Exodus 1:13

Exo 1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

Ver. 13. To serve with rigour.] Heb. ( בפרך), With fierceness: {a} so thinking to cow out their spirits, and to exanimate them. So deals the Turk with the Christians.

{a} Quidam cam ferocia voce latina conferunt.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 1:13. With rigour — בפרךְbepareck, with cruelty, or tyranny; with hard words and cruel usage, without mercy or mitigation. This God permitted for wise and just reasons: 1st, As a punishment of the idolatry into which, it appears, many of them had fallen: 2d, To wean them from the land of Egypt, which was a plentiful, and, in many respects, a desirable land, and to quicken their desires after Canaan: 3d, To prepare the way for God’s glorious works, and Israel’s deliverance.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Exo_1:13-14

THE DESPOTISM OF SIN

I. That it commences by suggesting a small tribute to the sinner. The Egyptian King, no doubt, suggested to the Israelites that great advantage might arise to them if they would enter into certain engagements or investments under his authority. This they did—paying heavy tribute—which they were unable to meet—and so placed themselves in his power.

1. Sin generally commences its tyranny by suggesting the probability of gain under its rule. It wins us by the hope of a good investment—whereby we may secure wealth—prosperity—fame. But when we commence to work out the contract we find that we have been lured by a false hope—a deceptive promise. We find ourselves involved in difficulties—numerous—complicated—depressing—ever increasing—until we are reduced from the position of tenant to that of slave. Never enter into any bargains with sin. They are sure to end in woe. They promise liberty—they give chains. The world is a great prison-house full of the dupes of sin.

(1.) Sin is cunning.

(2.) Sin has many counsellors.

(3.) Sin has many agencies. You are not a match for it.

II. That it succeeds in getting the sinner completely within its power. The Egyptians succeeded in getting the Israelites completely under their authority

1. Sin gets the sinner under its rule. It makes him obey the laws of hell. It makes him work the purposes of Satan. He must violate every holy instinct of his nature. He must reject the counsel of the Infinite. He becomes a subject of the infernal realm of being.

2. Sin makes the sinner subject to its counsel. The Israelites were enslaved as the result of a national consultation between the Egyptian king and his near advisers. Satan holds a council in reference to the moral servitude of human souls—the sinner yields to the unjust and unholy requirements of his fiendish companions.

3. Sin makes the sinner responsible to its authority. The Israelites were responsible to the king of Egypt for the kind and amount of service they rendered. He made them feel obligated to build the house, and to serve in the field. So the devil tries to bring men to do his work as though they were obligated to follow his bidding, so completely is the soul brought under Satanic power. It is conscious of its burden. It has not the energy to cast it away.

III. That it ultimately imposes upon the sinner an intolerable servitude.

1. The servitude of a bitter life. How sad the lives of these abject Israelites. Every day spent in unrequited toil—subject to heavy tribute—savage taskmasters—a fierce king—an envious nation—without hope of deliverance. Without free social intercourse—without happy domestic life. Sin renders life bitter—destroys friendly companionships—breaks up family comfort. Fills life with grief.

2. The servitude of hard work. The Egyptians made the Israelites build cities, and attend in the fields. The devil gives sinners hard work to do. Sinners often work harder than saints. Their toil is far more exhausting and fatiguing. Nor are sinners recompensed for their toil; Satan makes them build houses for other people! The unprofitableness—the folly of sin.

3. The servitude is degrading. The Israelites came into Egypt as a godly family, brought there by Joseph, who was distinguished as a God-fearing man. They were honoured by the king. They were respected by the people—Yet a few years afterwards they are employed as field-servants. What a transition in their position, and all because they yielded to the cunning allurements of a wicked king! So sin brings men from respect to derision—from plenty to beggary—from moral rulership to servitude, Repulse the first attempt of Satan to bind even a golden chain around your wrist, for, when fastened, you will find the gold to wear off, and disclose a steel manacle that will bruise your flesh. Sin degrades individuals—and nations.

THE SPIRITUAL BONDAGE OF MAN

I. It was an entire and universal bondage. The dominion of the oppressor had no merciful limit, nor mitigation. Every Israelite in Goshen was the bondservant of the Egyptians. The bondage of Satan knows no limit—no mercy:—

1. The understanding is depraved.

2. The will is perverted.

3. The affections are depraved.

II. The Israelites under a severe and cruel bondage.

III. The Israelites were in a helpless bondage. Every refinement of policy, every effort of power, every device of craft, was practised against them by the might and subtilty of a nation unrivalled in arts and arms. They could not escape of themselves. Satan has a close alliance with every appetite and affection of our nature. Difficult to get from under his tyranny [Buddicom’s Christian Exodus].

SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES

Exo_1:13-14. The sufferings of Israel were rendered more intense:—

1. As a punishment for their idolatry.

2. To inspire within them a deep hatred toward Egypt, so that through their perils in the wilderness they might not wish to return thither.

3. That the prospect of Canaan might animate and refresh their souls.

4. That after such excessive and unpaid labour they might fairly spoil the Egyptians on their departure.

5. That they might be aroused to earnest prayer for deliverance.

6. That the power and mercy of God might be more forcibly displayed in their freedom. Here is a true picture of tyranny:—i. Its rigour increases with failure. ii. It becomes more impious as it is in evident opposition to the Divine providence. iii. It discards all the claims of humanity. iv. It ends in its own defeat and overthrow.

It is the cruel design of persecutors to make God’s freemen their slaves.

Wicked persecutors are the more rigorous to those whom God favoureth.

Some men take a delight in making the lives of God’s people miserable.

Men are slow to be taught that, by their mad schemes, they are fighting against God.

By the Work of this bondage the Israelites, getting instructed in civilized life, were being prepared for their future home.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Egyptians . . . made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick--Ruins of great brick buildings are found in all parts of Egypt. The use of crude brick, baked in the sun, was universal in upper and lower Egypt, both for public and private buildings; all but the temples themselves were of crude brick. It is worthy of remark that more bricks bearing the name of Thothmes III, who is supposed to have been the king of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, have been discovered than of any other period [WILKINSON]. Parties of these brickmakers are seen depicted on the ancient monuments with "taskmasters," some standing, others in a sitting posture beside the laborers, with their uplifted sticks in their hands.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. To serve with rigour] בפרך bepharech, with cruelty, great oppression; being ferocious with them. The word fierce is supposed by some to be derived from the Hebrew, as well as the Latin ferox, from which we more immediately bring our English term. This kind of cruelty to slaves, and ferociousness, unfeelingness, and hard-heartedness, were particularly forbidden to the children of Israel. See Le 25:43, Le 25:46, where the same word is used: Thou shalt not rule over him with RIGOUR, but shalt fear thy God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(13) With rigour.—Forced labour in Egypt was of a very severe character. Those condemned to it worked from morning to night under the rod of a task-master, which was freely applied to their legs or backs, if they rested their weary limbs for a moment. (See Records of the Past, vol. viii. p. 149; Chabas, Mélanges Egyptolo-giques, vol. ii. p. 121). The heat of the sun was great; the burthens which the labourers had to carry were heavy, and the toil was incessant. Death often resulted from the, excessive work. According to Herodotus, a single monarch, Neco, destroyed in this way 120,000 of his subjects (Herod, ii. 158).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. with rigour] The rare word found otherwise only in v. 14, Lev_25:43; Lev_25:46; Lev_25:53 (all P or H); Eze_34:4. The root is not in use in Heb.; in Aram. it means to rub (Luk_6:1 Pesh.), or crush small.

13, 14. The parallel, from P, to vv. 11, 12, and continuation of v. 7. P states simply the fact of the oppression, without referring to the grounds prompting it.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour. Or with breach (c), with what might tend to break their strength; they laid heavier burdens upon them, obliged them to harder service, used them more cruelly and with greater fierceness, adding to their hard service ill words, and perhaps blows.

(c) "in fractione", Cajetan. apud Rivet.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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. Jos 24:14; Eze 20:5,7,8; 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 God’s glorious works, and Israel’s deliverance.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13, 14. The nature of their toil is here more fully described.

Hard bondage — Rather, hard labour in clay and bricks, and all (kind of) service in the field. They were not made house-servants, or employed as artisans in any kind of skilled labour, but were set at the coarse work of brick-making for the great public buildings, canal digging, raising water from the river for irrigation, which is specially toilsome in Egypt, and similar rough outdoor labours. This remark applies only to this time of special oppression. Josephus says that they built the pyramids; but the great pyramids are made of stone, and were standing when Joseph went down into Egypt. A vast amount of brick was required for the walls of cities, fortresses, temple-courts, and private as well as public buildings. They were made of the Nile mud mixed with straw, and of clay without straw, baked in the sun, and their manufacture was a government monopoly. Immense piles of these bricks — the ruins of ancient works, many of them stamped with the hieroglyphs of the Pharaohs — are now found in the land of Goshen.

The opposite engraving represents a painting at Thebes, in the tomb of an officer of Thothmes III., of the eighteenth dynasty, and delineates all the processes of Egyptian brick-making, foreign captives being the labourers, directed by Egyptian task-masters.

It is a noteworthy fact, that, in an inscription of the twenty-second year of Amosis, alien labourers of some pastoral nation, like the Israelites, are described as carrying blocks of limestone from the Rufu quarries to Memphis. This, like the opposite picture, shows that events precisely like those narrated in the text were, according to the best chronology, transpiring in Egypt at the time when the Israelites were there.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour. The word translated rigour is a very rare one. It is derived from a root which means "to break in pieces, to crush." The "rigour" would be shown especially in the free use of the stick by the taskmaster, and in the prolongation of the hours of work.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

made ... work rigorously

"made ... work very hard" or "harshly made ... work"

made their lives bitter

The difficult lives of the Israelites are spoken of as if they were bitter food that was difficult to eat. (See: Metaphor)

mortar

This was a wet glue or mud put between bricks or stones that held them together when it dried.

All their required work was hard

"The Egyptians made them work very hard" or "The Egyptians forced them to work very hard"

translationWords

life

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

בפרך means with hard service which crushes (מפרכת) the body and shatters it (cf. Sotah 11b).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.