Exodus 1

Ex 1:1-22.

INCREASE OF THE

ISRAELITES.

1. Now these are the names--(See

Ge 46:8-26).

7. children of Israel were fruitful--They were living in a land

where, according to the testimony of an ancient author, mothers

produced three and four sometimes at a birth; and a modern writer

declares "the females in Egypt, as well among the human race as among

animals, surpass all others in fruitfulness." To this natural

circumstance must be added the fulfilment of the promise made to

Abraham.

8. Now there arose up a new king--About sixty years after the

death of Joseph a revolution took place--by which the old dynasty was

overthrown, and upper and lower Egypt were united into one kingdom.

Assuming that the king formerly reigned in Thebes, it is probable that

he would know nothing about the Hebrews; and that, as foreigners and

shepherds, the new government would, from the first, regard them with

dislike and scorn.

9, 10. he said . . . Behold, the . . . children

of Israel are more and mightier than we--They had risen to great

prosperity--as during the lifetime of Joseph and his royal patron, they

had, probably, enjoyed a free grant of the land. Their increase and

prosperity were viewed with jealousy by the new government; and as

Goshen lay between Egypt and Canaan, on the border of which latter

country were a number of warlike tribes, it was perfectly conformable

to the suggestions of worldly policy that they should enslave and

maltreat them, through apprehension of their joining in any invasion by

those foreign rovers. The new king, who neither knew the name nor cared

for the services of Joseph, was either Amosis, or one of his

immediate successors [OSBURN].

11. 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, or spur on the too

languid. All public or royal buildings, in ancient Egypt, were built by

captives; and on some of them was placed an inscription that no free

citizen had been engaged in this servile employment.

they built for Pharaoh treasure cities--These two store-places

were in the land of Goshen; and being situated near a border liable to

invasion, they were fortified cities (compare

2Ch 11:1-12:16).

Pithom (Greek, Patumos), lay on the eastern Pelusiac branch of

the Nile, about twelve Roman miles from Heliopolis; and Raamses, called

Nile and the Bitter Lakes. These two fortified cities were situated,

therefore, in the same valley; and the fortifications, which Pharaoh

commanded to be built around both, had probably the same common object,

of obstructing the entrance into Egypt, which this valley furnished the

enemy from Asia [HENGSTENBERG].

13, 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 time of the Exodus, have been discovered than of any other

period [WILKINSON]. Parties of these brickmakers

are seen depicted on the ancient monuments with "taskmasters," some

standing, others in a sitting posture beside the laborers, with their

uplifted sticks in their hands.

15. the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives--Two only

were spoken to--either they were the heads of a large corporation

[LABORDE], or, by tampering with these two, the

king designed to terrify the rest into secret compliance with his

wishes [CALVIN].

16. if it be a son, then ye shall kill him--Opinions are

divided, however, what was the method of destruction which the king did

recommend. Some think that the "stools" were low seats on which these

obstetric practitioners sat by the bedside of the Hebrew women; and

that, as they might easily discover the sex, so, whenever a boy

appeared, they were to strangle it, unknown to its parents; while

others are of opinion that the "stools" were stone troughs, by the

river side--into which, when the infants were washed, they were to be,

as it were, accidentally dropped.

17. But the midwives feared God--Their faith inspired them with

such courage as to risk their lives, by disobeying the mandate of a

cruel tyrant; but it was blended with weakness, which made them shrink

from speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the

truth.

20, 21. God dealt well with the midwives--This represents God as

rewarding them for telling a lie. This difficulty is wholly removed by

a more correct translation. To "make" or "build up a house" in

Hebrew idiom, means to have a numerous progeny. The passage then

should be rendered thus: "God protected the midwives, and the people

waxed very mighty; and because the midwives feared, the Hebrews grew

and prospered."