King James Version

Exodus 12:29

And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

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Hebrew

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וַיְהִ֣יvayhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בַּחֲצִ֣יbachatsiin halfחֵצִיpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in half”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2677the half or middlehalf, middle, mid(-night), midst, part, two parts.הַלַּ֗יְלָהhalaylahthe nightלַיִלdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the night”, the ordinary formH3915properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity(mid-)night (season).וַֽיהוָה֮vayhvahand Jehovahיְהֹוָהconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).הִכָּ֣הhikahstrikeנָכָהverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “strike”, a completed actionH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.כָלkhalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).בְּכוֹר֮bekhorfirstbornבְּכוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “firstborn”, the ordinary formH1060firstborn; hence, chiefeldest (son), firstborn(-ling).בְּאֶ֣רֶץbeeretsin earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “in earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.מִצְרַיִם֒mitsrayimEgyptמִצְרַיִםnoun, proper name — “Egypt”H4714Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower EgyptEgypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.מִבְּכֹ֤רmibkhorfrom firstbornבְּכוֹרpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “from firstborn”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1060firstborn; hence, chiefeldest (son), firstborn(-ling).פַּרְעֹה֙paroPharaohפַּרְעֹהnoun, proper name — “Pharaoh”H6547Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsPharaoh.הַיֹּשֵׁ֣בhayoshevthe dwellיָשַׁבdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the dwell”, a verb used as a describing wordH3427properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, r…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כִּסְא֔וֹkisvothroneכִּסֵּאnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “throne”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3678properly, covered, i.e. a throne (as canopied)seat, stool, throne.עַ֚דadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.בְּכ֣וֹרbekhorfirstbornבְּכוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “firstborn”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1060firstborn; hence, chiefeldest (son), firstborn(-ling).הַשְּׁבִ֔יhashvithe captiveשְׁבִיdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the captive”, the ordinary formH7628exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, bootycaptive(-ity), prisoners, [idiom] take away, that was taken.אֲשֶׁ֖רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…בְּבֵ֣יתbeveytin familyבַּיִתpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…הַבּ֑וֹרhaborthe cisternבּוֹרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the cistern”, the ordinary formH953a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or a prison)cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well.וְכֹ֖לvekholand allכֹּלconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).בְּכ֥וֹרbekhorfirstbornבְּכוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “firstborn”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1060firstborn; hence, chiefeldest (son), firstborn(-ling).בְּהֵמָֽהbehemahbeastבְּהֵמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “beast”, the ordinary formH929properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)beast, cattle.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it came to pass at midnight, that the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it came to pass at midnight, that Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle.

Young’s Literal Translation

And it cometh to pass, at midnight, that Jehovah hath smitten every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who is sitting on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive who [is] in the prison-house, and every first-born of beasts.

World English Bible

At midnight, Yahweh 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.

Darby Translation

And it came to pass that at midnight Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.

Douay-Rheims

And it came to pass at midnight, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharao, who sat on his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive woman that was in the prison, and all the firstborn of cattle.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharao that sat on the throne, to the first-born of the captive-maid in the dungeon, and the first-born of all cattle.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐγενήθη δὲ μεσούσης τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ Κύριος ἐπάταξε πᾶν πρωτότοκον ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, ἀπὸ πρωτοτόκου Φαραὼ τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου, ἕως πρωτοτόκου τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος τῆς ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ, καὶ ἕως πρωτοτόκου παντὸς κτήνους.