Exodus 1

1 These [specific, particular] are the names [identities, reputations] of the sons [descendants, male children] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants, the chosen people] who went [came, traveled] to Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] with Jacob [the patriarch, Israel], each with his family [household, relatives, every man and his household]: word study 2 Reuben [the firstborn son, first in rank], Simeon [hearing, one who hears], Levi [joined, attached to God], and Judah [praise, one who offers praise]; word study 3 Issachar [the recompensed one], Zebulun [exalted, honored], and Benjamin [son of the right hand, favored]; word study 4 Dan [a son of Jacob, the founder of a tribe] and Naphtali [born to Bilhah, Rachel’s servant]; Gad [the seventh son of Jacob] and Asher [the eighth son, one of the twelve tribes]. word study 5 The descendants [offspring, sons and daughters] of Jacob [the father of the Israelites] numbered seventy [seventy souls, a total of 70] in all, including [counting, with the addition of] Joseph [Jehovah has added], who was already [previously, before they arrived] in Egypt [the land of the Nile, a country in northeastern Africa]. word study 6 Now Joseph [the son of Jacob, whose name means Jehovah has added] and all [every single one of] his brothers [male siblings, close relatives, or friends] and all [the entire, complete] that generation [a period of time, a group of people living at the same time] died [came to an end, passed away], word study 7 but the Israelites [children of Jacob, descendants of Israel] were fruitful [to be productive, bearing spiritual fruit] and increased rapidly [multiplied abundantly]; they multiplied [grew in number, became numerous] and became exceedingly [very, greatly] numerous, so that the land [earth, territory] was filled [made full, completed] with them. word study 8 Then a new [recently established, fresh] king, who did not [lacking knowledge of, unaware] know Joseph [Jehovah has added, a leader], came to power [rose to authority, ascended to the throne] in Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa, a place of refuge]. word study 9 “Look [behold, see],” he said to his people [nation, Amaw], “the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] have become too numerous [many] and too powerful [mighty, strong] for us [more than we, mightier than we]. word study 10 Come, let us deal [wisely, with prudent foresight] shrewdly [with cunning, outsmarting them] with them, or they will increase [multiply, become even more numerous] even more; and if a war [battle, conflict] breaks out, they may join [unite, ally themselves] our enemies [those who hate us], fight [engage in combat, wage war] against us, and leave [depart, ascend from] the country [land, territory]. ” word study 11 So the Egyptians appointed [set over them, put in charge] taskmasters [rulers, princes of tribute] over the Israelites [to afflict them, oppress them] to oppress them with [force them into, compel them to] forced labor [burdens, compulsory service]. As a result, they built [constructed, established] Pithom [city of Egypt, treasure city] and Rameses [store city, city of the sun] as [for the purpose of, to serve as] store cities [cities of treasure, supply houses] for Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, the ruler]. word study 12 But the more they were oppressed [afflicted, mistreated], the more they multiplied [increased, grew] and flourished [spread out, broke through]; so the Egyptians came to dread [loathe, be grieved because of] the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob]. word study 13 They worked the Israelites [with cruelty, by forcing them into harsh labor] ruthlessly [with severity, rigor, and brutality] word study 14 and made their lives bitter [with intense emotion] with hard labor [in severe bondage, with rigor] in brick [clay blocks, building materials] and mortar, and with all kinds [every type, various] of work in the fields [agricultural lands, cultivated areas]. Every service [task, duty] they imposed [laid upon, forced] was harsh [cruel, with severity]. word study 15 Then the king [ruler, monarch] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] said to the Hebrew [a descendant of Eber, an Israelite] midwives [women who assist in childbirth], whose names [identities, designations] were Shiphrah [fair, beautiful] and Puah [one who breathes or speaks, a speaker], word study 16 “When you help [assist, act as a midwife to] the Hebrew [a descendant of Eber] women give birth [beget, bring forth a child], observe [see, look after] them on the birthstools [a midwife’s stool, a place of childbirth]. If the child is a son [a male child, a boy], kill him [put him to death, destroy him]; but if it is a daughter [a female child, a girl], let her live [have life, stay alive, survive].” word study 17 The midwives [fearing and revering], however, feared [stood in awe of] God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] and did not do as the king [ruler, monarch] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] had instructed [commanded, spoken to]; they let the boys [male children, youth] live [have life, be preserved]. word study 18 So the king [ruler, monarch] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] summoned [called out to, commanded] the midwives [those who assist in childbirth, deliverers] and asked them, “Why [for what reason, on what account] have you done [made, performed] this [thing, action]? Why [for what purpose, how] have you let [allowed, permitted] the boys [male children, young males] live [survive, remain alive]?” word study 19 The midwives [healers, attendants] answered Pharaoh [the king of Egypt], “The Hebrew [a descendant of Eber] women are not like the Egyptian [from the land of Egypt] women, for they are [by nature] vigorous [full of life, strong] and give birth [beget, bring forth] before a midwife [one who assists in childbirth] arrives [comes, approaches].” word study 20 So God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] was good [pleasing, joyful, or favorable] to the midwives [those who assist in childbirth], and the people [a nation, or a large group of individuals] multiplied [increased, or grew in number] and became even more numerous [very mighty, or exceedingly strong]. word study 21 And because the midwives [revered, stood in awe of] feared God [Elohim, the one supreme God], He gave them [made for them, enabled them to have] families [households, descendants] of their own [as a reward, a blessing]. word study 22 Then Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] commanded [to give orders, to appoint] all his people: “Every son [a male child, a descendant] born [to be born, to come into existence] to the Hebrews [the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people] you must throw [to cast away, to discard] into the Nile [a river, a watercourse], but every daughter [a female child, a woman] you may allow [to permit, to let live] to live [to have life, to survive].” word study