Matthew Poole and continuators on Exodus 1

1 NOW these are the names of the children of Israel which came into Egypt , every man and his houshold came with Jacob.

This list is here repeated that by comparing this small root with so vast a company of branches, as grew upon it, we may see the wonderful Providence of God in the fulfilling of his promises.

His Children and Grandchildren, as the word house is taken Ruth 4. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 11. 1 King. 21. 29.

Marginal references: Gen. 46. 8. Exod. 6. 14.

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin .

Who, though the youngest of all, is placed before Dan, Naphtali, &c. because these were the Sons of the handmaidens.

5 And all the souls that came out of the loyns of Jacob, were seventy souls : for Joseph was in Egypt already.

Including Iacob and Ioseph and his two Sons. See Gen. 46. 26, 27. and Deut. 10. 22. Or if they were but sixty nine they are called seventy by a round number, of which we shall have many instances.

Marginal references: Heb. thigh.; Gen. 46. 27.

6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation .

(i. e.) All that were of the same age with Ioseph and his brethren.

7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly and multiplied , and waxed exceeding mighty , and the land was filled with them.

Here are many words, and some very emphatical, to express their incredible multiplication.

This may relate either to their numbers, which greatly added to their strength, or to their constitution, to note, that their off-spring was strong as well as numerous. Atheistical wits cavil at this story and pretend it impossible that out of seventy persons should come above six hundred thousand men within two hundred and fifteen years. Wherein they betray no less ignorance than impiety. For to say nothing of the extraordinary fruitfulness of the Women in Egypt, who oft bring forth four or five Children at one birth, as Aristot. notes Hist. animal. 7. 4. nor of the long lives of the men of that age, nor of the plurality of Wives then much in use, nor of the singular blessing of God upon the Hebrews in giving them Conceptions and Births without Abortion: All which are but very reasonable suppositions, the probability of it may plainly appear thus; suppose there were▪ only 200 years reckoned, and onely fifty persons who did beget Children, and these begin not to beget before they be twenty years old, and then each of them beget onely three Children. Divide this time now into ten times twenty years. In the first time of 50 come 150. In the second, of 150 come 450. Of them in the third come 1350. Of them in the fourth 4050. Of these in the fifth 12150. Of these in the sixth 36450. Of them in the seventh 109350. Of them in the eighth 328050. Of the[illegible: 1+ letters] in the ninth 984150. And of them in the tenth 2952450. It it be objected, that we read nothing of their great multip[illegible: 1+ letters] tion, till after Iosephs death, which some say was not above 50 years before their going out of Egypt, it may easily be replyed. 1. This is a great mistake, for there were above 140 years between Iosephs death and their going out of Egypt, as may appear thus: It is granted that the Israelites were in Egypt about 210 or 215 years in all. They came not thither till Ioseph was near 40 years old, as is evident by comparing Gen. 41. 46. with Gen. 45. 6. So there rests onely 70 years of Iosephs Life, which are the first part of the time of Israels dwelling in Egypt, and there remain 145 years, being the other part of the 215 years. 2. That the Israelites did multiply much before Iosephs death, though Scripture be silent in it, as it is of many other passages confessedly true, cannot be reasonably doubted. But if there was any defect in the numbers proposed in the first 55 years, it might be abundantly compensated in the 145 years succeeding. And so the computation remains good.

Marginal references: Act. 7. 17.

8 Now there arose up a new King over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

(i. e.) Another King one of another disposition, or interest, or Family: for the Kingdom of Egypt did oft pass from one Family to another▪ as appears from the History of the Dyna[illegible: 1+ letters]es recorded in antient writers.

Or, acknowledged not, the vast obligations which Ioseph had laid not onely upon the Kingdoms of Egypt, and the King under whom Ioseph lived, but upon all his Successors, in regard of those vast additions of wealth and power which he had made to that crown. This phrase notes his ungrateful disowning and ill requiting of Iosephs favours. For words of knowledge in Scripture commonly include the affections and actions, as men are oft said not to know God, when they do not love nor serve him, and God is said not to know men, when he doth not love them.

9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are moe and mightier than we .

This was not a true, but an invidious, representation and aggravation of the matter, the better to justifie the severities which he designed.

Marginal references: Psal. 105. 24.

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 joyn also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land .

Which was not unusual in that countrey.

Which they might easily learn from some of the Hebrews that they were in due time to do. And they were - very unwilling to part with them, because of the tribute and service which they did receive and expect from them.

Marginal references: Act. 7. 19.

11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters , to afflict them with their burdens: and they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities , Pithom and Raamses.

Heb, masters of tribute, who were to exact from them the tribute required, which was both mony and labour, that their purses might be exhausted by the one, their strength by the other, and their spirits by both.

Or, oppress, or humble: to spend their strength by excessive labours, and so disenable them for the procreation of children.

Where they laid the Kings money, or corn, which is reckoned among treasures, 2 Chro. 17. 12. and 32. 27. and wherein a great part of the riches of Egypt consisted: for they had corn enough not onely for themselves, but to sell to other countries: so that Egypt was accounted the granary of the Roman Empire. Or, defenced cities, in which Garrisons were to be placed, which seems best to agree with the place and use of them. For they were in the borders of the land, and among the Israelites, which appears concerning the one from Gen. 47. 11. (where the land in which they were placed is called Rameses, which in Hebrew consists of the same letters, with this Raamses, and seems to be so called then by anticipation from the City of that name now built in it) and may be reasonably presumed concerning the other: and therefore it is most probable that they were built to keep the Israelites in subjection and to hinder them from going out of the land.

Marginal references: Gen. 15. 13.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplyed , and grew: and they were grieved , because of the children of Israel.

Through Gods over-ruling providence and singular blessing, which God gave them purposely to hasten first their sorer affliction, and next, and by that means their glorious deliverance.

Through envy and fear.

Marginal references: Heb. and as they afflicted them, so they multiplied, &c.

13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour .

Or, cruelty, or tyranny, with hard words and cruel usage, without mercy or mitigation▪ This God permitted for wise and just reasons. 1. as a punishment of their Idolatry, into which divers of them fell there, Ios. 24. 14. Ezek. 20, 5, 7, 8. and 23. 8. 2. to wean them from the land of Egypt, which otherwise was a plentiful and desirable land, and to quicken their desires after Canaan. 3. to prepare the way for Gods glorious works and Israels deliverance.

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.

Which was the basest and most laborious of all their services.

Marginal references: Psal. 81. 6.

15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives , (of which the name of one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah.)

Such as not onely were employed about the Hebrew women, but were Hebrews themselves, not Egyptians, as some suppose, as may appear, 1. because they are expresly called not the midwives of the Hebrews, but the Hebrew midwives. 2. the Egyptian midwives would not willingly employ their time and pains among the meanest and poorest of servants, as these were. And if they were sent in design by the King, he had lost his end, which was to cover his cruelty with cunning, and to perswade the people that their death was not from his intention, but from the chances and dangers of child-bearing. 3. the Hebrew women as they had doubtless midwives of their own, so they would never have admitted others. 4. they are said to fear God, ver. 17. 21.

You are not to think that these were the onely midwives to so many thousands of Hebrew women, but they were the most eminent among them, and it may be for their excellency in that profession called to the service of some Egyptian Ladies, and by them known to Pharaoh, who might therefore think by their own interest and by the promise of great rewards or by severe threatnings to oblige them to comply with his desires; and if he met with the desired success by them, he meant to proceed further and to engage the rest in like manner.

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 .

A seat used by women when ready to be delivered, conveniently framed for the midwives better discharge of her office.

Which it was not difficult for them to do, without much observation.

Either 1. because he feared not them, but the males onely; and some adde, that he was advised by one of their magicians, that a male-child should be born of the Israelites, who should be a dreadful scourge to the Egyptians: or 2. they reserved them for their lust, or for service, or for the increase of their people and the raising of a fairer breed by them.

17 But the midwives feared God , and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.

More then the King, and therefore chose to obey God rather than the King, their commands being contrary each to other.

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 .

Or, vigorous and active in promoting the birth of their own children: or, like the beasts; which without any help of others bring forth their young. So the Hebrew word signifies, and so there is onely a defect of the particle of similitude, which is frequent, as I have noted before.

This might be no lye, as many suppose, but a truth concerning many of them, and they do not affirm it to be so with all. And so it might be, either because their daily and excessive labours, joyned with the fears of the execution of the Kings command, whereof they seem to have gotten notice, did hasten their birth, as the same causes do commonly in other women, or because they, understanding their danger, would not send for the Midwives, but committed themselves to Gods providence and the care of some of their neighbours present with them. So here was nothing but truth, though they did not speak the whole truth, which they were not obliged to do.

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

Because they feared God, and spared the children, ver. 17 whereby they exposed themselves to the Kings displeasure, because they would not offend God by murdering the children, which they might have done many times secretly, and therefore it was onely the fear of God, which restrained them from it.

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses .

(i. e.) God greatly increased their Families both in children and posterity, and in wealth and other outward blessings. So this phrase is used Gen. 30. 30. Deut. 25. 9. 1 Sam. 2. 35. 1 King. 2. 24. and 11. 38. Psal. 127. 1. As houses are commonly put for families, so building is put for procreating of children, Gen. 16. 2. and 30. 3.