כִּ֣י לִי֮ כָּל־בְּכוֹר֒ בְּיוֹם֩ הַכֹּתִ֨י כָל־בְּכ֜וֹר בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם הִקְדַּ֨שְׁתִּי לִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאָדָ֖ם עַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֥י יִהְי֖וּ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ס)
因為所有頭胎出生的都是屬我的；我在埃及地擊殺一切頭胎出生的那日，就把以色列中一切頭胎出生的，無論是人或牲畜，都分別為聖歸我；他們要屬於我。我是永恆者。」
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.