Exodus Chapter 1

From The Open Bible Project

1:1 ^a Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):

The Argument - After Jacob by God's commandment in Ge 46:3 had brought his family into Egypt, where they remained for four hundred years, and from seventy people grew to an infinite number so that the king and the country endeavoured both by tyranny and cruel slavery to suppress them: the Lord according to his promise in Ge 15:14 had compassion on his Church, and delivered them, but plagued their enemies in most strange and varied ways. The more the tyranny of the wicked raged against his Church, the more his heavy judgments increased against them, till Pharaoh and his army were drowned in the sea, which gave an entry and passage to the children of God. As the ingratitude of man is great, so they immediately forgot God's wonderful benefits and although he had given them the Passover as a sign and memorial of the same, yet they fell to distrust, and tempted God with various complaining and grudging against him and his ministers: sometimes out of ambition, sometimes lack of drink or meat to satisfy their lusts, sometimes idolatry, or such like. For this reason, God punished them with severe rods and plagues, that by his correction they might turn to him for help against his scourges, and earnestly repent for their rebellion and wickedness. Because God loves them to the end, whom he has once begun to love, he punished them not as they deserved, but dealt with them mercifully, and with new benefits laboured to overcome their malice: for he still governed them and gave them his word and Law, both concerning the way to serve him, and also the form of judgments and civil policy: with the intent that they would not serve God after as they pleased, but according to the order, that his heavenly wisdom had appointed.

(a) Moses describes the wonderful order that God observes in performing his promise to Abraham; Genesis 15:14.

1:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

1:3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

1:4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

1:5 All the souls who came out of Jacob's body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.

1:6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.

1:7 The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the ^b land was filled with them.

(b) He means the country of Goshen.

1:8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn't ^c know Joseph.

1:9 He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.

1:10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and ^d escape out of the land."

(d) Into Canaan, and so we shall lose our conveniences.

1:11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. ^e They were grieved because of the children of Israel.

(e) The more God blesses his own, the more the wicked envy them.

1:13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,

1:14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.

1:15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was ^f Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,

(f) These seem to have been the main of the rest.

1:16 and he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."

1:17 But the midwives feared [1] God, [See Exodus Footnotes 1] and didn't do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.

1:18 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?"

1:19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew ^g women aren't like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them."