Exodus 12:30
New International Version
Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

New Living Translation
Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.

English Standard Version
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.

Berean Standard Bible
During the night Pharaoh got up—he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.

King James Bible
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

New King James Version
So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

New American Standard Bible
And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.

NASB 1995
Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.

NASB 1977
And Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.

Amplified Bible
Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry [of heartache and sorrow] in Egypt, for there was no house where there was not someone dead.

Christian Standard Bible
During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead.

American Standard Version
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Contemporary English Version
That night the king, his officials, and everyone else in Egypt got up and started crying bitterly. In every Egyptian home, someone was dead.

English Revised Version
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the [other] Egyptians got up during the night. There was loud crying throughout Egypt because in every house someone had died.

Good News Translation
That night, the king, his officials, and all the other Egyptians were awakened. There was loud crying throughout Egypt, because there was not one home in which there was not a dead son.

International Standard Version
Pharaoh got up during the night, he, all his officials, and all the Egyptians, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, because there was not a house without someone dead in it.

Majority Standard Bible
During the night Pharaoh got up?he and all his officials and all the Egyptians?and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.

NET Bible
Pharaoh got up in the night, along with all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house in which there was not someone dead.

New Heart English Bible
Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Pharaoh rose in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt: for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

World English Bible
Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Pharaoh rises by night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there is a great cry in Egypt, for there is not a house where there is not [one] dead,

Young's Literal Translation
And Pharaoh riseth by night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there is a great cry in Egypt, for there is not a house where there is not one dead,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Pharaoh will rise up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there will be a great cry in Egypt: for not a house where there was not the dead there.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Pharao arose in the night, and all his servants, and all Egypt: for there was not a house wherein there lay not one dead.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all his servants, and all of Egypt. And there arose a great outcry in Egypt. For there was not a house in which no one lay dead.

New American Bible
Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was loud wailing throughout Egypt, for there was not a house without its dead.

New Revised Standard Version
Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his officials and all the Egyptians; and there was a loud cry in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was a great wailing in the land of Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Pharaoh stood in that night and all his Servants and all Egyptians and there was great wailing in the land of Egypt, for there was not a house that did not have one dead in it.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Pharao rose up by night, and his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in all the land of Egypt, for there was not a house in which there was not one dead.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn
29Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock. 30During the night Pharaoh got up— he and all his officials and all the Egyptians— and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.

Cross References
Psalm 78:49-51
He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity—a band of destroying angels. / He cleared a path for His anger; He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague. / He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.

Psalm 105:36
Then He struck all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their vigor.

Hebrews 11:28
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.

Numbers 33:4
who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; for the LORD had executed judgment against their gods.

Psalm 135:8
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both man and beast.

Psalm 136:10
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt His loving devotion endures forever.

Acts 7:36
He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.

Revelation 11:8
Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Deuteronomy 6:21-22
then you are to tell him, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. / Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household.

Joshua 24:5-7
Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and afterward I brought you out. / When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. / So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

Nehemiah 9:9-10
You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. / You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.

Isaiah 63:11-12
Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, / who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown,

Jeremiah 32:20-21
You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and You do so to this very day, both in Israel and among all mankind. And You have made a name for Yourself, as is the case to this day. / You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.

Ezekiel 20:9-10
But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. / So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.


Treasury of Scripture

And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

and there was a great cry.

Exodus 11:6
And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

Proverbs 21:13
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

Amos 5:17
And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.

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Bondmen Cry Dead Egypt Egyptians Great Home House Loud Night Officials Pharaoh Riseth Rose Servants Someone Wailing
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Bondmen Cry Dead Egypt Egyptians Great Home House Loud Night Officials Pharaoh Riseth Rose Servants Someone Wailing
Exodus 12
1. The beginning of the year is changed
3. The Passover is instituted
11. The import of the rite of the Passover
15. Unleavened bread
29. The firstborn are slain
31. The Israelites are driven out of the land
37. They come to Succoth
41. The time of their sojourning
43. The ordinance of the Passover














During the night Pharaoh got up—
This phrase indicates the immediacy and urgency of the situation. The plague struck at midnight, a time often associated with divine intervention and judgment in the Bible. Pharaoh's rising in the night signifies a disruption of normalcy and the beginning of a pivotal moment in Israel's history. This event fulfills God's warning to Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron, demonstrating God's sovereignty over Egypt's gods and Pharaoh himself.

he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—
The inclusion of Pharaoh's officials and all Egyptians highlights the widespread impact of the plague. It was not limited to the common people but affected the entire social hierarchy, emphasizing that no one was exempt from God's judgment. This mirrors the earlier plagues, which progressively demonstrated God's power over Egypt's deities and the futility of their resistance. The collective experience of the Egyptians underscores the national scale of the calamity.

and there was loud wailing in Egypt;
The loud wailing signifies profound grief and despair. In ancient cultures, wailing was a common expression of mourning, often involving loud cries and lamentations. This intense sorrow reflects the magnitude of the loss experienced by the Egyptians. The wailing also serves as a stark contrast to the silence of the Israelites, who were spared by the blood of the Passover lamb, symbolizing God's protection and deliverance.

for there was no house without someone dead.
This phrase underscores the totality of the plague's impact. Every Egyptian household experienced the death of the firstborn, fulfilling God's warning in Exodus 11:4-6. The death of the firstborn was particularly devastating, as the firstborn held a place of prominence and inheritance in the family. This event foreshadows the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, the firstborn of all creation, whose death brings life and deliverance to those who believe. The universality of the judgment also serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for redemption.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Pharaoh
The ruler of Egypt, who hardened his heart against God’s commands through Moses to let the Israelites go.

2. Egyptians
The people of Egypt who suffered the consequences of Pharaoh's hardened heart, experiencing the death of their firstborns.

3. The Great Cry
A significant event marking the culmination of the ten plagues, where every Egyptian household experienced loss.

4. The Passover
The event preceding this verse, where the Israelites were spared from the plague through the blood of the lamb on their doorposts.

5. Moses and Aaron
God’s chosen leaders who communicated His will to Pharaoh and led the Israelites out of Egypt.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Disobedience
Pharaoh’s refusal to heed God’s command led to devastating consequences for his people. Disobedience to God’s will can have far-reaching effects.

God’s Sovereignty and Justice
The event underscores God’s control over nations and His justice in dealing with sin and rebellion.

The Importance of Faith and Obedience
The Israelites’ obedience in applying the blood of the lamb spared them from judgment, illustrating the importance of faith and obedience in our lives.

The Role of Leadership
Moses and Aaron’s leadership was crucial in guiding the Israelites through this pivotal moment, highlighting the importance of godly leadership.

The Power of God’s Deliverance
This event foreshadows the ultimate deliverance through Christ, the Lamb of God, whose sacrifice spares believers from eternal death.(30) A great cry.--See the comment on Exodus 11:6. The combination of public calamity, private grief, and shocked religious fanaticism might well produce a cry "such as there was none like it, neither shall be like it any more" (Exodus 11:6).

Not a house where there was not one dead. This cannot have been literally true. In half the families a daughter would have "opened the womb;" in others, the firstborn son would have been absent, or dead previously. To judge Scripture fairly, we must make allowance for the hyperbole of Oriental thought and expression, which causes the substitution of universal terms for general ones, and the absence of qualifying clauses. The meaning is that in the great majority of houses there was one dead. This may, well have been so, if we include the dependants and the animals. Pet animals--dogs, cats, gazelles, and monkeys--abounded in Egyptian homes.

Verse 30. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all his servants. This general disturbance differentiates the present visitations from that which came upon the host of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35). Then, the calamity came with such silence and secrecy, that the deaths were not suspected until men rose to go about their various tasks in the morning Now, every household seems to have been aroused from its sleep in the night. We must suppose sharp and painful illness, terminating after a few hours in death. The disaster itself may have been one from which Egypt often suffers in the spring of the year (Kalisch); but its attacking all the firstborn and no others, and no Israelites, as well as its announcement, plainly showed it to be miraculous. There was a great cry. See the comment on Exodus 11:6. For there was not a house where there was not one dead. This is perhaps a slight hyperbole. There would be many families in which there was no son; and some houses might contain no male who had opened the womb. It is always to be borne in mind, that the language of Scripture - especially where exciting and tragical events are narrated - is poetical, or at the least highly rhetorical.

CHAPTER 12:31-36

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
During the night
לַ֗יְלָה (lay·lāh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֜ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

got up—
וַיָּ֨קָם (way·yā·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

he
ה֤וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

and all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his officials
עֲבָדָיו֙ (‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

and all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the Egyptians—
בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם (bə·miṣ·rā·yim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

and there was
וַתְּהִ֛י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

loud
גְדֹלָ֖ה (ḡə·ḏō·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

wailing
צְעָקָ֥ה (ṣə·‘ā·qāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6818: A cry, outcry

in Egypt;
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

for there was no
אֵ֣ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

house
בַּ֔יִת (ba·yiṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

without
אֵֽין־ (’ên-)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

someone dead.
מֵֽת׃ (mêṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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Exodus 12:29
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