The Church Fathers on this verse

Exodus 12:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And Pharao arose in the night, and all his servants, and all Egypt: and there arose a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house wherein there lay not one dead.

Douay-Rheims

וַיָּ֨קָם פַּרְעֹ֜ה לַ֗יְלָה ה֤וּא וְכָל־עֲבָדָיו֙ וְכָל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

Ephraem the Syrian

4th centuryChurch Father

At the stroke of midnight, every firstborn in Egypt perished, and sorrow filled the homes as fathers mourned for their firstborn sons. Just as the river was overwhelmed with the firstborn of the Hebrews, so too did the graves of Egypt become filled with their own firstborn.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.