Tree of Life Version
Exodus 1:14
14and made their lives bitter with hard labor with mortar and brick, doing all sorts of work in the fields. In all their labors they worked them with cruelty.
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 afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread. So the Egyptians dreaded the presence of Bnei-Yisrael. 13They worked them harshly, and made their lives bitter with hard labor with mortar and brick, doing all sorts of work in the fields. In all their labors they worked them with cruelty. 15Moreover the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16and said, “When you help the Hebrew women during childbirth, look at the sex. If it’s a son, then 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 2:23Now it came about over the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. Bnei-Yisrael groaned because of their slavery. They cried out and their cry from slavery went up to God.
- Exodus 6:9Moses spoke this way to Bnei-Yisrael, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and cruel bondage.
- Genesis 15:13Then He said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years.
- Numbers 20:15Our forefathers went down to Egypt, so we lived there for a very long time. The Egyptians mistreated us, and our fathers.
- Deuteronomy 4:20But you, Adonai has taken, and He brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt to be a people for His own inheritance, as you are this day.
- Deuteronomy 26:6The Egyptians treated us badly, afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us.
- Ruth 1:20“Do not call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara—since Shaddai has made my life bitter.
- Acts 7:19Dealing with our people with cruel cunning, this king mistreated our fathers and forced them to abandon their infants so they would not survive.
- Psalms 68:13“Kings of armies, flee, flee!” She who stays at home divides the spoil.
- Psalms 81:6He set it up as a testimony in Joseph, when He went throughout the land of Egypt, I heard a language I did not understand.
- Nahum 3:14Draw water for a siege. Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the mud and tread mortar. Take hold of the brick mold.
- Exodus 1:13They worked them harshly,
- Exodus 5:7“You are not to give the people any more straw to make bricks, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
- Exodus 20:2“I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
- Leviticus 25:43You are not to rule over him with harshness, but fear your God.
- Isaiah 14:6which struck the people in wrath with continual strokes, which ruled the nations in fury, 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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