Exodus 1

Exodus · Chapter 1

Exodus 1:16

1Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.6And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.9And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:10Come 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.11Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:14And 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.15And 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:16And 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.17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.18And 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?19And 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.20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
16And 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.“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

when assist as midwife youבְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙be-ya-led-KHENH3205
to beget

יָלַד (ya.lad) 1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bear, bring forth 1a1a) of child birth 1a1b) of distress (simile) 1a1c) of wicked (behaviour) 1a2) to beget 1b) (Niphal) to be born 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cause or help to bring forth 1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife 1c3) midwife (participle) 1d) (Pual) to be born 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to beget (a child) 1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity) 1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive) 1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

the Hebrew [women]הָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹתha-'iv-ri-YOTH5680
Hebrew

עִבְרִי (iv.ri) Someone descended from Heber (H2268)(?), first mentioned at Gen.14.13 Also named: Hebraios (Ἑβραῖος "Hebrew" G1445) § Hebrew = "one from beyond" n pr 1) a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites adj 2) a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites

and you will lookוּרְאִיתֶ֖ןu-re-'i-TENH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

atעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

the stonesהָאָבְנָ֑יִםha-'a-ve-NA-yimH0070
wheel

אֹבֶן (o.ven) 1) wheel, disc 1a) potter's wheel 1b) bearing-stool, midwife's stool

ifאִם־'im-H0518A
if

אִם (im) : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

[is] a sonבֵּ֥ןbenH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

heהוּא֙hu'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

and you will killוַהֲמִתֶּ֣ןva-ha-mi-TENH4191
to die

מוּת (mut) 1) to die, kill, have one executed 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to die 1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death 1a3) to die, perish (of a nation) 1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct) 1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch 1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be killed, be put to death 1d1a) to die prematurely

and ifוְאִם־ve-'im-H0518A
if

אִם (im) : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

[is] a daughterבַּ֥תbatH1323G
daughter

בַּת (bat) : daughter 1) daughter 1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin 1a1) as polite address 1a2) as designation of women of a particular place 2) young women, women 1a3) as personification 1a4) daughter-villages 1a5) description of character Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)

sheהִ֖יאhi'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

and she will liveוָחָֽיָה׃va-CHA-yahH2421
to live

חֲיָא (cha.ya) 1) to live 1a) (P'al) to live 1b) (Aphel) to let live, keep alive

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.