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The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Chapter 1 -

(Genesis 46:7–27)
1
These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:
2
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
3
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5
Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.
6
When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation,
7
the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.(a)

Oppression by a New King

(Acts 7:15–19)
8
Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph.
9
And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.
10
Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”
11
And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.(b)
12
And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase.
13
And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.
14
And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.
15
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)
16
instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”
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But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.
18
And summoning them, the king said, “What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?”
19
They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”(c)
20
Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.
21
And because the midwives feared God, he built houses for them.(d)
22
Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”

Footnotes

(a)1:7 The word ‘germinantes’ is an example of a participle used as a noun: seedlings.(Conte)
(b)1:11 Of tabernacles:Or, of storehouses.(Challoner)
(c)1:19 The midwives were not lying. The Hebrew women were very hardy and strong, having spent their lives in manual labor and hardship. The Hebrew women also feared that their child would be male and be killed, so they did not call for the midwives, if they could avoid doing so. So, in fact, they did often give birth before the midwives arrived. They also likely had some obstetrical knowledge handed down through their families, because the Hebrew people had strong extended families. So, the statements by the midwives were true. They did not reveal the additional truth that when they were present for the birth, they deliberately helped to preserve the males from death. But they did not lie.(Conte)
(d)1:21 Because the midwives feared God, etc:The midwives were rewarded, not for their lie, which was a venial sin; but for their fear of God, and their humanity: but this reward was only temporal, in building them houses, that is, in establishing and enriching their families.(Challoner)
(Genesis 46:7–27)
1
Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
2
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5
All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.
6
Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.
7
The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Oppression by a New King

(Acts 7:15–19)
8
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.
9
He said to his people, “Behold,(a) the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
10
Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”
11
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
12
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.
13
The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
14
and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
15
The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
16
and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
17
But the midwives feared God,(b) and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
18
The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”
19
The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
20
God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
21
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
22
Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

Footnotes

(a)1:9 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
(b)1:17 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
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