MPV Commentary

1. These are the names of the Israelites who came to Egypt (see Genesis 46:8-26).

7. The children of Israel were fruitful and multiplied in a land where women often gave birth to three or four children at a time. This was due not only to the natural fertility of the Egyptian women but also to the fulfillment of God's promise made to Abraham.

8. About sixty years after Joseph's death, a new king came to power in Egypt. He overthrew the old dynasty and united upper and lower Egypt into one kingdom. It is likely that this king was unfamiliar with the Hebrews and their history, and as foreigners and shepherds, they were viewed with disdain by the new government.

9-10. The new king said, "Look, the children of Israel are more numerous than we are! They have become stronger than us!" This statement reflects the jealousy and fear that motivated the Egyptians to enslave and mistreat the Hebrews. As Goshen lay on the border between Egypt and Canaan, the Egyptians were concerned that the Hebrews might join forces with the warlike tribes in Canaan.

11. Therefore, they appointed taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. The taskmasters were responsible for overseeing the construction of public works, such as buildings and fortifications, using the Hebrews as slave laborers. This was a common practice in ancient Egypt, where captives were used to build royal structures.

12. They built two fortified cities, Pithom and Raamses, in the land of Goshen. These cities were situated near the border with Canaan and were designed to protect Egypt from invasion. The fortifications around these cities were intended to obstruct the entrance into Egypt from Asia.

13-14. The Egyptians made the lives of the Hebrews bitter by forcing them to work with mortar and brick. Brick-making was a common practice in ancient Egypt, where crude bricks were baked in the sun for use in building public and private structures. The taskmasters oversaw the laborers, using sticks or whips to punish those who were slow or reluctant.

15. The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, instructing them to kill any male children they delivered. However, opinions are divided on how this was to be done, with some suggesting that the midwives were to strangle the boys at birth and others proposing that they were to accidentally drop the infants into stone troughs by the river.

16. The midwives feared God and refused to carry out the king's orders. They risked their lives by disobeying a cruel tyrant, but their faith was mixed with weakness, causing them to hesitate in speaking the truth.

20-21. God dealt well with the midwives, protecting them from harm and allowing the Hebrew people to grow and prosper. This passage can be understood as saying that God rewarded the midwives for their courage by blessing the Hebrews with a large family.