New Living Translation
Exodus 1:11
11So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king.
Exodus 1:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
- New International Version (NIV)So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Context of Exodus 1:11
9He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. 10We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.” So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. 12But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became. 13So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy.
Read all of Exodus 1Exodus 1:11 word by word
וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ עָלָיו֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן עַנֹּת֖וֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיִּ֜בֶן עָרֵ֤י מִסְכְּנוֹת֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה אֶת־פִּתֹ֖ם וְאֶת־רַעַמְסֵֽס׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore they did setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: appointH7760
- over them taskmastersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- over them taskmastersמַסmas mis · taskworkerH4522
- to afflictעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
- them with their burdensסִבְלָהsebâlâh · burdenH5450
- And they builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- for Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- treasureמִסְכְּנוֹתmiskenâh · storageH4543
- citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- Pithomפִּתֹםpithôm · PithomH6619
- and Raamsesרַֽעַמְסֵסra‛mesês ra‛amsês · RaamsesH7486
Cross-references for Exodus 1:11
- Exodus 3:7Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.
- Exodus 5:15So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. “Please don’t treat your servants like this,” they begged.
- Genesis 15:13Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.
- Numbers 20:15Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians.
- Deuteronomy 26:6When the Egyptians oppressed and humiliated us by making us their slaves,
- Exodus 2:11Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews.
- Exodus 5:4Pharaoh replied, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks? Get back to work!
- Psalms 68:13Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures— doves with wings of silver and feathers of gold.
- Psalms 81:6“Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.
- Psalms 105:13They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
- Genesis 47:11So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the region of Rameses—to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded.
- Proverbs 27:4Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous.
Commentaries on Exodus 1:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Set over them task-masters - מסים שרי sarey missim, chiefs or princes of burdens, works, or tribute; , Sept. overseers of the works. The persons who appointed them their work, and exacted the performance of it. The work itself being oppressive, and the manner in which it was exacted still more so, there is some room to think that they not only worked them unmercifully, but also obliged them to pay an exorbitant tribute at the same time. Treasure cities…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Taskmasters - The Egyptian “Chiefs of tributes.” They were men of rank, superintendents of the public works, such as are often represented on Egyptian monuments, and carefully distinguished from the subordinate overseers. The Israelites were employed in forced labor, probably in detachments, but they were not reduced to slavery, properly speaking, nor treated as captives of war. Amosis had special need of such laborers, as proved by the inscriptions…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. 11Archaeologists have identified Pithom and Rameses with the modern cities of Tell el-Maskhutah and Qantir. Ancient remains show people built these cities during the Late Bronze period (1550–1250 BC), when the Israelites were also present.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters--Having first obliged them, it is thought, to pay a ruinous rent and involved them in difficulties, that new government, in pursuance of its oppressive policy, degraded them to the condition of serfs--employing them exactly as the laboring people are in the present day (driven in companies or bands), in rearing the public works, with taskmasters, who anciently had sticks--now whips--to punish the indolent…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 1:11
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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