The Meaning of Psalms 105:36 Explained

Psalms 105:36

KJV: He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

YLT: And He smiteth every first-born in their land, The first-fruit of all their strength,

Darby: And he smote every firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their vigour.

ASV: He smote also all the first-born in their land, The chief of all their strength.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He smote  also all the firstborn  in their land,  the chief  of all their strength. 

What does Psalms 105:36 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 105:31-45 - Led By A Mighty Hand
Notice in this enumeration of the plagues that the emphasis in each is laid on God's direct act. He is the great agent of his own purposes. The tenth plague, Psalms 105:36, is followed by the triumphant exodus, when Israel went forth, enriched with treasure and strong for the march. However sad and weary our life may be, it will one day be rich and strong as it goes forth to serve under new and loftier conditions. How good it is to realize that God hath prepared for us things that surpass human thought, and which are proportioned not according to intellect but according to heart; not according to deeds but according to character!
God is all-sufficient for us. He was everything that Israel needed. Can He not suffice for us? We have good hope, not because of our deserts, but because of the covenant into which He has entered with our Savior, who is our Representative and Federal Head. Not for our sakes, but for His holy Name's sake, God has pledged Himself to make us His heirs, joint-heirs with His Son, and sharers in all that joy and bliss which await us on the other side. Ought we not, then, to love Him and to keep His statutes and laws? Hallelujah! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 105

1  An exhortation to praise God, and to seek out his works
7  The story of God's providence over Abraham
16  Over Joseph
23  Over Jacob in Egypt
26  Over Moses delivering the Israelites
37  Over the Israelites brought out of Egypt, fed in the desert, and planted in Canaan

What do the individual words in Psalms 105:36 mean?

And He destroyed all the firstborn in their land the first of all their strength
וַיַּ֣ךְ כָּל־ בְּכ֣וֹר בְּאַרְצָ֑ם רֵ֝אשִׁ֗ית לְכָל־ אוֹנָֽם

וַיַּ֣ךְ  And  He  destroyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בְּכ֣וֹר  the  firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
בְּאַרְצָ֑ם  in  their  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
רֵ֝אשִׁ֗ית  the  first 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רֵאשִׁית  
Sense: first, beginning, best, chief.
לְכָל־  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אוֹנָֽם  their  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹון  
Sense: vigour, generative power.