Exodus 1
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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 us 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 were grieved because of 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 have 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.”
World English Bible (public domain)
“But 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.”
Exodus 1:12
Summary
Exodus chapter 1 recounts the story of the Israelites in Egypt after the death of Joseph and his brothers. The chapter begins by listing the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, underscoring their growth from a small family into a great nation. Over time, a new Pharaoh arises who does not remember Joseph and perceives the Israelites as a threat due to their increasing numbers. Consequently, the Egyptians enslave the Israelites, imposing harsh labor upon them in hopes of controlling their population. Despite the oppression, the Israelites multiply even more, illustrating God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would be numerous. The chapter concludes with Pharaoh's decree to kill all newborn Hebrew boys, highlighting the desperate measures taken to subdue a growing people and setting the stage for God’s deliverance of His people. Key themes in this chapter include oppression and resilience, as the Israelites face brutal treatment but continue to thrive. The transition from favor to oppression illustrates the fragility of human power and the long-term consequences of forgetting God's covenant. The chapter also underscores God's providential care for His chosen people, foreshadowing their eventual liberation. Theologically, it emphasizes God’s faithfulness to His promises, serving as a precursor to the profound themes of deliverance that will be further developed throughout the book of Exodus.
Key Themes
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