Exodus 1:11
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So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Increase in the Number of the IsraelitesTheir Bondage in Egypt - Exodus 1 The promise which God gave to Jacob in his departure from Canaan (Gen 46:3) was perfectly fulfilled. The children of Israel settled down in the most fruitful province of the fertile land of Egypt, and grew there into a great nation (Exo 1:1-7). But the words which the Lord had spoken to Abram (Gen 15:13) were also fulfilled in relation to his seed in Egypt. The children of Israel were oppressed in a strange land, were compelled to serve the Egyptians (Exo 1:8-14), and were in great danger of being entirely crushed by them (Exo 1:15-22).
Open source ↗We have here, I. God's kindness to Israel, in multiplying them exceedingly (Exo 1:1-7). II. The Egyptians' wickedness to them, 1. Oppressing and enslaving them (Exo 1:8-14). 2. Murdering their children (Exo 1:15-22). Thus whom the court of heaven blessed the country of Egypt cursed, and for that reason.
Open source ↗1:11 Pithom and Rameses have been identified with the modern cities of Tell el-Maskhutah and Qantir, which archaeology shows to have been built during the Late Bronze period (1550–1250 BC), the same period in which the Israelites were present.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.
But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.
how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,
as well as all the store cities that Solomon had for his chariots and horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion.
He built Tadmor in the wilderness, in addition to all the store cities that he had built in Hamath.
Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?