Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 1:14
14and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.
Exodus 1:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
- New International Version (NIV)They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
Context of Exodus 1:14
12But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them. 15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives — the first, whose name was Shiphrah, and the second, whose name was Puah — 16“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.”
Read all of Exodus 1Exodus 1:14 word by word
וַיְמָרְר֨וּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם בַּעֲבֹדָ֣ה קָשָׁ֗ה בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙ וּבִלְבֵנִ֔ים וּבְכָל־עֲבֹדָ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־עָבְד֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they madeמָרַרmârar · to provokeH4843
- their livesחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
- with hardקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
- bondageעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · serviceH5656
- in morterחֹ֫מֶרchômer · clayH2563
- and in brickלְבֵנָהlebênâh · brickH3843
- and in all manner of serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · service: workH5656
- in the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- wherein they made them serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
- with rigourפֶּ֫רֶךְperek · severityH6531
Cross-references for Exodus 1:14
- Exodus 2:23After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, they cried out, and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God.
- Exodus 6:9Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.
- Genesis 15:13Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed.
- Numbers 20:15Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly.
- Deuteronomy 4:20But the Lord selected you and brought you out of Egypt’s iron furnace to be a people for his inheritance, as you are today.
- Deuteronomy 26:6But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, and forced us to do hard labor.
- Ruth 1:20“Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter.
- Acts 7:19He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them abandon their infants outside so that they wouldn’t survive.
- Psalms 68:13While you lie among the sheep pens, the wings of a dove are covered with silver, and its feathers with glistening gold.
- Psalms 81:6“I relieved his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from carrying the basket.
- Nahum 3:14Draw water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Step into the clay and tread the mortar; take hold of the brick-mold!
- Exodus 1:13They worked the Israelites ruthlessly
- Exodus 5:7“Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves.
- Exodus 20:2I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
- Leviticus 25:43You are not to rule over them harshly but fear your God.
- Isaiah 14:6It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows. It subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.
Commentaries on Exodus 1:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14They made their lives bitter - So that they became weary of life, through the severity of their servitude. With hard bondage - קשה בעבדה baabodah kashah, with grievous servitude. This was the general character of their life in Egypt; it was a life of the most painful servitude, oppressive enough in itself, but made much more so by the cruel manner of their treatment while performing their tasks. In mortar, and in brick - First, in digging the clay…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14The use of brick, at all times common in Egypt, was especially so under the 18th Dynasty. An exact representation of the whole process of brickmaking is given in a small temple at Thebes, erected by Tothmosis III, the fourth in descent from Amosis. Immense masses of brick are found at Belbeis, the modern capital of Sharkiya, i. e. Goshen, and in the adjoining district. All manner of service in the field - Not merely agricultural labor, but probably the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14The Egyptians could only get stone for building from the far south of the country. In the north, where the Hebrews lived, they used stone only for the most important state and religious buildings. They built other structures with mortar and bricks made from durable clay. They mixed in seashells or straw to bind it together. After sun-drying in a mold, these materials were surprisingly strong. This was especially true in Egypt, where there was little rain…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. The Egyptians ... made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick--Ruins of great brick buildings are found in all parts of Egypt. The use of crude brick, baked in the sun, was universal in upper and lower Egypt, both for public and private buildings; all but the temples themselves were of crude brick. It is worthy of remark that more bricks bearing the name of Thothmes III, who is supposed to have been the king of Egypt at the…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 1:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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