For I will pass through. — Rather, go through, since the word used is entirely unconnected with pesahh.
Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. — The translation “gods” is far preferable to that of “princes,” given in the margin. The death of all the firstborn beasts would have been felt by the Egyptians as a heavy judgment upon their gods. Some of their sacred animals were regarded as actual incarnations of deity; and if any of these perished, as is likely, the threat would have been executed to the letter. But even apart from this, as cows, sheep, goats, cats, dogs, jackals, crocodiles, hippopotami, apes, ibises, frogs, &c, were sacred, either throughout Egypt or in parts of it, a general destruction of all firstborn animals would have been felt as a blow dealt to the gods almost equally.
I am the Lord. — Heb. I, Jehovah. The construction is, “I, Jehovah, will execute judgment.”