The interrupted narrative of 11:1-3 shifts to the instructions regarding the Passover. The cry of the Hebrews is highlighted, as in 3:7, where the Lord responded upon hearing the cry of the oppressed; now, the cry echoing throughout Egypt prompts only the Pharaoh’s decision to allow the Israelites to leave, or rather, to expel them, giving them everything they need for their departure (35f). This can be seen as a political solution that does not mark the end of Pharaonic oppression, which will continue. Here lies a key to understanding this story: since ancient times, the “firstborn” has symbolized the potential for life—both human and animal—to persist and grow. To kill the firstborn is to eliminate the potential for preservation and multiplication. Egypt, a symbol of oppression and death, now represents a system incapable of transmitting life; it has gradually extinguished that very possibility. That is why it must be eradicated, as it embodies not the seeds of life, but of death.