Exodus1
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.
6Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.
7The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.
9He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
10Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”
11Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.
13The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
14and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
15The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
16and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
17But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
18The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”
19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
20God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
21Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
22Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The children of Israel increase in Egypt after the death of Joseph. (8–14). They are oppressed, but multiply exceedingly. (1–7). The men-children destroyed. (15–22).
vv1-7
During more than 200 years, while Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived at liberty, the Hebrews increased slowly; only about seventy persons went down into Egypt. There, in about the same number of years, though under cruel bondage, they became a large nation. This wonderful increase was according to the promise long before made unto the fathers. Though the performance of God's promises is sometimes slow, it is always sure.
vv8-14
The land of Egypt became to Israel a house of bondage. The place where we have been happy, may soon become the place of our affliction; and that may prove the greatest cross to us, of which we said, This same shall comfort us. Cease from man, and say not of any place on this side heaven, This is my rest. All that knew Joseph, loved him, and were kind to his brethren for his sake; but the best and most useful services a man does to others, are soon forgotten after his death. Our great care should be, to serve God, and to please him who is not unrighteous, whatever men are, to forget our work and labour of love. The offence of Israel is, that he prospers. There is no sight more hateful to a wicked man than the prosperity of the righteous. The Egyptians feared lest the children of Israel should join their enemies, and get them up out of the land. Wickedness is ever cowardly and unjust; it makes a man fear, where no fear is, and flee, when no one pursues him. And human wisdom often is foolishness, and very sinful. God's people had task-masters set over them, not only to burden them, but to afflict them with their burdens. They not only made them serve for Pharaoh's profit, but so that their lives became bitter. The Israelites wonderfully increased. Christianity spread most when it was persecuted: the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. They that take counsel against the Lord and his Israel, do but imagine a vain thing, and create greater vexation to themselves.
vv15-22
The Egyptians tried to destroy Israel by the murder of their children. The enmity that is in the seed of the serpent, against the Seed of the woman, makes men forget all pity. It is plain that the Hebrews were now under an uncommon blessing. And we see that the services done for God's Israel are often repaid in kind. Pharaoh gave orders to drown all the male children of the Hebrews. The enemy who, by Pharaoh, attempted to destroy the church in this its infant state, is busy to stifle the rise of serious reflections in the heart of man. Let those who would escape, be afraid of sinning, and cry directly and fervently to the Lord for assistance.
Key Words
שֵׁם: an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
מִצְרַיִם: Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt
יַעֲקֹב: Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
רְאוּבֵן: Reuben, a son of Jacob
שִׁמְעוֹן: Shimon, one of Jacob's sons, also the tribe descended from him
Cross References
Exodus 1Lists the seventy souls of Jacob's house that came into Egypt, establishing the historical root.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Stephen's inspired speech directly cites Pharaoh's policy of casting male infants out to destroy them.
Supported by John Calvin
Confirms the seventy who went down to Egypt, contrasting it with their later vast multiplication.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Fulfillment of God's prophecy to Abraham that his descendants would be afflicted in a foreign land.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Poole links God making 'houses' for the midwives with building a household/family lineage as in David.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Highlights the faith of Moses' parents in resisting Pharaoh's murderous decree to drown the boys.
Supported by JFB
Stephen recounts the rapid multiplication of Israel as the time of the promise drew near.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Poetic reflection on how God increased His people greatly and made them stronger than their enemies.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise of multiplying seed like the stars and the sand.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Describes the turning of the Egyptians' hearts to hate His people and deal craftily with them.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
A parallel of God building a 'sure house' for obedience and fearing Him.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Further demonstrates 'making a house' as the establishment of a lasting family lineage.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Pharaoh's slaughter of infants typifies Herod's attempt to destroy the infant Messiah.
Supported by Matthew Henry
New Testament citation of the 'another king' arising who did not know Joseph.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Stephen recounts how Pharaoh dealt subtly with the race and exposed their infants.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Pharaoh's plot to drown boys met poetic justice when God drowned his army in the sea.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Recalls how God turned Egypt's heart to hate His people and deal subtilly with them.
Supported by John Calvin
Direct narrative link showing the immediate consequence of the decree on Moses' family.
Supported by JFB
Illustrates how by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil, motivating the midwives.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Pharaoh's public decree in verse 22 escalates his failed secret directive to the midwives.
Supported by JFB