Exodus 1: The new king of Egypt and the Hebrew midwives
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Jacob's family grows into a large people in Egypt. A new king, who did not know Joseph, makes them slaves and tells the Hebrew midwives to kill the baby boys. The midwives fear God and let the boys live, so the king orders every newborn son thrown into the river.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. The king speaks in verses 9 and 10, 16, 18 and 22, and the midwives answer him in verse 19. God does not speak in this chapter. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
In plain English: These are the names of the sons of Israel who went into Egypt with Jacob, each man with his household:
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
In plain English: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
In plain English: Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
In plain English: Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.
In plain English: In all, seventy people (literally: souls) came out of Jacob's body. Joseph was already in Egypt.
The Hebrew word: "Body" is yarek, the word for thigh. "Came out of Jacob's thigh" is a Hebrew way of saying they were his children and descendants.
How it is translated: For yarek this Bible says "thigh" in 18 of its 32 verses, and "body" in 6.
Good to know: also counts seventy for the house of Jacob who came into Egypt.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.
In plain English: Joseph died, and so did all his brothers and everyone of that generation.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
In plain English: The Israelites had many children. They increased greatly, became very many, and grew very strong, and the land was filled with them.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.
In plain English: Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power over Egypt.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
In plain English: He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and stronger than we are.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10Come, let’s 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 escape out of the land.”
In plain English: Come, let's deal wisely with them. Otherwise they may grow in number, and when a war breaks out they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the land."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
In plain English: So the Egyptians put taskmasters over them to weigh them down with heavy labor. The Israelites built the storage cities Pithom and Raamses for Pharaoh.
Good to know: "Pharaoh" is the title of the king of Egypt, not a personal name. The text gives no name and no date for this king, and readers date the events of Exodus in different ways.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.
In plain English: But the harder the Egyptians pressed them, the more the Israelites grew in number and spread out. The Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
In plain English: The Egyptians made the Israelites work for them harshly,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
14and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
In plain English: and made their lives bitter with hard labor: work with mortar and brick, and all kinds of work in the fields. In all this work they made the Israelites serve them harshly.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
15The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
In plain English: The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives (or: the midwives of the Hebrews). One was named Shiphrah and the other Puah.
The Hebrew words: "The Hebrew midwives" is two Hebrew words that can be read two ways: midwives who were Hebrew, or midwives who served the Hebrew women.
What changes: Read the second way, the text would not say whether Shiphrah and Puah were Hebrew or Egyptian.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
16and 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.”
In plain English: He said, "When you help the Hebrew women give birth, and you see them on the birth stool (literally: the two stones), if it is a son, kill him. If it is a daughter, she may live."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
17But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
In plain English: But the midwives feared God. They did not do what the king of Egypt told them to do, and they let the baby boys live.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
18The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”
In plain English: The king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?"
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
In plain English: The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are strong and give birth before the midwife can get to them."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
20God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
In plain English: God was good to the midwives. The people grew in number and became very strong.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
21Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
In plain English: Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families (literally: he made them houses).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
22Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
In plain English: Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Throw every son who is born into the river, but let every daughter live."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.