Exodus 4:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Upon departing from Midian, God instructs him to declare to Pharaoh, "Let my firstborn son go so that he may worship Me. If you refuse to let him go, I will take your firstborn son." Before unleashing the plagues, God warns Pharaoh of this dire consequence: the death of his firstborn, which stands as the most severe of all the afflictions. Yet, in reality, He demonstrates the smallest of all the signs—the sign of the serpent.

This warning was genuinely realized, as evidenced in 11:5. It is clear that Moses, during his initial encounter with Pharaoh, conveyed this warning to him. Just before the death of the firstborn, Moses's final words were, “I shall see thy face no more” (10:29). Following the tragic event, Pharaoh urgently summoned Moses and Aaron during the night, hastily instructing them to depart with the people.