A frequent misinterpretation portrays this verse as depicting a capricious or excessively vengeful God indiscriminately slaughtering innocents, overlooking the historical context of Pharaoh's hardened heart, his enslavement and infanticide against the Israelites, and God's repeated merciful warnings that allowed Egypt opportunities for repentance; it also neglects the theological significance of the firstborn as symbols of inheritance and power, and the exemption provided to those who heeded the instructions, thus missing the passage's emphasis on divine justice, protection of the faithful, and foreshadowing of Christ's redemptive sacrifice.
Exodus 11:5
King James Version (1769)
5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
Exodus 11:5 announces the tenth and final plague on Egypt, where God declares that every firstborn son, from Pharaoh's heir to the lowliest servant's child, and even firstborn livestock, will die at midnight, underscoring God's supreme authority and righteous judgment against Pharaoh's unyielding oppression of Israel despite nine prior plagues, while setting the stage for Israel's deliverance through the protective blood of the Passover lamb.