon of Egyptian deities, demonstrating the LORD's supremacy over them. The Egyptians worshiped many gods, including those associated with fertility, life, and protection. The death of the firstborn was a direct affront to these deities, showing their impotence in the face of the true God. This judgment against the gods of Egypt is echoed inExodus 12:12, where God declares He will execute judgment on all the gods of Egypt. This act foreshadows the ultimate victory of God over all false gods and points to the future triumph of Christ, who disarms the spiritual powers and authorities, as described inColossians 2:15.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
EgyptiansThe people of Egypt who were experiencing the aftermath of the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn.
2.
FirstbornRefers to the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, who were struck down as part of God's judgment.
3.
The LORD (Yahweh)The God of Israel, who executed judgment against the Egyptians and their gods.
4.
Judgment against the gods of EgyptThis event signifies God's power over the Egyptian deities, demonstrating His supremacy.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and PowerThe event underscores God's absolute authority over all creation, including false gods and idols. Believers are reminded to trust in God's supreme power in their lives.
Judgment and DeliveranceThe judgment on Egypt's firstborn was also a means of deliverance for the Israelites. This dual aspect of judgment and salvation is a recurring theme in Scripture, pointing to the ultimate deliverance through Christ.
False Gods and IdolatryThe judgment against the gods of Egypt serves as a warning against idolatry. Believers are called to examine their lives for anything that might take the place of God and to remove such idols.
God's Faithfulness to His PromisesThe fulfillment of God's promise to deliver Israel from Egypt is a testament to His faithfulness. Christians can find assurance in God's promises, knowing He is faithful to fulfill them.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Numbers 33:4?
2.How does Numbers 33:4 illustrate God's judgment against Egyptian gods?
3.What lessons can we learn from God's actions in Numbers 33:4?
4.How does Numbers 33:4 connect with Exodus 12:12 regarding God's power?
5.How can understanding God's judgment in Numbers 33:4 impact our faith today?
6.What modern idols might we need to confront, inspired by Numbers 33:4?
7.Why did God choose to strike down the Egyptian firstborn in Numbers 33:4?
8.How does Numbers 33:4 reflect God's justice and mercy?
9.What historical evidence supports the events described in Numbers 33:4?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Numbers 33?
11.What role did the Tribe of Levi serve biblically?
12.What are the names and meanings of Israel's twelve tribes?
13.In Job 33:14, if God truly speaks in multiple ways, why is there no verifiable evidence of such divine communication today?
14.Why does the text claim God is physically present and conversing with Abraham if other passages emphasize God's transcendence (Genesis 18:1, 22)?What Does Numbers 33:4 Mean
who were burying all their firstborn“while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn…”
• The scene is one of national mourning. Funeral processions filled Egypt as Israel set out.
• Grief underscores the sharp contrast between the enslaving empire and the newly freed people of God.
•Exodus 12:29-30 records the midnight strike and the “loud wailing in Egypt,” confirming the literal loss that drove the nation to its knees.
•Psalm 78:51 and 105:36 later recall the same event, proving that Israel’s storytellers treated it as sober history, not legend.
whom the LORD had struck down among them“whom the LORD had struck down…”
• The text credits the deaths directly to the LORD, not to chance or a natural disaster.
• His earlier warnings (Exodus 11:4-6) had been specific: the firstborn would die if Pharaoh refused to listen.
•Hebrews 11:28 reminds believers that faith in the Passover blood spared Israel, highlighting a deliberate act of judgment and mercy.
• The phrase safeguards God’s sovereignty—He alone gives life, and He alone may righteously take it (Deuteronomy 32:39).
for the LORD had executed judgment“for the LORD had executed judgment…”
• This was a courtroom moment on a cosmic scale. Every plague functioned as evidence; the death of the firstborn was the verdict.
•Exodus 6:6 and 7:4 predicted “great acts of judgment,” a promise now fulfilled.
•Romans 9:17 later cites Pharaoh to show God’s right to display His power and proclaim His name.
• The word “judgment” assures Israel—and us—that God’s actions are never arbitrary; they match His holy justice.
against their gods“against their gods.”
• Each plague toppled a specific Egyptian deity:
– Nile to blood mocked Hapi, god of the river.
– Darkness shamed Ra, the sun god.
– Death of the firstborn exposed Pharaoh himself—considered divine—as helpless.
•Exodus 12:12 had foretold, “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt.”
•Exodus 18:11, after the Red Sea, records Jethro’s confession: “the LORD is greater than all gods,” proving the lesson took root beyond Israel.
•Psalm 96:4-5 affirms, “all the gods of the nations are idols,” sealing the theological point: only the LORD is alive and supreme.
summaryNumbers 33:4 captures Egypt’s funeral march, Israel’s deliverance, God’s judicial authority, and the public defeat of false gods. The Lord’s final plague was not random tragedy but a targeted, righteous sentence that vindicated His name, liberated His people, and exposed every rival deity as powerless.
Verse 4. -
Buried all their first-born,which the Lord had smitten among them. Literally, "were burying (Septuagint,
ἔθαπτον) those whom the Lord had smitten among them, viz., all the first-born." The fact that the Egyptians were so universally employed about the funeral rites of their first-born - rites to which they paid such extreme attention - seems to be mentioned here as supplying one reason at least why the Israelites began their outward march without opposition. It is in perfect accordance with what we know of the Egyptians, that all other passions and interests should give place for the time to the necessary care for the departed.
Upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments. See on Exodus 12:12, and cf.
Isaiah 19:1. The false deities of Egypt, having no existence except in the imaginations of men, could only be affected within the sphere of those imaginations,
i.e., by being made contemptible in the eyes of those who feared them.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
[who]וּמִצְרַ֣יִם(ū·miṣ·ra·yim)Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4713:Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egyptwere buryingמְקַבְּרִ֗ים(mə·qab·bə·rîm)Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6912:To interallכָּל־(kāl-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, every[their] firstborn,בְּכ֑וֹר(bə·ḵō·wr)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1060:Firstborn, chiefwhom the LORDיְהוָ֛ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelhad struck down among them;הִכָּ֧ה(hik·kāh)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221:To strikefor the LORDיְהוָ֖ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelhad executedעָשָׂ֥ה(‘ā·śāh)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213:To do, makejudgmentשְׁפָטִֽים׃(šə·p̄ā·ṭîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8201:A sentence, inflictionagainst their gods.וּבֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם(ū·ḇê·lō·hê·hem)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative
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OT Law: Numbers 33:4 While the Egyptians were burying all their (Nu Num.) 
