Exodus

Exodus 1:9–12

⁹“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. ¹⁰Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.^b”

¹¹So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. ¹²But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

Footnotes

b 1:10 Or and take the country

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 1:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Look	הִנֵּ֗ה	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
he said	וַיֹּ֖אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
his people	עַמּ֑וֹ	‘am·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5971 people
the Israelites	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
too numerous	רַ֥ב	raḇ	Adjective - masculine singular	H7227 much, many, great
and too powerful	וְעָצ֖וּם	wə·‘ā·ṣūm	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H6099 mighty, numerous
for us	מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃	mim·men·nū	Preposition; first person common plural	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

Exodus 1:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Come	הָ֥בָה	hā·ḇāh	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3051 give
let us deal shrewdly	נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה	niṯ·ḥak·kə·māh	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H2449 be wise
with them	ל֑וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
or	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
they will increase even more	יִרְבֶּ֗ה	yir·beh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
and if	וְהָיָ֞ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a war	מִלְחָמָה֙	mil·ḥā·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H4421 battle, war
breaks out	תִקְרֶ֤אנָה	ṯiq·re·nāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural	H7122 encounter, befall
they	הוּא֙	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
may join	וְנוֹסַ֤ף	wə·nō·w·sap̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3254 add
our enemies	שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ	śō·nə·’ê·nū	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H8130 hate
fight	וְנִלְחַם־	wə·nil·ḥam-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3898 fight, do battle
against us	בָּ֖נוּ	bā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
and leave	וְעָלָ֥ה	wə·‘ā·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
the country	הָאָֽרֶץ׃	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land

Exodus 1:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ	way·yā·śî·mū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7760 put, place, set
taskmasters	שָׂרֵ֣י	śā·rê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
over	עָלָיו֙	‘ā·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5921 height
the Israelites to	לְמַ֥עַן	lə·ma·‘an	Conjunction	H4616 purpose, intent
oppress them	עַנֹּת֖וֹ	‘an·nō·ṯōw	Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H6031 be occupied, busied with
with forced labor	בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם	bə·siḇ·lō·ṯām	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H5450 burden
As a result	וַיִּ֜בֶן	way·yi·ḇen	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1129 build
they built	וַיִּ֜בֶן	way·yi·ḇen	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1129 build
Pithom	פִּתֹ֖ם	pi·ṯōm	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H6619 Pithom
and Rameses	רַעַמְסֵֽס׃	ra·‘am·sês	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7486 Ramses
as store	מִסְכְּנוֹת֙	mis·kə·nō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4543 magazine
cities	עָרֵ֤י	‘ā·rê	Noun - feminine plural construct	H5892 excitement
for Pharaoh	לְפַרְעֹ֔ה	lə·p̄ar·‘ōh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh

Exodus 1:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But the more they were oppressed	יְעַנּ֣וּ	yə·‘an·nū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6031 be occupied, busied with
the more they multiplied	יִרְבֶּ֖ה	yir·beh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
and flourished	יִפְרֹ֑ץ	yip̄·rōṣ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6555 break through
so the Egyptians came to dread	וַיָּקֻ֕צוּ	way·yā·qu·ṣū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6973 feel a loathing, abhorrence, sickening dread
the Israelites	בְּנֵ֥י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son