Psalms 135:8 Commentary: Struck Down

Psalm 135 is a hymn of praise that rehearse God’s mighty works, moving from creation (vv. 6, 7) to the exodus (vv. 8, 9) to the conquest of Canaan (vv. 10, 12). Verse 8 recalls the tenth and final plague described in Exodus 11, 12. In the ancient Near East, the firstborn son held a privileged status, heir to the family name, authority, and double portion of inheritance. To strike the firstborn of an entire nation, from Pharaoh’s heir to the lowliest captive’s child, was to shatter its future and its pride.

The plague was also a direct judgment on Egypt’s gods (Exodus 12:12). Egyptian religion credited Pharaoh as divine, and the firstborn of the livestock were sacred to various deities. By killing both human and animal firstborn, Yahweh demonstrated that he alone is God, above every earthly power and every false god. This historical event became the foundation of Israel’s identity: the Passover ritual, instituted that same night, required the blood of a lamb on doorposts to mark Israelite homes for protection. The connection between judgment and substitution is built into the story itself. The psalmist selects this one plague, not the others, because it encapsulates God’s power to save and his willingness to judge. It reminds the worshiper that deliverance came at a cost, and that God’s sovereignty extends over all nations and all supposed powers.

The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 135:8. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse is quoted in later psalms (Psalm 136:10) with consistent wording. The only minor variation is in the English translation of the inclusive phrase (e.g., “both of man and beast” vs. “from man unto beast”), which reflects the same Hebrew construction.

Christian tradition has long read this verse as part of the exodus typology that points to Christ. Early church fathers such as Augustine and Origen saw the Passover lamb and the sparing of Israel’s firstborn as a type of the sacrifice of Christ, the firstborn over all creation, who delivers his people from the bondage of sin. In medieval cathedrals, the tenth plague was depicted in stained glass and mystery plays as the climax of God’s judgment on Egypt. During the Reformation, both Protestant and Catholic commentators emphasized God’s sovereignty in this event: Luther and Calvin used it to illustrate that salvation comes through grace alone, not human effort. In the Jewish tradition, Psalm 135 is part of the Hallel (praise) psalms, and verse 8 is recited as a powerful memory of God’s deliverance at Passover. Across both testaments, the striking of Egypt’s firstborn remains a defining act of redemption, one that resonates in worship, liturgy, and Christian reflection on the cross.

Three-point outline

1. The decisive blow: God struck the firstborn of Egypt, the final, irreversible judgment that broke Pharaoh’s will (Barnes). This verse teaches that God’s deliverance often comes through a crisis that leaves no room for negotiation.
2. Total scope of judgment: “Both of man and animal” shows that God’s judgment reaches every sphere of a rebellious culture. The very things Egypt trusted, its heirs, its livestock, its gods, were swept away.
3. Passover foreshadowing: The sparing of Israel’s firstborn through the lamb’s blood prefigures Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Judgment fell on Egypt; mercy covered Israel.

Five-point outline

1. God’s sovereignty over history: The psalmist chooses one event to represent all of God’s saving power (Lange).
2. The necessity of decisive judgment: Ten plagues led to this one. Sometimes God must act dramatically to set his people free.
3. The cost of redemption: Egypt’s firstborn died; a lamb died for Israel. Redemption is never cheap, it requires substitution.
4. God’s faithfulness to his promises: He remembered his covenant with Abraham (Psalm 105:8, 10) and delivered his people.
5. A call to worship: The entire psalm is framed as praise. This verse is not just history; it is a reason to sing.

Illustration hooks

• A final eviction notice: After months of warnings and broken promises, the landlord shows up with a court order and a sheriff. The door is unlocked, and the tenants finally leave. The tenth plague was God’s final “eviction” of Israel from Egypt.
• A parent’s last resort: A mother tries everything to keep her child off drugs, pleading, reasoning, punishment, rehab. Nothing works until a near-fatal overdose forces change. Sometimes only a crisis can break the grip of stubborn rebellion.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Does God still judge entire nations today? How do we reconcile his judgment with his love?
• How can I trust that God’s timing is right when he allows suffering to reach a breaking point before acting?
• What does it mean for me that Christ is the “firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15)? How does that connect to this judgment and deliverance?

This verse points to the hinge of the exodus story, the night when God struck Egypt’s firstborn and spared his own people through the Passover lamb. Use these questions to explore what this event reveals about God’s character and how it shapes our faith.

Discussion questions

1. Read the verse aloud. What stands out to you about the way it is phrased? Why do you think the psalmist includes “both of man and animal”?
2. Look at the surrounding verses (Psalm 135:4, 7, 9, 12). What pattern does the psalmist follow in describing God’s actions? How does verse 8 fit into that pattern?
3. Why do you think the psalmist singles out the tenth plague instead of mentioning all ten (Barnes)?
4. In Exodus 12:12, God says he will “execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt.” How does the death of the firstborn, both human and animal, target specific Egyptian beliefs?
5. Gill notes that this event is a type of redemption: the firstborn of Israel were spared while Egypt’s died. How does the Passover lamb connect to Jesus as the Lamb of God? What does that substitution mean for us?
6. This verse is set in a song of praise. How can remembering God’s past judgments and deliverances lead us to worship today?
7. If you had been an Israelite on that night, what would you have felt, fear, relief, gratitude? How does that same mix of emotions shape your response to God’s salvation?