The interpretation timeline

Exod 4:22

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

Exod 4:22 · Douay-Rheims
“And thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Israel is my son, my firstborn.”
Patristic before A.D. 750
254
A.D.
Origen Patristic
c. A.D. 184–253
“Why too does he blame Pharaoh, saying, "You will not let my people go; behold, I will smite all the firstborn in Egypt, even your firstborn," and all the rest that is recorded as being said by God through Moses to Pharaoh? It is incumbent on him who believes that the Scriptures are true and that God is just, if he is a thoughtful man, to take pains to show how God, in using such expressions as these, can be clearly conceived to be just.”
Source
254
A.D.
Origen Patristic
c. A.D. 184–253
“And is there anything more profound to say of Israel, not of nature but of grace, of whom it was written, "Israel is my firstborn son," when Israel was in dispersion? You yourself will also understand that these are the scattered children of God for whom Jesus was to die in order to gather them together into one.”
386
A.D.
Cyril of Jerusalem Patristic
A.D. 313–386
“When you hear "firstborn," do not think of this in human fashion; for among humans the firstborn have other brothers; and it is somewhere written, "Israel is my son, my firstborn." But like Reuben, Israel was a rejected firstborn; for Reuben went up to his father's bed, and Israel cast the Son of the Father out of the vineyard and crucified him. To others also Scripture says, "You are children of the Lord your God" and elsewhere, "I said, you are gods; all of you sons of the Most High." Note "I said," not "I begot." They, from the fact that God said it, received adoption which they did not have, but he was not begotten to be other than he was before. Rather he was begotten Son from the beginning, Son of the Father, like in all things to his Genitor, begotten Life of Life, Light of Light, Truth of Truth, Wisdom of Wisdom, King of King, God of God, Power of Power.”
Source
Modern · 1953 →

The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.