Exodus

Exodus 1:14–16

¹⁴and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

¹⁵Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ¹⁶“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.”

Read all of Exodus 1

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 1:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and made their lives	חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם	ḥay·yê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
bitter	וַיְמָרְר֨וּ	way·mā·rə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4843 be bitter
with hard	קָשָׁ֗ה	qā·šāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7186 hard, severe
labor	בַּעֲבֹדָ֣ה	ba·‘ă·ḇō·ḏāh	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular	H5656 labour, service
in brick	וּבִלְבֵנִ֔ים	ū·ḇil·ḇê·nîm	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural	H3843 brick, tile
and mortar	בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙	bə·ḥō·mer	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H2563 cement, mortar, clay
and with all kinds	וּבְכָל־	ū·ḇə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
of work	עֲבֹדָ֖ה	‘ă·ḇō·ḏāh	Noun - feminine singular	H5656 labour, service
in the fields	בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה	baś·śā·ḏeh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
Every	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
service	עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם	‘ă·ḇō·ḏā·ṯām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H5656 labour, service
they imposed	עָבְד֥וּ	‘ā·ḇə·ḏū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H5647 work, serve
was harsh	בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃	bə·p̄ā·reḵ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H6531 harshness, severity

Exodus 1:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the king	מֶ֣לֶךְ	me·leḵ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4428 king
of Egypt	מִצְרַ֔יִם	miṣ·ra·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to the Hebrew	הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת	hā·‘iḇ·rî·yōṯ	Article; Noun - proper - feminine plural	H5680 Hebrew
midwives	לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת	lam·yal·lə·ḏōṯ	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
whose	אֲשֶׁ֨ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
names were	שֵׁ֤ם	šêm	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
Shiphrah	שִׁפְרָ֔ה	šip̄·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8236 Shiphrah
and	הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית	haš·šê·nîṯ	Article; Number - ordinal feminine singular	H8145 second
Puah	פּוּעָֽה׃	pū·‘āh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H6326 Puah

Exodus 1:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When you help the Hebrew	הָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹת	hā·‘iḇ·rî·yō·wṯ	Article; Noun - proper - feminine plural	H5680 Hebrew
women give birth	בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙	bə·yal·leḏ·ḵen	Preposition-b; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct; second person feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
observe	וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן	ū·rə·’î·ṯen	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine plural	H7200 see
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the birthstools	הָאָבְנָ֑יִם	hā·’ā·ḇə·nā·yim	Article; Noun - md	H70 wheel, disc
If	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
is a son	בֵּ֥ן	bên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son
kill	וַהֲמִתֶּ֣ן	wa·hă·mit·ten	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine plural	H4191 die
him	אֹת֔וֹ	’ō·ṯōw	Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
but if	וְאִם־	wə·’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
it is	הִ֖יא	hî	Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
a daughter	בַּ֥ת	baṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H1323 daughter
let her live	וָחָֽיָה׃	wā·ḥā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H2421 live

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Exodus 1:14 Acts 7:19 · Numbers 20:15 · Exodus 2:23 · Exodus 6:9 · Psalm 81:6 · Acts 7:34 · Isaiah 58:6

Exodus 1:16 Exodus 1:22

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.