And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus said the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus said the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, Israel is my son, my first-born:
And you are to say to Pharaoh, The Lord says, Israel is the first of my sons:
And thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my first-born.
You shall tell Pharaoh, 'Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn,
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, my firstborn:
Israel is my son, even my firstborn - That is, The Hebrew people are unutterably dear to me.
My firstborn - The expression would be perfectly intelligible to Pharaoh, whose official designation was "son of Ra." In numberless inscriptions the Pharaohs are styled "own sons" or "beloved sons" of the deity. It is here applied for the first time to Israel; and as we learn from Exodus 4:23, emphatically in antithesis to Pharaoh's own firstborn.
4:22 Thus saith the Lord - This is the first time that preface is used by any man, which afterwards is used so frequently by all the prophets: Israel is my son, my first - born - Precious in my sight, honourable, and dear to me.