instead. Since “Israel” is collective here, it is reasonable to suppose that “Pharaoh” is also a collective term; thus, “your firstborn” includes all the firstborn in the land. Otherwise we should have to assume that the original reference was to Pharaoh’s son alone and no other.’9 Thus, Israel, the nation whom Yahweh elected to be in a special relationship to himself, is threatened by Pharaoh. Moses is sent as Yahweh’s spokesman. The comparison is between Israel collectively and the firstborn sons