Exodus 1
1
Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt
1 # For ver. 1-4, see Gen. 35:23-26; 46:8-26 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5All the descendants of Jacob were #Gen. 46:27; Deut. 10:22seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Then #Gen. 50:26Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7#Deut. 26:5; Acts 7:17; [Gen. 46:3]But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
Pharaoh Oppresses Israel
8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, #Cited Acts 7:18who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, “Behold, #Ps. 105:24the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10#Ps. 83:3, 4 Come, #Ps. 105:25; Acts 7:19let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11Therefore they set taskmasters over them #ch. 3:7; Gen. 15:13; Deut. 26:6 to afflict them with heavy #ch. 2:11; 5:4, 5; 6:6, 7; Ps. 81:6 burdens. They built for Pharaoh #[2 Chr. 16:4] store cities, Pithom and #[ch. 12:37; Gen. 47:11]Raamses. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel #See ch. 5:7-19work as slaves 14and #[ch. 2:23; 6:9; Num. 20:15; Acts 7:19, 34]made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
15Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16“When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17But the midwives #Prov. 16:6; [Dan. 3:16-18; 6:13; Acts 5:29]feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20#[Eccles. 8:12]So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21And because the midwives feared God, #[1 Sam. 2:35; 2 Sam. 7:11, 27; 1 Kgs. 2:24; 11:38; Ps. 127:1]he gave them families. 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, #Acts 7:19 “Every son that is born to the Hebrews#1:22 Samaritan, Septuagint, Targum; Hebrew lacks to the Hebrews you shall cast into #Gen. 41:1the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Exodus 1
1
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. 5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: and Joseph was in Egypt already. 6And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. 7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. 9And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land. 11Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: 14and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.
15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive. 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive? 19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them. 20And God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them households. 22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
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