The Israelites Multiply in Egypt
Study note
The book of Genesis ended with Jacob's family of about seventy people moving to Egypt during a famine. Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, had risen to great power in Egypt and saved many lives. After Joseph and that entire generation died, their descendants stayed in Egypt and grew into a very large group. The Israelites are also called Hebrews.
1 Here are the names of Jacob's sons who moved to Egypt with him. Every one of them brought their whole family along. Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
2 They were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 along with Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 and Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Seventy of Jacob's family came to Egypt in all. Joseph was already living there. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
6 Over time, Joseph died. All his brothers died too. Everyone from that whole age group died. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
7 But the Israelites kept having lots of babies. Their numbers exploded until they became a great and powerful group that spread all across Egypt. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
A New Pharaoh Enslaves the Israelites
Study note
Hundreds of years passed, and a new king came to power who did not remember Joseph or what he had done for Egypt. This Pharaoh saw the large Israelite population as a threat. He feared they might join Egypt's enemies in a war. So he forced them into brutal slavery, making them build storage cities out of bricks and mortar. But the harder the Egyptians worked them, the more the Israelites grew in number.
8 Eventually a new king rose to power in Egypt. He had never even heard of Joseph. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
9 This king told his people, "Look at how many Israelites there are now! They outnumber us and are more powerful than we are." And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
10 "We have to outsmart them. Otherwise, if war breaks out, they could team up with our enemies, fight us, and then escape from our country." 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.
11 So the Egyptians put harsh slave masters over the Israelites to wear them down with hard labor. The Israelites were forced to build the storage cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But here is the surprising thing: the harder the Egyptians pushed them, the faster the Israelites grew in number and spread out. This made the Egyptians even more afraid of them. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
13 So the Egyptians worked the Israelites without any mercy at all. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
14 They made life awful for the Israelites with heavy work. The Israelites had to make bricks, mix mortar, and do all kinds of hard field work. The Egyptians were cruel in every task they forced on them. 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 rigour.
Pharaoh Orders the Hebrew Boys Killed
Study note
When slavery did not slow Israel's growth, Pharaoh tried a more terrible plan. He ordered two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill every baby boy born to the Israelites. Midwives were women who helped mothers give birth. These two women feared God more than they feared Pharaoh, and they refused to obey. When Pharaoh questioned them, they gave an excuse. God blessed the midwives for their courage. Finally, Pharaoh gave a public order that every newborn Hebrew boy should be thrown into the Nile River.
15 The king of Egypt spoke to two women named Shiphrah and Puah. These women were Hebrew midwives — they helped Hebrew mothers deliver their babies. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16 The king ordered them, "When you help a Hebrew woman have her baby, check whether it is a boy or a girl. If it is a boy, you must kill him. If it is a girl, let her live." And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives had deep respect for God. They refused to obey the king's command and let all the baby boys live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives back in and demanded, "Why did you do this? Why are the boys still alive?" And 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?
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are different from Egyptian women. They are so strong that they have their babies before we can even arrive to help!" And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20 God blessed the midwives for what they did. Meanwhile, the Israelites continued to grow and become even more powerful. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And because the midwives honored God, he blessed them with families of their own. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 Then Pharaoh gave a terrible command to all his people: "Every Hebrew baby boy that is born must be thrown into the Nile River! But you may let the girls live." And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.