כִּ֣י לִי֮ כָּל־בְּכוֹר֒ בְּיוֹם֩ הַכֹּתִ֨י כָל־בְּכ֜וֹר בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם הִקְדַּ֨שְׁתִּי לִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאָדָ֖ם עַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֥י יִהְי֖וּ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ס)
poiché tutti i primogeniti sono i miei: il giorno in cui ho colpito tutti i primogeniti nella terra d'Egitto, ho santificato a me tutti i primogeniti in Israele, sia uomini che bestie, i miei saranno: Io sono il SIGNORE.' .
On the Birth of Abel and the Sacrifices Offered by him and by his Brother Cain
[134] When we read “on the day that I smote all the first-born in Egypt, I sanctified to myself all the first-born in Israel” (Numb. 3:13), we must not suppose that at that time only when Egypt was dealt that mighty blow by the destruction of her first-born did the first-born of Israel become holy.