Êxodo 1

Êxodo 1

Morgan - This book of Exodus takes up the history of the children of Israel, and carries it on from the point where Genesis left it. Its opening word "Now" is exactly equivalent to "And," thus marking the continuity. It has a character all its own. It is the story of how God rooted the national life of this people in His own redeeming love and power. In their days of quiet and prosperity in the land of Goshen, they had never come to national constitution. They were a subject race. The first pages of this book introduce us to them in circumstances of darkness and difficulty. They were now not subjects, merely; they were slaves; and most unjustly and cruelly oppressed and afflicted. The hopes of Jacob and Joseph concerning a going back into their own land seemed to have no chance of realization. They were absolutely powerless, and if simply left to themselves they were positively threatened with extermination. It was to that end that the power of Egypt was working. If there were still any hope in their hearts, it was set on God. This was His hour. In the words we emphasize to-day, we have the first evidence of His presence and His blessing. On the level of the physical, they could not be destroyed, because God had chosen them for the fulfilment of His purposes. The principle is of perpetual application. Every successive age in the history of men has seen it working. The more the forces antagonistic to the will of God operate against the people of God, the more do these people rise and gain strength. It is not persecution, but patronage, that they have most to fear. Exodus 1:13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; BGT Exodus 1:13 καὶ κατεδυνάστευον οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ βίᾳ NET Exodus 1:13 and they made the Israelites serve rigorously. LXE Exodus 1:13 And the Egyptians tyrannised over the children of Israel by force. NLT Exodus 1:13 So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. KJV Exodus 1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: ESV Exodus 1:13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves NIV Exodus 1:13 and worked them ruthlessly. ASV Exodus 1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: CSB Exodus 1:13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly NKJ Exodus 1:13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. NRS Exodus 1:13 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, YLT Exodus 1:13 and the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigour, Exodus 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Subjected to Rigorous Labor WORKING THE HEBREWS RUTHLESSLY The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously - The NLT paraphrase is interesting "So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy." The Septuagint (Lxx) translates the Hebrew (perek) with the verb katadunasteuo (imperfect tense = over and over) which means to oppress or exploit (James 2:6+) This same verb is used by Peter in Acts 10:38+ to describe those "who were oppressed (katadunasteuo in present tense) by the devil." Does this latter use not give us a sense of what Sin and Satan desire to do to our souls (cf 1 Pe 2:11+)?! But note the good news in Acts 10:38 that the oppression of the devil is no match for "Jesus of Nazareth...anointed...with the Holy Spirit and with power." This begs the question - are you daily relying on the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to fight your good fight of faith? Rigorously (06531)(perek) means harshness, severity. It refers to cruelty or the violence which stems from it. 6 uses - rigorously(2), severity(4). Exod. 1:13; Exod. 1:14; Lev. 25:43+; Lev. 25:46+; Lev. 25:53+; Ezek. 34:4 = "with severity you (false shepherds of Israel) have dominated them"