New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Exodus 1
1
Here are the names of Israel's children who went to Egypt with Jacob. Each one went with his family.
2
Jacob's sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 35:22
3
Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
4
Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5
The total number of Jacob's children and grandchildren was 70. Joseph was already in Egypt.
Reference
6
Joseph and all of his brothers died. So did all of their children.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 50:26
7
The people of Israel had many children. They greatly increased their numbers. There were so many of them that they filled the land.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 46:3
Deuteronomy 26:5
Genesis 12:2
Genesis 9:1
Genesis 35:11
Nehemiah 9:23
Genesis 48:4
Genesis 17:16
Genesis 1:28
References Israel
Genesis 47:27
8
Then a new king came to power in Egypt. He didn't know anything about Joseph.
Reference
Kingdom
Acts 7:18
9
"Look," he said to his people. "The Israelites are far too many for us.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ecclesiastes 4:4
10
Come. We must deal with them carefully. If we don't, they will increase their numbers even more. Then if war breaks out, they'll join our enemies. They'll fight against us and leave the country."
Reference
11
So the Egyptians put slave drivers over the people of Israel. The slave drivers beat them down and made them work hard. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses so Pharaoh could store things there.
Reference
📍 Locations
People
12
But the more the slave drivers beat them down, the more the Israelites increased their numbers and spread out. So the Egyptians became afraid of them.
Reference
13
They made them work hard. They didn't show them any pity.
14
They made them suffer with hard labor. They forced them to work with bricks and mud. And they made them do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians didn't show them any pity at all. They made them work very hard.
Reference
15
There were two Hebrew women named Shiphrah and Puah. They helped other women who were having babies. The king of Egypt spoke to them. He said,
People
16
"You are the ones who help the other Hebrew women. Watch them when they get into a sitting position to have their babies. Kill the boys. Let the girls live."
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 1:22
17
But Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. They didn't do what the king of Egypt had told them to do. They let the boys live.
Reference
Kingdom
Daniel 6:13
Parallel theme
Matthew 10:28
Luke 12:5
Proverbs 16:6
Psalm 31:19
References God
Acts 5:29
Exodus 1:21
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Genesis 42:18
18
Then the king of Egypt sent for the women. He asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"
Reference
Kingdom
Ecclesiastes 8:4
19
The women answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt. They are strong. They have their babies before we get there."
20
So God was kind to Shiphrah and Puah. And the people of Israel increased their numbers more and more.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 3:10
Proverbs 11:18
Psalm 111:5
Psalm 103:11
Psalm 145:19
Psalm 85:9
Proverbs 19:17
References God
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Hebrews 6:10
Psalm 61:5
21
Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. So he gave them families of their own.
Reference
Creation
1 Kings 2:24
Parallel theme
1 Kings 11:38
1 Samuel 2:35
Psalm 37:3
1 Samuel 25:28
Psalm 127:1
References God
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Summary of Exodus 1
Exodus chapter one narrates the events that happened long after the last word of Genesis. There is a significant number of events that happened to the Israelites that transformed them from a family that went to Egypt with Jacob to the entire nation.
The first verse of the chapter briefly recites the names of the sons of Jacob that went to Egypt with their father. However, the following verses tell the story at a much faster pace. The Torah narrates that Joseph, his brothers, and the whole nation that went with them died, but the Israelites continued to multiply and increase significantly.
This paragraph also marks the first conflict with the local authorities. The Pharaoh, who ruled Egypt at that time, does not seem to be familiar with Joseph and his contributions to Egypt’s welfare. This sentence is crucial since it sets the motive for the persecution of the Israelites in Egypt.
The Pharaoh starts to fear the Israelites because they are numerous, and he feels threatened by them. This feeling is shared among many rulers because the Pharaoh reasons that in case of war, the Israelites will side with their allies and betray Egypt, and their entire nation will leave the country with all the riches.
This assumption shows that the Pharaoh was not entirely correct in his assumptions regarding the Israelite’s intentions. However, the ruler only sees his security threatened and does not base his actions on facts.
The Pharaoh’s solution to this perceived threat was to place slaves’ masters over the Israelites and to make them perform hard labor. Moreover, the oppression of the Israelites was designed to make them construct store cities for the Pharaoh, namely Pithom and Rameses.
Nevertheless, the oppression only caused the children of Israel to multiply and spread across Egypt. The more the Israelites were mistreated, the more numerous they became.
The authorities of Egypt soon realized that the situation was losing control. This prompted the Egyptians to take even stronger measures to stop the Israelites from increasing. The Torah describes that the Israelites were forced to work with bricks, field labor, and all other hard manual tasks.
The oppression of the Israelites reaches its peak when the Egyptians grow so afraid of the nation that they do not even want them to live. This factor, along with the previous three reasons, becomes the primary motivation for taking even stronger measures to control the Israelites.
The Pharaoh then orders the midwives of the Hebrews, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all the newborn Israelite males by watching them during their delivery. When they refuse to obey this order, the Pharaoh threatens them with capital punishment. However, the women reply that they cannot do this because they fear God more than the king and that the Hebrew women are strong and do not need assistance during childbirth.
These two midwives show remarkable courage by openly refusing the order from the king. Moreover, their response shows wisdom and wit since they do not try to deny the obvious facts that the Hebrew women do not need help during childbirth and that they continue to have children.
The Pharaoh summoned the midwives and asked them why the Israelites continued to have children. He was apparently not satisfied with their answer that Hebrew women were vigorous. However, the Pharaoh had no evidence to support his suspicion that the midwives had deliberately saved the Israelite children.
The Torah records that God rewarded the women for their bravery and their fear of Him by making them each have a household of their own. The God of Israel showed mercy to the midwives and allowed them to continue to serve their people.
The Israelites continued to thrive and grow despite all the hardships and oppression. Pharaoh then issued an order to all the Egyptians to throw all the newborn Israelite males into the river. All the Israelites that were born were to be killed, but all the Israelite females were to be spared.
The chapter ends on a tragic note as the newborn sons of the Israelites are being killed. It also shows that the Pharaoh lost all patience and went as far as he could to try to get rid of the Israelites by turning to all of Egypt.
Exodus chapter one provides background information for almost the entire Book of Exodus. It presents the Israelites as a vulnerable nation that is at the mercy of the Egyptians and is being persecuted.
However, there are also elements that show that the Israelites will be victorious in the end. The persecution only makes them stronger. In fact, one of the most remarkable acts of resistance occurs when the midwives refuse to follow the orders of the Pharaoh.
Their bravery and devotion to their people and God is praiseworthy, and their resistance serves as a foreshadowing that there will be more trials and tribulations for the Israelites in Egypt. This bravery also foreshadows that the child that will be born in the next chapter will indeed unite the entire Israelite nation and will lead it to victory in the upcoming confrontation with Egypt.
The first verse of the chapter briefly recites the names of the sons of Jacob that went to Egypt with their father. However, the following verses tell the story at a much faster pace. The Torah narrates that Joseph, his brothers, and the whole nation that went with them died, but the Israelites continued to multiply and increase significantly.
This paragraph also marks the first conflict with the local authorities. The Pharaoh, who ruled Egypt at that time, does not seem to be familiar with Joseph and his contributions to Egypt’s welfare. This sentence is crucial since it sets the motive for the persecution of the Israelites in Egypt.
The Pharaoh starts to fear the Israelites because they are numerous, and he feels threatened by them. This feeling is shared among many rulers because the Pharaoh reasons that in case of war, the Israelites will side with their allies and betray Egypt, and their entire nation will leave the country with all the riches.
This assumption shows that the Pharaoh was not entirely correct in his assumptions regarding the Israelite’s intentions. However, the ruler only sees his security threatened and does not base his actions on facts.
The Pharaoh’s solution to this perceived threat was to place slaves’ masters over the Israelites and to make them perform hard labor. Moreover, the oppression of the Israelites was designed to make them construct store cities for the Pharaoh, namely Pithom and Rameses.
Nevertheless, the oppression only caused the children of Israel to multiply and spread across Egypt. The more the Israelites were mistreated, the more numerous they became.
The authorities of Egypt soon realized that the situation was losing control. This prompted the Egyptians to take even stronger measures to stop the Israelites from increasing. The Torah describes that the Israelites were forced to work with bricks, field labor, and all other hard manual tasks.
The oppression of the Israelites reaches its peak when the Egyptians grow so afraid of the nation that they do not even want them to live. This factor, along with the previous three reasons, becomes the primary motivation for taking even stronger measures to control the Israelites.
The Pharaoh then orders the midwives of the Hebrews, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all the newborn Israelite males by watching them during their delivery. When they refuse to obey this order, the Pharaoh threatens them with capital punishment. However, the women reply that they cannot do this because they fear God more than the king and that the Hebrew women are strong and do not need assistance during childbirth.
These two midwives show remarkable courage by openly refusing the order from the king. Moreover, their response shows wisdom and wit since they do not try to deny the obvious facts that the Hebrew women do not need help during childbirth and that they continue to have children.
The Pharaoh summoned the midwives and asked them why the Israelites continued to have children. He was apparently not satisfied with their answer that Hebrew women were vigorous. However, the Pharaoh had no evidence to support his suspicion that the midwives had deliberately saved the Israelite children.
The Torah records that God rewarded the women for their bravery and their fear of Him by making them each have a household of their own. The God of Israel showed mercy to the midwives and allowed them to continue to serve their people.
The Israelites continued to thrive and grow despite all the hardships and oppression. Pharaoh then issued an order to all the Egyptians to throw all the newborn Israelite males into the river. All the Israelites that were born were to be killed, but all the Israelite females were to be spared.
The chapter ends on a tragic note as the newborn sons of the Israelites are being killed. It also shows that the Pharaoh lost all patience and went as far as he could to try to get rid of the Israelites by turning to all of Egypt.
Exodus chapter one provides background information for almost the entire Book of Exodus. It presents the Israelites as a vulnerable nation that is at the mercy of the Egyptians and is being persecuted.
However, there are also elements that show that the Israelites will be victorious in the end. The persecution only makes them stronger. In fact, one of the most remarkable acts of resistance occurs when the midwives refuse to follow the orders of the Pharaoh.
Their bravery and devotion to their people and God is praiseworthy, and their resistance serves as a foreshadowing that there will be more trials and tribulations for the Israelites in Egypt. This bravery also foreshadows that the child that will be born in the next chapter will indeed unite the entire Israelite nation and will lead it to victory in the upcoming confrontation with Egypt.