78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power 1 in the tents of Ham.
105:23 Israel moved to 2 Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time 3 in the land of Ham.
105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, 4
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
105:28 He made it dark; 5
they did not disobey his orders. 6
105:29 He turned their water into blood,
and killed their fish.
105:30 Their land was overrun by frogs,
which even got into the rooms of their kings.
105:31 He ordered flies to come; 7
gnats invaded their whole territory.
105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; 8
there was lightning in their land. 9
105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
105:34 He ordered locusts to come, 10
innumerable grasshoppers.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields. 11
105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power. 12
1 tn Heb “the beginning of strength.” If retained, the plural form אוֹנִים (’onim, “strength”) probably indicates degree (“great strength”), but many ancient witnesses read “their strength,” which presupposes an emendation to אֹנָם (’onam; singular form of the noun with third masculine plural pronominal suffix).
2 tn Heb “entered.”
3 tn Heb “lived as a resident alien.”
4 tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).
5 tn Heb “he sent darkness and made it dark.”
6 tn Heb “they did not rebel against his words.” Apparently this refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out God’s orders.
7 tn Heb “he spoke and flies came.”
8 tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”
9 tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”
10 tn Heb “he spoke and locusts came.”
11 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
12 tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).