Firstborn of Ex 12. Males only, or male or female?

This question of who were “firstborns” of Exodus 12 has intrigued people for a long time. I don’t know if it’s that crucial to know – but since it does come up and I hear it preached both ways, that the death of the firstborn included girls – or most say “firstborn sons”.  Which is it? Just males, or males and females?

Most commentators agree it was the firstborn MALES who were killed. No girls, even if they were born first. But some ministers and commentators teach it was firstborn male OR female

In Exodus 12 itself, it’s not actually specified whether firstborn were just boys, or either boys or girls. So let’s use more of the Bible.

Consider this: Whenever we read of names of families in the Bible, firstborns are always males. In fact, in the blessing of the sons of Jacob in Genesis 49, Jacob’s daughter DINAH was not even named or included in the blessings of Israel, though she was included in a list of children.

Do we ever read of firstborn daughters?  There’s one example in Genesis 19:30-38, when Lot fled to the hills with his two daughters, after his wife was turned to a pillar of salt.  The older daughter is depicted as “the first born said to the younger” in verses 31, 34.  

But other than that, I’m not aware of scripture calling daughters “the firstborn”.

Now let’s look for hints from some scriptures.

Remember that Pharaoh did his best to kill all Hebrew SONS (Exodus 1:15-16,21).  God certainly paid him back, with the death of Pharaoh’s own firstborn son.

We have these other verses about “firstborn”. 

Exodus 22:29, 30  “You shall present the firstborn of your sons to me. 

You shall do the same with your cattle and with your sheep.”

Numbers 3:40

“Then YHVH said to Moses: "Number all the firstborn MALES of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names.

43:  And all the firstborn MALES, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.”

Exodus 12 mentions the death of the Egyptian firstborns.  Now we come to the next chapter.

Exodus 13:1-2  “Then YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine."

Verse 2 can seem to imply “ANY AND ALL firstborn – whoever opens the womb”- whether male or female. But let’s keep reading. 

Exodus 13:11-15    "And it shall be, when YHVH brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to YHVH all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the MALES shall be the Lord's.

 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your SONS you shall redeem.

14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that YHVH killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to YHVH all MALES that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my SONS I redeem.'

It seems to me that the Bible defines the FIRSTBORN as the firstborn MALES in Exodus 13:15.

It seems that there is clear evidence that the rule for humans is that the firstborn SON of a father is the firstborn. There is no direct statement of females being included. 

ANOTHER point:  In the Old Testament the duties and privileges of the firstborn included receiving a double portion of the inheritance and to be the head of the family upon the death of the father, as well as to provide priestly service (in this they were replaced by the Levites).  Being head of a family and providing priestly service does not fit well with thinking the firstborn could be a daughter. We just don’t find that in scripture.

The rights of the firstborn son could be lost or transferred to another son by God’s decision or by misconduct by the physical firstborn (Esau to Jacob; Manasseh to Ephraim; Reuben to Joseph because of Reuben’s sexual misconduct) (Genesis 35:22; 49:4; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2).

Even when there were no sons, the inheritance rights of the family property could pass to the daughters, but those rights had to pass through their HUSBANDS, who in effect became adopted sons of their wife’s father. See Numbers 27 and 36, in the story of Zelophedad’s daughters.

Plus, when you realize that Egyptians focused on killing Israel’s firstborn sons – at the time of the birth of Moses – it seems this was payback time for God against the Egyptians, including the death of Pharaoh’s own firstborn SON.

One final point:  the death of the firstborn sons pictured also that GOD HIMSELF would offer up his own firstborn SON to die for us all.  Jesus was also the firstborn of Mary (Luke 2:7).  Mary had at least four other sons and at least two daughters (Matthew 13:55) after Jesus. But the one who would be sacrificed, was her firstborn son.

Firstborn daughters could not have completed the picture of pointing to the son of God who redeemed all those who came under his blood, and whose own blood pictured by the lambs’ blood splashed on the door posts and lintels of each  home. Jesus himself was called “the firstborn among many brethren”(Romans 8:29) and the “firstborn of God” (Hebrews 1:6).  Jesus, the firstborn son of God, was the one who died for us all who accept him.

Even God’s church is called “the church of the Firstborn registered in heaven…” (Hebrews 12:23).

Conclusion:  So, combining all the above, it seems clear to me that the death of the firstborn of Egypt were only the sons. I hope this helps.