Psalms 105:36 Commentary: Struck at the Source of Strength

In the ancient Near East, the firstborn son carried the family’s future. He received a double portion of the inheritance and the authority to lead the household after his father (Deuteronomy 21:17). The phrase “first fruits of all their vigor” (rēsît lekol-ôn) in this verse uses a word for vigour (ôn) that also carries the sense of generative power or wealth, the very engine of a society. To strike the firstborn was to cut off the lineage at its root.

The psalmist is not writing a new history but condensing Exodus into praise. Around him, Israel recited the Passover story, which centred on the blood of the lamb and the angel of death passing over. This verse omits the ritual details and focuses on the event’s weight. Calvin notes that the psalm magnifies “the singular grace of God displayed in selecting one people” and shows that God’s covenant was not just words but action.

Immediately before this verse (vv. 32, 35), the psalm recounts the plagues on crops and livestock. Each judgment chipped away at Egypt’s resources. The tenth plague finally breaks their will. Egypt’s firstborn had been considered the nation’s pride; their death left no house untouched (Exodus 12:30). The verse thus marks the point where Pharaoh’s resistance crumbles and God leads Israel out “with silver and gold” (v. 37). For the original hearers, this was the pivot of their liberation, a moment of both awe and sober grief. The poetry invites worship, not triumphalism, God acted, and Egypt mourned.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 105:36. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic tradition, and the major ancient versions (Septuagint, Syriac, Latin) consistently render the verse with the same sense. The chief variation between English translations is stylistic: firstborn (WEB, BSB) vs. first-borne (KJV) and the phrase first fruits of all their manhood (WEB) vs. chief of all their strength (KJV), both convey the same Hebrew construction.

In Jewish tradition, this verse is woven into the Passover celebration. During the Seder, the tenth plague is recounted as the final blow that freed Israel, and the phrase “the first-born of Egypt” (bêkhôrê Mitsrayim) is recalled with solemnity. Christians from the early centuries saw this plague as a type of the final judgment and also as a pointer to Christ, the “firstborn over all creation” who would die to deliver a broader humanity. Reformers like Calvin and commentators like Gill used the verse to argue for God’s undiluted sovereignty in salvation: the same God who struck Egypt also remembers the covenant. In hymns and liturgy, the verse seldom appears alone but often belongs to larger settings of Psalm 105 sung during seasons that recount the exodus (e.g., Easter vigils). The poetry ensures the tragedy is never separated from the redemption it made possible.

Three-point outline

1. Judgment reaches its peak. Earlier plagues hurt Egypt’s food and pride, but the tenth strikes at the family line. By calling the firstborn “the first fruits of all their vigor,” the psalmist shows that God’s judgment is complete, it touches what Egypt valued most.
2. Deliverance becomes decisive. The death of the firstborn breaks Pharaoh’s grip. The following verses (37, 38) show Israel leaving with wealth and no feeble person, and Egypt glad to see them go. Freedom is not gradual; God cuts the chains in one stroke.
3. Covenant remains faithful. God “remembered his holy promise to Abraham his servant” (v. 42). The plague was not random violence but the final act of a long rescue plan. The firstborn of Egypt died so that God’s firstborn, Israel, could be set free (Exodus 4:22, 23).

Five-point outline

1. A devastating blow. The tenth plague spares nothing; every Egyptian household faces loss.
2. A poetic echo. By repeating the language of Genesis 49:3, the psalmist links Egypt’s firstborn to Reuben, the firstborn who lost his pre-eminence. Egypt’s strength is cut off.
3. A contrast of firstborns. Israel is called God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). The plague reveals that the Lord protects His own while judging those who resist Him.
4. A turning point in worship. The psalm uses this moment to call God’s people to praise, not to gloat, but to acknowledge that God alone saves.
5. A foreshadowing of redemption. Later, God’s own firstborn Son would die to bring freedom from a deeper bondage (Colossians 1:15, 20).

Illustration hooks

• A team loses its captain. Picture a football side that relies on one star player. When that player is injured, the whole team’s strategy collapses. Egypt’s firstborn functioned like that, the loss of its “first fruits” made continued resistance impossible.
• An orchard after a late freeze. A farmer’s hope rests on the first buds. If the first fruits are killed, the entire harvest is gone. Egypt’s firstborn were the first buds of the nation’s future.
• A family history cut short. In many cultures, the eldest child carries the family name and legacy. The grief of losing that child is doubled by the loss of continuity. The psalm’s phrase “chief of all their strength” captures this double sorrow.

Questions your congregation is asking

• “Why does God use such a terrifying method to free Israel, couldn’t He have done it another way?”
• “Does this verse mean God is violent and vengeful, or is there a deeper purpose we’re missing?”
• “How does this Old Testament event relate to the cross of Christ?”

Psalm 105:36 sits in a song that retells Israel’s story as a reason for praise. Before you discuss, read the whole psalm, notice how quickly the poet moves from this devastating plague to the joy of liberation (v. 37). The phrase “first fruits of all their vigor” is not just poetic decoration; it carries weight from earlier Scripture. Use the questions below to explore why the psalmist chose those words and what they reveal about God.

Discussion questions

1. Read Exodus 11:4, 5 and 12:29, 30. How does the psalmist’s language compare to those accounts? What does he add or leave out?
2. The word “first fruits” (rēsît) often refers to the best of a harvest, offered to God. In what sense were Egypt’s firstborn treated like a “first fruit”?
3. Read Genesis 49:3. How does Jacob’s description of Reuben help explain the psalm’s phrase “the beginning of their strength”?
4. Why do you think the psalmist includes this painful event in a worship song? What does it teach about praising God even when judgment is part of the story?
5. If Egypt’s firstborn were “the chief of all their strength,” what does their death say about God’s ability to bring down human pride?
6. How does this verse connect to the New Testament idea of Jesus being “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15)? What is different, and what is similar?
7. What does this passage teach about God’s commitment to keep His promises, even when it costs others something real?