Bible Commentary

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, [was] with rigor. 14. hard service ] Exo 6:9 (P) Heb. (EVV. cruel bondage); also Deu 26:6 (EVV. hard bondage); 1Ki 12:4 (= 2Ch … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:14”

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: 13. with rigour ] The rare word found otherwise only in v. 14, Lev 25:43; Lev 25:46; Lev 25:53 (all P or H); Eze 34:4. The root is not in use in Heb.; in Aram. it means to rub (Luk 6:1 Pesh.), or … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:13”

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 12. But the measure proved ineffectual: the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased, so that the Egyptians felt an uneasy dread of them. spread abroad ] Lit. brake through (limits): … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:12”

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses. 11. They were consequently brought into a condition of virtual slavery and compelled to do forced labour. The corve was an institution common in the despotisms of antiquity, and resorted to whenever … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:11”

Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [so] get them up out of the land. 10. deal wisely ] I.e., in a bad sense, craftily, paraphrased by ‘deal … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:10”

And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we: 9. more and mightier ] In the Heb. the two adjectives corresponding to the two verbs ‘increased,’ and ‘waxed mighty,’ in v. 7. The marg. is merely an alternative rendering of the Heb., bringing out … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:9”

Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 8. there arose a new king ] Implying the rise of a king whose reign began a new policy. The king, to judge from v. 11 (see the notes on Pithom and Raamses), will have been Rameses II, the third ruler of … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:8”

And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. 7. The continuation in P of v. 5. [P] were fruitful, and swarmed, [ J ] and multiplied, and waxed mighty, [ P ] exceedingly ] To ‘be fruitful,’ as Gen 1:28; … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:7”

And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. 6. The continuation in J of Gen 50:14, preparing partly for the notice, now preserved fragmentarily in v. 7, of the increase of the Israelites in Egypt, and partly for v. 8. Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Exo 1:6 Joseph died, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:6”

And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already]. 5. all the souls that came out, &c.] As Gen 46:26 (also P). seventy souls ] The number was traditional: cf. Deu 10:22 (where ‘with’ should be as). This passage shews that P interpreted … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 1:5”