Exodus 1

The Israelites are enslaved in Egypt and God chooses Moses to lead them out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. Moses is initially hesitant, but God gives him signs to perform in order to convince the Israelites and the Pharaoh that he is their leader.

Exodus, 1

22
verses
2
min

Bible version

The Birth of Moses

1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which 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 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Commentary

Exodus chapter 1 is the beginning of the book of Exodus, which is the second book of the Bible. It tells the story of the Israelites, who were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. The chapter begins with a genealogy of the Israelites, tracing their lineage back to Jacob, who was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. This genealogy is important because it establishes the Israelites as a distinct people with a shared history and identity. The chapter then goes on to describe the oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians. The Pharaoh orders the midwives to kill all the male babies born to the Israelites, but the midwives disobey and save the babies. This act of disobedience is significant because it shows that the Israelites are willing to stand up for themselves and resist the oppressive rule of the Pharaoh. The chapter ends with the Pharaoh ordering all the Israelites to be enslaved and forced to build cities for him. This is a turning point in the story, as it marks the beginning of the Israelites’ enslavement and the start of their journey to freedom. Overall, Exodus chapter 1 is an important chapter in the Bible, as it sets the stage for the rest of the book. It establishes the Israelites as a distinct people with a shared history and identity, and it shows their willingness to stand up for themselves and resist oppression. It also marks the beginning of their journey to freedom, which will be the focus of the rest of the book.

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FAQ

Assuming a reader with an average reading speed of 300 WPM reads the Exodus, chapter 1 it would take approximately 2 minutes to finish.

There are 22 verses in Exodus, chapter 1.