Exodus 1:14-16

1:14 They made their lives bitter ¹  by ²  hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service ³  in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous. ⁴ 

1:15 The king of Egypt said ⁵  to the Hebrew midwives, ⁶  one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ⁷  1:16 ⁸  “When you assist ⁹  the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery: ¹⁰  If it is a son, kill him, ¹¹  but if it is a daughter, she may live.” ¹² 

Exodus 1:22

1:22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “All sons ¹³  that are born you must throw ¹⁴  into the river, but all daughters you may let live.” ¹⁵ 

Exodus 1:1

Blessing during Bondage in Egypt

1:1 ¹⁶ These ¹⁷  are the names ¹⁸  of the sons of Israel ¹⁹  who entered Egypt – each man with his household ²⁰  entered with Jacob:

Exodus 22:17-19

22:17 If her father refuses to give her to him, he must pay money for the bride price of virgins.

22:18 “You must not allow a sorceress to live. ²¹ 

22:19 “Whoever has sexual relations ²²  with a beast must surely be put to death.

Exodus 22:2

22:2 “If a thief is caught ²³  breaking in ²⁴  and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him. ²⁵ 

Exodus 15:16

15:16 Fear and dread ²⁶  will fall ²⁷  on them;

by the greatness ²⁸  of your arm they will be as still as stone ²⁹ 

until ³⁰  your people pass by, O Lord,

until the people whom you have bought ³¹  pass by.

Exodus 21:16

21:16 “Whoever kidnaps someone ³²  and sells him, ³³  or is caught still holding him, ³⁴  must surely be put to death.

Esther 3:6-10

3:6 But the thought of striking out against ³⁵  Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed ³⁶  of the identity of Mordecai’s people. ³⁷  So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) ³⁸  who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

3:7 In the first month (that is, the month of Nisan), in the twelfth year ³⁹  of King Ahasuerus’ reign, pur ⁴⁰  (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman in order to determine a day and a month. ⁴¹  It turned out to be the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar). ⁴² 

3:8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a particular people ⁴³  that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants ⁴⁴  throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king’s laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them. ⁴⁵  3:9 If the king is so inclined, ⁴⁶  let an edict be issued ⁴⁷  to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver ⁴⁸  to be conveyed to the king’s treasuries for the officials who carry out this business.”

3:10 So the king removed his signet ring ⁴⁹  from his hand and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, who was hostile toward the Jews.

Matthew 2:16

2:16 When Herod ⁵⁰  saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men ⁵¹  to kill all the children in Bethlehem ⁵²  and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

[1:14]  ¹ sn The verb מָרַר (marar) anticipates the introduction of the theme of bitterness in the instructions for the Passover.

[1:14]  ² tn The preposition bet (ב) in this verse has the instrumental use: “by means of” (see GKC 380 §119.o).

[1:14]  ³ tn Heb “and in all service.”

[1:14]  ⁴ tn The line could be more literally translated, “All their service in which they served them [was] with rigor.” This takes the referent of בָּהֶם (bahem) to be the Egyptians. The pronoun may also resume the reference to the kinds of service and so not be needed in English: “All their service in which they served [was] with rigor.”

[1:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “and the king of Egypt said.”

[1:15]  ⁶ sn The word for “midwife” is simply the Piel participle of the verb יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth”). So these were women who assisted in the childbirth process. It seems probable that given the number of the Israelites in the passage, these two women could not have been the only Hebrew midwives, but they may have been over the midwives (Rashi). Moreover, the LXX and Vulgate do not take “Hebrew” as an adjective, but as a genitive after the construct, yielding “midwives of/over the Hebrews.” This leaves open the possibility that these women were not Hebrews. This would solve the question of how the king ever expected Hebrew midwives to kill Hebrew children. And yet, the two women have Hebrew names.

[1:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “who the name of the first [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the second [was] Puah.”

[1:16]  ⁸ tn The verse starts with the verb that began the last verse; to read it again seems redundant. Some versions render it “spoke” in v. 15 and “said” in v. 16. In effect, Pharaoh has been delayed from speaking while the midwives are named.

[1:16]  ⁹ tn The form is the Piel infinitive construct serving in an adverbial clause of time. This clause lays the foundation for the next verb, the Qal perfect with a vav consecutive: “when you assist…then you will observe.” The latter carries an instructional nuance (= the imperfect of instruction), “you are to observe.”

[1:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “at the birthstool” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV), but since this particular item is not especially well known today, the present translation simply states “at the delivery.” Cf. NIV “delivery stool.”

[1:16]  ¹¹ sn The instructions must have been temporary or selective, otherwise the decree from the king would have ended the slave population of Hebrews. It is also possible that the king did not think through this, but simply took steps to limit the population growth. The narrative is not interested in supplying details, only in portraying the king as a wicked fool bent on destroying Israel.

[1:16]  ¹² tn The last form וָחָיָה (vakhaya) in the verse is unusual; rather than behaving as a III-Hey form, it is written as a geminate but without the daghesh forte in pause (GKC 218 §76.i). In the conditional clause, following the parallel instruction (“kill him”), this form should be rendered “she may live” or “let her live.”

[1:22]  ¹³ tn The substantive כֹּל (kol) followed by the article stresses the entirety – “all sons” or “all daughters” – even though the nouns are singular in Hebrew (see GKC 411 §127.b).

[1:22]  ¹⁴ tn The form includes a pronominal suffix that reiterates the object of the verb: “every son…you will throw it.”

[1:22]  ¹⁵ tn The first imperfect has the force of a definite order, but the second, concerning the girls, could also have the nuance of permission, which may fit better. Pharaoh is simply allowing the girls to live.

[1:1]  ¹⁶ sn Chapter 1 introduces the theme of bondage in Egypt and shows the intensifying opposition to the fulfillment of promises given earlier to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The first seven verses announce the theme of Israel’s prosperity in Egypt. The second section (vv. 8-14) reports continued prosperity in the face of deliberate opposition. The third section (vv. 15-21) explains the prosperity as divine favor in spite of Pharaoh’s covert attempts at controlling the population. The final verse records a culmination in the developing tyranny and provides a transition to the next section – Pharaoh commands the open murder of the males. The power of God is revealed in the chapter as the people flourish under the forces of evil. However, by the turn of affairs at the end of the chapter, the reader is left with a question about the power of God – “What can God do?” This is good Hebrew narrative, moving the reader through tension after tension to reveal the sovereign power and majesty of the Lord God, but calling for faith every step of the way. See also D. W. Wicke, “The Literary Structure of Exodus 1:2–2:10,” JSOT 24 (1982): 99-107.

[1:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “now these” or “and these.” The vav (ו) disjunctive marks a new beginning in the narrative begun in Genesis.

[1:1]  ¹⁸ sn The name of the book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible is שְׁמוֹת (shÿmot), the word for “Names,” drawn from the beginning of the book. The inclusion of the names at this point forms a literary connection to the book of Genesis. It indicates that the Israelites living in bondage had retained a knowledge of their ancestry, and with it, a knowledge of God’s promise.

[1:1]  ¹⁹ tn The expression בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (bÿne yisra’el, “sons of Israel”) in most places refers to the nation as a whole and can be translated “Israelites,” although traditionally it has been rendered “the children of Israel” or “the sons of Israel.” Here it refers primarily to the individual sons of the patriarch Israel, for they are named. But the expression is probably also intended to indicate that they are the Israelites (cf. Gen 29:1, “eastern people,” or “easterners,” lit., “sons of the east”).

[1:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “a man and his house.” Since this serves to explain “the sons of Israel,” it has the distributive sense. So while the “sons of Israel” refers to the actual sons of the patriarch, the expression includes their families (cf. NIV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[22:18]  ²¹ sn There still were many who wished to follow pagan beliefs and consort with the dead (see Deut 18:10-11). The sorceress was someone who dealt with drugs or herbs for occult purposes.

[22:19]  ²² tn Heb “lies with.”

[22:2]  ²³ tn Heb “found” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[22:2]  ²⁴ tn The word בַּמַּחְתֶּרֶת (bammakhteret) means “digging through” the walls of a house (usually made of mud bricks). The verb is used only a few times and has the meaning of dig in (as into houses) or row hard (as in Jonah 1:13).

[22:2]  ²⁵ tn The text has “there is not to him bloods.” When the word “blood” is put in the plural, it refers to bloodshed, or the price of blood that is shed, i.e., blood guiltiness.

[15:16]  ²⁶ tn The two words can form a nominal hendiadys, “a dreadful fear,” though most English versions retain the two separate terms.

[15:16]  ²⁷ tn The form is an imperfect.

[15:16]  ²⁸ tn The adjective is in construct form and governs the noun “arm” (“arm” being the anthropomorphic expression for what God did). See GKC 428 §132.c.

[15:16]  ²⁹ sn For a study of the words for fear, see N. Waldman, “A Comparative Note on Exodus 15:14-16,” JQR 66 (1976): 189-92.

[15:16]  ³⁰ tn Clauses beginning with עַד (’ad) express a limit that is not absolute, but only relative, beyond which the action continues (GKC 446-47 §138.g).

[15:16]  ³¹ tn The verb קָנָה (qanah) here is the verb “acquire, purchase,” and probably not the homonym “to create, make” (see Gen 4:1; Deut 32:6; and Prov 8:22).

[21:16]  ³² tn Heb “a stealer of a man,” thus “anyone stealing a man.”

[21:16]  ³³ sn The implication is that it would be an Israelite citizen who was kidnapped and sold to a foreign tribe or country (like Joseph). There was always a market for slaves. The crime would be in forcibly taking the individual away from his home and religion and putting him into bondage or death.

[21:16]  ³⁴ tn Literally “and he is found in his hand” (KJV and ASV both similar), being not yet sold.

[3:6]  ³⁵ tn Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”

[3:6]  ³⁶ tn Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.

[3:6]  ³⁷ tc The entire first half of the verse is not included in the LXX.

[3:6]  ³⁸ tc This parenthetical phrase is not included in the LXX. Some scholars emend the MT reading עַם (’am, “people”) to עִם (’im, “with”), arguing that the phrase is awkwardly placed and syntactically inappropriate. While there is some truth to their complaint, the MT makes sufficient sense to be acceptable here, and is followed by most English versions.

[3:7]  ³⁹ sn This year would be ca. 474 b.c. The reference to first month and twelfth month indicate that about a year had elapsed between this determination and the anticipated execution.

[3:7]  ⁴⁰ tn The term פּוּר (pur, “lot”) is an Akkadian loanword; the narrator therefore explains it for his Hebrew readers (“that is, the lot”). It is from the plural form of this word (i.e., Purim) that the festival celebrating the deliverance of the Jews takes its name (cf. 9:24, 26, 28, 31).

[3:7]  ⁴¹ tc The LXX adds the following words: “in order to destroy in one day the race of Mordecai, and the lot fell on the fourteenth day of the month.” The LXX reading is included by NAB.

[3:7]  ⁴² tn Since v. 7 seems to interrupt the flow of the narrative, many scholars have suggested that it is a late addition to the text. But there is not enough evidence to warrant such a conclusion. Even though its placement is somewhat awkward, the verse supplies to the reader an important piece of chronological information.

[3:8]  ⁴³ tn Heb “one people.” Note the subtle absence at this point of a specific mention of the Jewish people by name.

[3:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “peoples” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “nations”

[3:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “to cause them to rest”; NASB “to let them remain”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “to tolerate them.”

[3:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.”

[3:9]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “let it be written” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “let it be decreed.”

[3:9]  ⁴⁸ sn The enormity of the monetary sum referred to here can be grasped by comparing this amount (10,000 talents of silver) to the annual income of the empire, which according to Herodotus (Histories 3.95) was 14,500 Euboic talents. In other words Haman is offering the king a bribe equal to two-thirds of the royal income. Doubtless this huge sum of money was to come (in large measure) from the anticipated confiscation of Jewish property and assets once the Jews had been destroyed. That such a large sum of money is mentioned may indicate something of the economic standing of the Jewish population in the empire of King Ahasuerus.

[3:10]  ⁴⁹ sn Possessing the king’s signet ring would enable Haman to act with full royal authority. The king’s ring would be used to impress the royal seal on edicts, making them as binding as if the king himself had enacted them.

[2:16]  ⁵⁰ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.

[2:16]  ⁵¹ tn Or “soldiers.”

[2:16]  ⁵² map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.