Over time, the position of Jacob's descendants, like that of other Semitic tribes living in northern Egypt, in the Nile Delta region, worsened noticeably. This is not surprising: judging by everything the sacred writer tells us...
Over time, the position of Jacob's descendants, like that of other Semitic tribes living in northern Egypt, in the Nile Delta region, worsened noticeably. This is not surprising: judging by everything the sacred writer tells us, Joseph came to Egypt during the reign of one of the last (possibly even the last) pharaohs of the first dynasty of the New Kingdom. If so, Joseph (and therefore Jacob) found there the last pharaoh who was Semitic by origin. The first pharaoh of the second dynasty was already a native Egyptian, and the attitude toward Semites in Egypt became what it had always been: they were again treated as barbarians and, accordingly, as second-class people.
Egypt, moreover, always remained a monoethnic state, a country of one people, and no one made any attempt to integrate the Semites, who had suddenly become foreigners on land where they had already lived for at least a hundred years. Under such conditions, the traditional clan and tribal ties within the Semitic tribes only grew stronger and were not eroded, as would have happened if they had been integrated into Egyptian society. In addition, the Egyptian government had real grounds to fear trouble in the event of war with the Semitic tribes of Sinai; Egypt often had wars with them. The point is that the Semitic tribes of the Delta were the closest ethnic relatives of the Semites of Sinai. In the event of war they could easily have raised a rebellion and struck the Eastern Corps of the Egyptian army in the rear, and that corps would inevitably have borne the full weight of very difficult military action in the desert.
The danger was all the greater because the Semites outnumbered the Egyptians, not in the country as a whole, of course, but only in the Delta region, where Egyptians were reluctant to settle. Meanwhile it was precisely the Semitic population of the Delta that was assigned the work of building "store cities": probably warehouses for that same Eastern Corps. Such public works were normal for Egypt; the entire rural population was drafted for them during the time free from agricultural labor.
They were hardly murderously hard, but the Semites, who had never known any public works, perceived them as violence and enslavement, although legally, of course, they were not slaves. At the same time, however, the birth rate among Jacob's descendants did not fall, which means the work was not exhausting. In such a situation the demand of the authorities, most likely local authorities, not to help Hebrew women in labor was understandable; but here, as always in such cases, each person decides for herself what to do. The women made their choice, and God did not abandon them.
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1:1 Every man of his household - That is, children and grand - children.
1:3 And Benjamin - Who tho' youngest of all is placed before Dan, Naphtali, etc because they were the children of the hand - maidens.
1:5 Seventy souls - According to the computation we had, Gen 46:27, including
Joseph and his two sons. This was just the number of the nations by which the earth was peopled, Gen 10:1-32, for when
God separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel, Deu 32:8.
1:6 All that generation by degrees wore off: perhaps all Jacob's sons died much about the same time, for there was not past seven years difference in age between the eldest and the youngest of them, except Benjamin.
1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly - Like fishes or insects, so that they multiplied; and being generally healthful and strong, they waxed exceeding mighty, so that the land was filled with them, at least Goshen, their own allotment. This wonderful increase was the product of the promise long before made to the fathers. From the call of Abraham, when God first told him he would make him a great nation, to the deliverance of his seed out of Egypt, was 430 years; during the first 215 of which, they were increased to 70, but in the latter half, those 70 multiplied to 600,000 fighting men.
1:8 There arose a new king (after several successions in Joseph's time) which knew not Joseph - All that knew him loved him, and were kind to his relations for his sake; but when he was dead he was soon forgotten, and the remembrance of the good offices he had done was either not retained or not regarded. If we work for men only, our works at farthest will die with us; if for God, they will follow us, Rev 14:13.
1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply - When men deal wickedly it is common for them to imagine that they deal wisely, but the folly of sin will at last be manifested before all men.
1:11 They set over them task - masters, to afflict them - With this very design. They not only made them serve, which was sufficient for Pharaoh's profit, but they made them serve with rigour, so that their lives became bitter to them; intending hereby to break their spirits, and to rob them of every thing in them that was generous: to ruin their health, and shorten their days, and so diminish their numbers: to discourage them from marrying, since their children would be born to slavery; and to oblige them to desert the Hebrews, and incorporate with the Egyptians. And 'tis to be feared the oppression they were under did bring over many of them to join with the Egyptians in their idolatrous worship; for we read, Jos 24:14, that they
served other gods in Egypt; and we find, Eze 20:8, that God had
threatned to destroy them for it, even while they were in the land of Egypt. Treasure - cities - To keep the king's money or corn, wherein a great part of the riches of Egypt consisted.
1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied - To the grief and vexation of the Egyptians. Times of affliction, have oft been the church's growing times: Christianity spread most when it was persecuted.
1:15 And the king spake to the Hebrew midwives - The two chief of them. They are called Hebrew midwives, probably not because they were themselves Hebrews; for sure Pharaoh could never expect they should be so barbarous to those of their own nation, but because they were generally made use of by the Hebrews, and being Egyptians he hoped to prevail with them.
1:16 The stools - Seats used on that occasion.
1:17 But the midwives feared God - Dreaded his wrath more than Pharaoh's, and therefore saved the men - children alive.
1:19 I see no reason we have to doubt the truth of this; it is plain they were now under an extraordinary blessing of increase, which may well be supposed to have this effect, that the women had quick and easy labour, and the mothers and children being both lively, they seldon needed the help of midwives; this these midwives took notice of, and concluding it to be the finger of God, were thereby emboldened to disobey the king, and with this justify themselves before Pharaoh, when he called them to an account for it.
1:20 Therefore God dealt well with them - That is, built them up in families, and blessed their children.