New American Standard Bible 1995

Exodus 1

Israel Multiplies in Egypt

1Now theseוְאֵ֗לֶּהve.'E.lehH428are thenamesשְׁמוֹת֙she.mOtH8034of the sonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478who cameהַבָּאִ֖יםha.ba.'ImH935to Egyptמִצְרָ֑יְמָהmitz.Ra.ye.mahH4714with Jacobיַעֲקֹ֔בya.'a.KoH3290;they cameבָּֽאוּ׃Ba.'uH935eachH376oneH376with his householdוּבֵית֖וֹu.vei.ToH1004:

2Reubenרְאוּבֵ֣ןre.'u.VenH7205,Simeonשִׁמְע֔וֹןshim.'onH8095,Leviלֵוִ֖יle.ViH3878and Judahוִיהוּדָֽה׃vi.hu.DahH3063;

3Issacharיִשָּׂשכָ֥רyi.so.sh.KharH3485,Zebulunזְבוּלֻ֖ןze.vu.LunH2074and Benjaminוּבְנְיָמִֽן׃u.ve.ne.ya.MinH1144;

4Danדָּ֥ןdanH1835and Naphtaliוְנַפְתָּלִ֖יve.naf.ta.LiH5321,Gadגָּ֥דgadH1410and Asherוְאָשֵֽׁר׃ve.'a.SherH836.

5Allכָּל־kol-H3605thepersonsנֶ֛פֶשׁNe.feshH5315who cameיֹצְאֵ֥יyo.tze.'EiH3318from the loinsיֶֽרֶךְ־ye.rekh-H3409of Jacobיַעֲקֹ֖בya.'a.KoH3290wereseventyשִׁבְעִ֣יםshiv.'ImH7657in numberנָ֑פֶשׁNa.feshH5315,but Josephוְיוֹסֵ֖ףve.yo.SefH3130was alreadyin Egyptבְמִצְרָֽיִם׃ve.mitz.Ra.yimH4714.

6Josephיוֹסֵף֙yo.SefH3130diedוַיָּ֤מָתvai.Ya.motH4191,and allוְכָל־ve.kholH3605his brothersאֶחָ֔יו'e.ChavH251and allוְכֹ֖לve.KholH3605that generationהַדּ֥וֹרha.DorH1755.

7But the sonsוּבְנֵ֣יu.ve.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElH3478were fruitfulפָּר֧וּpa.RuH6509andincreasedH8317greatlyH8317,and multipliedוַיִּרְבּ֥וּvai.yir.BuH7235,and becameH6105exceedinglyH3966mightyוַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּvai.ya.'atz.MuH6105,so that the landהָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzH776was filledוַתִּמָּלֵ֥אva.ti.ma.Le'H4390with them.

8Now a newחָדָ֖שׁcha.DashH2319kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428aroseוַיָּ֥קָםvai.Ya.komH6965overעַל־'al-H5921Egyptמִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714,whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834did not knowיָדַ֖עya.Da'H3045Josephיוֹסֵֽף׃yo.SefH3130.

9He saidוַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559to his peopleעַמּ֑וֹa.MoH5971, “Beholdהִנֵּ֗הhi.NehH2009,the peopleעַ֚ם'amH5971of the sonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478aremoreרַ֥בravH7227and mightierוְעָצ֖וּםve.'a.TzumH6099thanמִמֶּֽנּוּ׃mi.Me.nuH4480we.

10Comeהָ֥בָהHa.vahH3051, let usdealH2449wiselyנִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖הnit.cha.ke.MahH2449with them, orH6435elseH6435they will multiplyיִרְבֶּ֗הyir.BehH7235andin the eventוְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־ תִקְרֶ֤אנָהve.ha.Yah ki- tik.Re.nahH1961 H3588 H7122of warמִלְחָמָה֙mil.cha.MahH4421,they will alsoגַּם־gam-H1571joinוְנוֹסַ֤ףve.no.SafH3254themselves to those whoH834hateשֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּso.ne.'Ei.nuH8130us, and fightוְנִלְחַם־ve.nil.cham-H3898against us anddepartוְעָלָ֥הve.'a.LahH5927from the landהָאָֽרֶץ׃ha.'A.retzH776.”

11So they appointedוַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּvai.ya.Si.muH7760taskmastersשָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔יםsa.Rei mi.SimH8269 H4522overעָלָיו֙'a.LavH5921them to afflictעַנֹּת֖וֹa.no.ToH6031them withhardH5450laborבְּסִבְלֹתָ֑םbe.siv.lo.TamH5450.And they builtוַיִּ֜בֶןvai.Yi.venH1129for Pharaohלְפַרְעֹ֔הle.far.'OhH6547storageמִסְכְּנוֹת֙mis.ke.nOtH4543citiesעָרֵ֤י'a.ReiH5892,Pithomפִּתֹ֖םpi.TomH6619andRaamsesרַעַמְסֵֽס׃ra.'am.SesH7486.

12But the moreH3512they afflictedיְעַנּ֣וּye.'a.NuH6031them,the moreכֵּ֥ןkenH3651they multipliedיִרְבֶּ֖הyir.BehH7235and the moreוְכֵ֣ןve.KhenH3651theyspreadיִפְרֹ֑ץyif.RotzH6555out, so that they were in dreadוַיָּקֻ֕צוּvai.ya.Ku.tzuH6973of the sonsבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'ElH3478.

13The EgyptiansH4714compelled the sonsבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElH3478to laborוַיַּעֲבִ֧דוּvai.ya.'a.Vi.duH5647rigorouslyבְּפָֽרֶךְ׃be.Fa.rekhH6531;

14and they madeH4843their livesH2425bitterוַיְמָרְר֨וּvay.ma.re.RuH4843with hardקָשָׁ֗הka.ShahH7186laborבַּעֲבֹדָ֣הba.'a.vo.DahH5656in mortarבְּחֹ֙מֶר֙be.Cho.merH2563and bricksוּבִלְבֵנִ֔יםu.vil.ve.NimH3843and at allוּבְכָל־u.ve.Khol-H3605kindsof laborעֲבֹדָ֖ה'a.vo.DahH5656in the fieldבַּשָּׂדֶ֑הba.sa.DehH7704,allכָּל־kol-H3605their laborsעֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם'a.Vo.da.TamH5656whichאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834they rigorouslyבְּפָֽרֶךְ׃be.Fa.rekhH6531imposedעָבְד֥וּ'a.ve.DuH5647on them.

15Then the kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Egyptמִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714spokeוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merH559to the Hebrewהָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑תha.'iv.ri.YotH5680midwivesלַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖תlam.ya.le.DotH3205,oneהָֽאַחַת֙ha.'a.ChatH259of whomאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherH834was namedשֵׁ֤םshemH8034Shiphrahשִׁפְרָ֔הshif.RahH8236and the otherהַשֵּׁנִ֖יתha.she.NitH8145was namedוְשֵׁ֥םve.ShemH8034Puahפּוּעָֽה׃pu.'AhH6326;

16and he saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, “When you are helping the Hebrewהָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹתha.'iv.ri.YotH5680womenH5680to giveH3205birthH3205and seeוּרְאִיתֶ֖ןu.re.'i.TenH7200themupon the birthstoolהָאָבְנָ֑יִםha.'a.ve.Na.yimH70,ifאִם־'im-H518it is a sonבֵּ֥ןbenH1121,then you shall putH4191him to deathH4191;but ifוְאִם־ve.'im-H518it is a daughterבַּ֥תbatH1323,then she shall liveוָחָֽיָה׃va.Cha.yahH2421.”

17But the midwivesהַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ham.ya.le.DotH3205fearedוַתִּירֶ֤אןָva.ti.Re.naH3372Godהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.HimH430, anddid not doעָשׂ֔וּ'a.SuH6213as the kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Egyptמִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714hadcommandedדִּבֶּ֥רdi.BerH1696them, but let the boysהַיְלָדִֽים׃hay.la.DimH3206liveוַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָva.te.chai.Yei.naH2421.

18So the kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428of Egyptמִצְרַ֙יִם֙mitz.Ra.yimH4714calledוַיִּקְרָ֤אvai.yik.Ra'H7121for the midwivesלַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔תlam.ya.le.DotH3205and saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559to them, “Whyמַדּ֥וּעַma.Du.a'H4069have you doneעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן'a.si.TenH6213thisהַזֶּ֑הha.ZehH2088thingהַדָּבָ֣רha.da.VarH1697,and let the boysהַיְלָדִֽים׃hay.la.DimH3206liveוַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָva.te.chai.Yei.naH2421?”

19The midwivesH3205saidוַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָva.to.Mar.naH559to Pharaohפַּרְעֹ֔הpar.'OhH6547, “BecauseH3588the Hebrewהָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑תha.'iv.ri.YotH5680womenH5680are not as the Egyptianהַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖תha.mitz.ri.YotH4713womenכַנָּשִׁ֛יםkha.na.ShimH802;for they are vigorousחָי֣וֹתcha.YotH2422and giveH3205birthH3205beforeבְּטֶ֨רֶםbe.Te.remH2962the midwifeH3205canH935getH935to them.”

20SoGodאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430was goodוַיֵּ֥יטֶבvai.Yei.tevH3190to the midwivesלַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑תlam.ya.le.DotH3205, andthe peopleהָעָ֛םha.'AmH5971multipliedוַיִּ֧רֶבvai.Yi.revH7235,and becameH6105veryמְאֹֽד׃me.'OdH3966mightyוַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּvai.ya.'atz.MuH6105.

21Becauseכִּֽי־ki-H3588the midwivesהַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖תham.ya.le.DotH3205fearedיָֽרְא֥וּya.re.'UH3372Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430, Heestablishedוַיַּ֥עַשׂvai.Ya.'asH6213householdsבָּתִּֽים׃ba.TimH1004for them.

22Then Pharaohפַּרְעֹ֔הpar.'OhH6547commandedוַיְצַ֣וvay.TzavH6680allלְכָל־le.kholH3605his peopleעַמּ֖וֹa.MoH5971,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559, “Everyכָּל־kol-H3605sonהַבֵּ֣ןha.BenH1121who is bornהַיִּלּ֗וֹדhai.yi.LodH3209you are to castתַּשְׁלִיכֻ֔הוּtash.li.Khu.huH7993intothe Nileהַיְאֹ֙רָה֙hay.'O.rahH2975,and everyוְכָל־ve.kholH3605daughterהַבַּ֖תha.BatH1323you are to keepH2421aliveH2421.”

Israel Multiplies in Egypt

Commentaries on Exodus 1