Psalm 105:36 describes the tenth plague that struck Egypt, the death of the firstborn sons and animals, and the verse presents it as an act of God that delivered Israel from slavery. The psalmist is recounting the history of how the Lord rescued his people, so the verse is a statement about God acting in power on behalf of his covenant people. It was written by an unnamed Israelite poet, traditionally associated with the Psalms of David’s era, and it was meant for worshipers in Israel who gathered to remember what God had done.
He struck also all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their manhood.
Psalm 105:36 (WEB)
What Psalm 105:36 Means
The verse begins with “He struck,” which names God as the one acting. The plagues are not presented as natural events or random misfortune. They are presented as deliberate blows from the Lord against a nation that had enslaved his people and refused to let them go. The word “struck” carries the sense of a decisive, weighty judgment.
“All the firstborn in their land” refers to the final plague described in Exodus 12, where the firstborn of every Egyptian household died while Israelite homes marked with the blood of a lamb were spared. “The first fruits of all their manhood” uses agricultural language. The firstborn was considered the strength and beginning of a family’s future, and the verse pictures the loss as the cutting off of Egypt’s hope and vigor.
The verse does not promise that God will act this way toward every nation or every person. It describes one specific historical judgment within a larger story of redemption. What it does affirm is that God sees oppression, responds to it, and will not let injustice stand forever.
The Context of Psalm 105:36
Psalm 105 belongs to the collection of songs of praise and remembrance in the Psalter. It recounts God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants, moves through the story of Joseph, and then describes the plagues and the Exodus. Its purpose is to call Israel to give thanks, remember God’s wonders, and trust his promises. Verses 33 through 35 describe the plagues of hail-like destruction to vines and trees and the locust swarm, and verse 36 moves to the death of the firstborn, the most severe of the judgments.
Read in this setting, verse 36 is not a standalone statement of anger. It is one step in a sequence that ends with verse 37, where Israel leaves Egypt laden with silver and gold and without a single weak person among them. The grim detail of the firstborn’s death is placed within a psalm of gratitude, which shows that the psalmist saw the Exodus as God’s faithful work to free his people.
Key Phrases in Psalm 105:36
Exodus 12:29
At midnight, the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of livestock.
(WEB)
This verse gives the original account of the death of the firstborn in Egypt at midnight. Reading it alongside Psalm 105:36 shows the historical event the psalmist is recalling and reminds you that the psalm is a summary of a specific moment in Israel’s story.
Romans 12:19
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
(WEB)
Paul quotes the principle that vengeance belongs to God, which helps explain how Christians today should read divine judgment. It connects the Old Testament pattern of God acting against injustice with the call to leave final judgment in his hands rather than seeking revenge.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 105:36
Lord, you are the God who sees oppression and acts to set captives free. Remember the people who are suffering under unjust hands today, and bring your justice to bear in ways that only you can judge. Keep my heart from bitterness when I feel wronged, and teach me to trust you with what I cannot repair. Thank you that you remember your promises and move on behalf of those who belong to you. Amen.
