These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.1 The total number of people born to Jacob was seventy.2 Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and that whole generation.3 But the Israelites were fruitful4 and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.5 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.6 He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we.7 Come, let us deal shrewdly8 with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ 9 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress10 them with forced labour. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread,11 so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless12 in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labour. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.
The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,13 ‘When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.’14 But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live.15 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?’16 The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.’17 So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.18 And because the midwives feared God,19 he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile,20 but you shall let every girl live.’21
[1] Focus is on the family being carried on via the sons – just like many cultures still today.
[2] A multiple of seven – the complete tribe is in Egypt
[3] Literal use of “generation”. Signifies that the memory of all is gone.
[4] Sign of blessing (and partial fulfillment of the covenant) repeated several times. They are fruitful, as promised, but the land they are in is not the land that was promised.
[5] The author is building up the Israelis while implying the tension to come.
[6] Further shows the memory of camaraderie is gone. Implies that if he had known Joseph, he would still be favorable towards the Hebrews.
[7] Tension is cemented. Paradoxically, the fertility blessing leads to oppression. Ethnic lines were all that was needed to bring division.
[8] Ha – still today, there are those who hide their hateful actions towards other groups behind the language of “dealing shrewdly”.
[9] Uses hypothetical fear-mongering about what they “may” do in order to oppress and mistreat them – again, a tactic still used today. Though self-defense is the excuse, a solidifying of power is clearly the goal. And why is the mere fact that they may leave a defensible threat?
[10] Language of oppression used overtly now. Forced labor and oppression is the remedy for those who work based on fear. This begins to fulfill the prophecy from Genesis 15:13.
[11] Israelites respond nonviolently – God is in control, and so despite their unprivileged position they continue to prosper. The first hints that God is more powerful than persecution are heard. However, this prospering will only build the tension.
[12] “Ruthless” used twice, “bitter”, “hard service”, “field labor”. Ramp up the oppression in order to avoid losing power.
[13] Midwives are named and personalized. Only two midwives for all those people? Almost certainly representative or allegorical.
[14] Evil is multiplied. To the Egyptians, the humanity of the Hebrews is irrelevant.
[15] Command of Pharaoh contrasted with fear of God – despite all of Pharaoh’s power, God is in control. “Life” is clearly a good here. The nonviolent resistance of midwives overcomes all the forces of Pharaoh. Once again, however, it only increases the tension.
[16] They have put themselves in extreme danger.
[17] Both merciful action and lies to those in power are part of their nonviolent resistance. They play off of ethnic fears. Even today, those in power express fear of the “vigorous” child-bearing women of minority races.
[18] The midwives' fear of God, refusal to kill, and protection of the Israeli women has led to blessing from God. Fertility of the Israelis in mentioned for the fifth time in this chapter.
[19] Fear of God praised again.
[20] “The Nile” begins to be given its prominent place.
[21] Unfortunately, the lie about why the babies are surviving has only brought temporary relief. Evil only grows worse in response.
Take-home: Ethnic tensions dominate the story, with a conflict between the fertile oppressed and the fearful oppressor. However, the power dynamic is (unknowingly to all) flipped, for the oppressed are God's people.
[1] Focus is on the family being carried on via the sons – just like many cultures still today.
[2] A multiple of seven – the complete tribe is in Egypt
[3] Literal use of “generation”. Signifies that the memory of all is gone.
[4] Sign of blessing (and partial fulfillment of the covenant) repeated several times. They are fruitful, as promised, but the land they are in is not the land that was promised.
[5] The author is building up the Israelis while implying the tension to come.
[6] Further shows the memory of camaraderie is gone. Implies that if he had known Joseph, he would still be favorable towards the Hebrews.
[7] Tension is cemented. Paradoxically, the fertility blessing leads to oppression. Ethnic lines were all that was needed to bring division.
[8] Ha – still today, there are those who hide their hateful actions towards other groups behind the language of “dealing shrewdly”.
[9] Uses hypothetical fear-mongering about what they “may” do in order to oppress and mistreat them – again, a tactic still used today. Though self-defense is the excuse, a solidifying of power is clearly the goal. And why is the mere fact that they may leave a defensible threat?
[10] Language of oppression used overtly now. Forced labor and oppression is the remedy for those who work based on fear. This begins to fulfill the prophecy from Genesis 15:13.
[11] Israelites respond nonviolently – God is in control, and so despite their unprivileged position they continue to prosper. The first hints that God is more powerful than persecution are heard. However, this prospering will only build the tension.
[12] “Ruthless” used twice, “bitter”, “hard service”, “field labor”. Ramp up the oppression in order to avoid losing power.
[13] Midwives are named and personalized. Only two midwives for all those people? Almost certainly representative or allegorical.
[14] Evil is multiplied. To the Egyptians, the humanity of the Hebrews is irrelevant.
[15] Command of Pharaoh contrasted with fear of God – despite all of Pharaoh’s power, God is in control. “Life” is clearly a good here. The nonviolent resistance of midwives overcomes all the forces of Pharaoh. Once again, however, it only increases the tension.
[16] They have put themselves in extreme danger.
[17] Both merciful action and lies to those in power are part of their nonviolent resistance. They play off of ethnic fears. Even today, those in power express fear of the “vigorous” child-bearing women of minority races.
[18] The midwives' fear of God, refusal to kill, and protection of the Israeli women has led to blessing from God. Fertility of the Israelis in mentioned for the fifth time in this chapter.
[19] Fear of God praised again.
[20] “The Nile” begins to be given its prominent place.
[21] Unfortunately, the lie about why the babies are surviving has only brought temporary relief. Evil only grows worse in response.
Take-home: Ethnic tensions dominate the story, with a conflict between the fertile oppressed and the fearful oppressor. However, the power dynamic is (unknowingly to all) flipped, for the oppressed are God's people.
