“And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.”
Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the livestock as well. The scope is absolute: from the throne to the mill, from king to slave. Every social class is included. The firstborn of Pharaoh and the firstborn of the lowest slave die the same death on the same night. Amos 9:1–2 describes a judgment from which no one escapes: though they dig down to the depths below or climb up to the heavens, I will bring them down. The tenth plague enacts this in miniature: no elevation of class or status protects from what midnight brings. The only protection is the blood on the doorpost — not social position, not Egyptian citizenship, not palace walls.
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