New American Standard Bible 1995

Exodus 1:7-20

7But the sons of Israel 1were fruitful and 2increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly 3mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

8Now a new 4king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 5He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are 6more and mightier than we. 10Come, let us 7deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and 8in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and 9depart from the land.” 11So they appointed 10taskmasters over them to afflict them with 11 12hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh 13storage cities, Pithom and 14Raamses. 12But the more they afflicted them, 15the more they multiplied and the more they 16spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel 17to labor rigorously; 14and they made 18their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously 19imposed on them.

15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom 20was named Shiphrah and the other 21was named Puah; 16and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, 22if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17But the midwives 23 24feared God, and 25did not do as the king of Egypt had 26commanded them, but let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife 27can get to them.” 20So 28God was good to the midwives, and 29the people multiplied, and became very 30mighty.

Read all of Exodus 1

Notes

1. Exodus 1:7 Gen 12:2; 28:3; 35:11; 46:3; 47:27; 48:4; Deut 26:5; Ps 105:24; Acts 7:17 ↩
2. Exodus 1:7 Lit swarmed ↩
3. Exodus 1:7 Or numerous ↩
4. Exodus 1:8 Acts 7:18, 19 ↩
5. Exodus 1:9 Ps 105:24, 25 ↩
6. Exodus 1:9 Or too many and too mighty for us ↩
7. Exodus 1:10 Acts 7:19 ↩
8. Exodus 1:10 Lit it came about when war befalls that ↩
9. Exodus 1:10 Lit go up from ↩
10. Exodus 1:11 Gen 15:13; Ex 3:7; 5:6 ↩
11. Exodus 1:11 Lit their burdens ↩
12. Exodus 1:11 Ex 1:14; 2:11; 5:4-9; 6:6f ↩
13. Exodus 1:11 1 Kin 9:19; 2 Chr 8:4 ↩
14. Exodus 1:11 Gen 47:11 ↩
15. Exodus 1:12 Ex 1:7 ↩
16. Exodus 1:12 Lit broke forth ↩
17. Exodus 1:13 Gen 15:13; Deut 4:20 ↩
18. Exodus 1:14 Ex 2:23; 6:9; Num 20:15; Acts 7:19 ↩
19. Exodus 1:14 Lit worked through them ↩
20. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was ↩
21. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was ↩
22. Exodus 1:16 Acts 7:19 ↩
23. Exodus 1:17 Or revered ↩
24. Exodus 1:17 Ex 1:21; Prov 16:6 ↩
25. Exodus 1:17 Acts 4:18-20; 5:29 ↩
26. Exodus 1:17 Lit spoken to ↩
27. Exodus 1:19 Lit comes to ↩
28. Exodus 1:20 Prov 11:18; Eccl 8:12; Heb 6:10 ↩
29. Exodus 1:20 Ex 1:12; Is 3:10 ↩
30. Exodus 1:20 Or numerous ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Exodus 1