Why the Firstborn of Egypt Killed Their Own Fathers

"And every firstborn shall die" (Exodus 11:5). All the firstborn gathered before their fathers. They said to them: "Everything that Moses said, he has brought upon us. Do you not wish that we should live? Rather, come and let us send these {servants} [Hebrews] out from our midst; and if not, behold, we are going to die." They answered them and said to them: "Even if all the Egyptians die, they shall not go out from here." What did they do? All the firstborn gathered and went off to Pharaoh, and they were crying out to Pharaoh and saying to him: "We beg of you, send out this people, for on their account the evil will come {upon them and upon him} [upon us and upon you]." He said to his servants: "Go out and break the legs of these men." What did the firstborn do? Immediately they went out, and each and every one of them took up his sword and killed his father, as it is said: "To Him who smote Egypt through their firstborn" (Psalms 136:10). It is not written here "To Him who smote the firstborn of Egypt," but rather "To Him who smote Egypt through their firstborn." After their fathers had been killed, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself [over them] and killed them, as it is said: "And the LORD smote every firstborn" (Exodus 12:29). If the firstborn of the Egyptians had sinned, in what had the captives sinned? Rather, it is that they were {saying and rejoicing} [rejoicing and saying]: "Let us be in bondage, but let Israel not go out from here." Therefore He killed them, "even unto the firstborn of the captive" (Exodus 12:29) — and all the more so the firstborn of the maidservant, for they were enslaving them. And why the firstborn of cattle? Because the Egyptians were bowing down to lambs — so that they should not say, "Our object of worship is mighty, for the retribution did not rule over it" — [therefore, "and all the firstborn of cattle"].