1 These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household: 2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, 3 Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin, 4 Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser. 5 And all the souls that came out of Jacob’s thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt. 6 After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation, 7 The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land. 8 In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph: 9 And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we. 10 Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land. 11 Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased: 13 And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them: 14 And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth. 15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua, 16 Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive. 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children. 18 And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children? 19 They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them. 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses. 22 Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.
Exodus · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Exodus 1 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 46:8–26; 1 Chronicles 2:1–2; Genesis 35:23–26; Exodus 6:14–16; Genesis 49:3–27
- 2 Genesis 35:22
- 3 Exodus 28:20; Genesis 35:23
- 5 Deuteronomy 10:22; Genesis 46:26–27; Judges 8:30; Exodus 1:20
- 6 Genesis 50:26; Acts 7:14–16; Genesis 50:24
- 7 Genesis 46:3; Deuteronomy 26:5; Genesis 1:28; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 9:1
- 8 Acts 7:18; Ecclesiastes 2:18–19; Ecclesiastes 9:15
- 9 Psalm 105:24–25; James 3:14–16; Ecclesiastes 4:4; Proverbs 14:28; Proverbs 27:4
- 10 Acts 7:19; Psalm 83:3–4; Proverbs 1:11; Psalm 105:25; Psalm 10:2
- 11 Genesis 15:13; Genesis 47:11; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 2:11; Deuteronomy 26:6
- 12 Psalm 105:24; Exodus 1:9; Romans 8:28; Acts 5:28–33; Acts 4:2–4
- 13 Deuteronomy 4:20
- 14 Acts 7:19; Numbers 20:15; Exodus 2:23; Exodus 6:9; Acts 7:34
- 16 Exodus 1:22; Matthew 21:38
- 17 Acts 5:29; Exodus 1:21; Luke 12:5; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 10:28
- 18 Ecclesiastes 8:4; 2 Samuel 13:28
- 19 Joshua 2:4–24; 2 Samuel 17:19–20; 1 Samuel 21:2
- 20 Isaiah 3:10; Ecclesiastes 8:12; Proverbs 11:18; Psalm 111:5; Exodus 1:12
- 21 1 Kings 11:38; 1 Samuel 2:35; Psalm 37:3; Ecclesiastes 8:12; 2 Samuel 7:27–29
- 22 Acts 7:19; Proverbs 1:16; Psalm 105:25; Proverbs 4:16; Revelation 16:4–6
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… power rigorously upon the children of Israel; and they made life bitter to them by severe labours, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field which they did, by all the works in which they oppressed them with rigour." And with immense labour they built for them fenced cities, increasing the substance of these …
And again, did not that very nation, when making bricks in Egypt, also serve hard rulers, not only in gold and silver, but also in clay? If you were never in bondage to any man, ungrateful people, why is it that God is continually reminding you that He delivered you from the house of bondage?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)