Exodus 1:9

_AND HE SAID UNTO HIS PEOPLE, BEHOLD, THE PEOPLE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE MORE AND MIGHTIER THAN WE:_ Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Let the Hebrews have multiplied at ever so rapid a rate of increase, it cannot be supposed that, within so brief a period as a century, they would have been capable of matching, much less of overpowering, the whole military forces of Egypt; and therefore, since they are represented as 'more and mightier than the native population,' it must be borne in mind, that the kingdom within which their settlement lay was confined to the narrow limits of the Delta. Assuming the correctness of the third opinion mentioned above, namely, that Rameses II was the "new king," it may be stated briefly, that the kingdom of Lower Egypt had, in the course of time, become greatly reduced and weakened by internal disorders, arisi...

9._And he said unto his people. _That is to say, in a public assembly, such as kings are wont to hold for consultation on public affairs. As if Moses had said that this point was proposed by the king for deliberation by his estates; viz., that because it was to be apprehended that the Israelites, trusting in their multitude and strength, might rise in rebellion, or might take advantage of any public disturbance to shake off the yoke and to leave Egypt, they should be anticipated, and afflicted with heavy burdens, to prevent their making any such attempt. This Pharaoh calls (13) “dealing wisely with them;” for though the word חכם, _chakam_, is often taken, in a bad sense, to mean “to overreach with cunning,” still in this case he concealed under an honest pretext the injury which he proposed to do them, alleging that prudent advice should be taken lest the Egyptians migh

8-14 The land of Egypt became to Israel a house of bondage. The place where we have been happy, may soon become the place of our affliction; and that may prove the greatest cross to us, of which we said, This same shall comfort us. Cease from man, and say not of any place on this side heaven, This is my rest. All that knew Joseph, loved him, and were kind to his brethren for his sake; but the best and most useful services a man does to others, are soon forgotten after his death. Our great care should be, to serve God, and to please him who is not unrighteous, whatever men are, to forget our work and labour of love. The offence of Israel is, that he prospers. There is no sight more hateful to a wicked man than the prosperity of the righteous. The Egyptians feared lest the children of Israel should join their enemies, and get them up out of the land. Wickedness is ever cowardly and unjust...

Verse Exodus 1:9. _HE SAID UNTO HIS PEOPLE_] He probably summoned a council of his nobles and elders to consider the subject; and the result was to persecute and destroy them, as is afterwards stated....

EXPOSITION EXODUS 1:7-2 Here the real narrative of Exodus begins. The history of the Israelites from and after the death of Joseph is entered on. The first point touched is THEIR RAPID MULTIPLICATION. The next their falling under the dominion of a NEW KING. The third, HIS MODE OF ACTION UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. It is remarkable that the narrative contains no notes of time. How long the increase continued before the new king arose, how long it went on before he noticed it, how long the attempt was made to cheek it by mere severity of labour, we are not told. Some considerable duration of time is implied, both for the multiplication (verse 7) and for the oppression (verse 11-14); but the narrator is so absorbed in the matters which he has to communicate that the question what time these matters occupied does

AND HE SAID UNTO HIS PEOPLE,.... His princes, nobles, and courtiers about him, his principal ministers of state: BEHOLD, THE PEOPLE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE MORE AND MIGHTIER THAN WE: which could not be true in fact, but is said to stir up his nobles to attend to what he was about to say, and to work upon them to take some speedy measures for the crushing of this people; for that they were more in number, and mightier in power and wealth than the Egyptians, it was impossible; and indeed it may seem strange, that the king should tell such an untruth, which might be so easily contradicted by his courtiers; though the words will bear to be otherwise rendered, as that "the children of Israel are many" o; as they were very greatly multiplied, and became very numerous; and they might be "mightier", that is, more robust and strong, and fitter for war than the Egyptians, and therefore, wer...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCE OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE EGYPTIANS 1. The House of Bondage CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The names of the children of Israel; their increase (Exodus 1:1)_ 2. The new king and his policy (Exodus 1:8) 3. The continued increase (Exodus 1:12) 4. Their hard bondage (Exodus 1:13) 5. The midwives commanded (Exodus 1:15) 6. Their disobedience and God's reward (Exodus 1:17) 7. Pharaoh's charg

EXODUS 1:8 J, EXODUS 1:13 P, EXODUS 1:14 A ( TO FIELD) J, EXODUS 1:14 B P. REPRESSION OF ISRAEL. Forced labour was the first device for checking Hebrew increase. The new king is probably Rameses II (1300- 1221 B.C., pp. 56, 63, so Petrie). The phrase has no reference to a change of dynasty, as some have supposed, but to the beginning of an epoch affecting Israel. In Exodus 1:9 read _mg.;_ to represent Israel as stronger than the Egyptians would have been absurd, but such a people might easily grow too strong for their dependent position and clo

HE SAID UNTO HIS PEOPLE. He probably summoned. council of his chief supporters, nobles and elders, communicated his views and secured their ratification of the policy he proposed. Brought up in Upper Egypt, he probably knew little before of the Israelites, and when he found this large body of foreigners he regarded them dangerous....

HE SAID UNTO HIS PEOPLE, &C.— i.e. to his council, composed of the principal people of his land. We must either understand the king here in an hyperbolical sense, or as uttering the language of fear, which, indeed, the word _wisely, let us deal wisely,_ seems to insinuate; or else, as there is no verb in the Hebrew, we must supply the verb _will be_ instead of _are: The children of Israel_ will be _more and mightier than we;_ therefore, _come on,_ (Exodus 1:10.) _let us_ do so and so....