Exodus 1:14
Exodus 1:14 in Multiple Translations
and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.
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.
and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.
And made their lives bitter with hard work, making building-material and bricks, and doing all sorts of work in the fields under the hardest conditions.
making their lives a misery. They made them do hard labor, building with mortar and brick, and all kinds of heavy work in the fields. In all of this hard labor they treated them brutally.
Thus they made them weary of their liues by sore labour in clay and in bricke, and in al worke in the fielde, with all maner of bondage, which they layde vpon them most cruelly.
and make their lives bitter in hard service, in clay, and in brick, and in every [kind] of service in the field; all their service in which they have served [is] with rigour.
and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service in which they made them serve, was with rigor.
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.
and by making them slaves, they made their lives miserable. They forced them to build many buildings with mortar and bricks. They also forced them to do other work in the fields. In making them do all this work, the Egyptian officials treated them ruthlessly/cruelly.
Berean Amplified Bible — Exodus 1:14
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Exodus 1:14 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יְמָרְר֨וּ
אֶת
חַיֵּי/הֶ֜ם
בַּ/עֲבֹדָ֣ה
קָשָׁ֗ה
בְּ/חֹ֨מֶר֙
וּ/בִ/לְבֵנִ֔ים
וּ/בְ/כָל
עֲבֹדָ֖ה
בַּ/שָּׂדֶ֑ה
אֵ֚ת
כָּל
עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔/ם
אֲשֶׁר
עָבְד֥וּ
בָ/הֶ֖ם
בְּ/פָֽרֶךְ
וַ/יְמָרְר֨וּ
mârar
H4843
to provoke
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
חַיֵּי/הֶ֜ם
chay
H2416
alive
N-mp | Suff
בַּ/עֲבֹדָ֣ה
ʻăbôdâh
H5656
service
Prep | N-fs
קָשָׁ֗ה
qâsheh
H7186
severe
Adj
בְּ/חֹ֨מֶר֙
chômer
H2563
clay
Prep | N-ms
וּ/בִ/לְבֵנִ֔ים
lᵉbênâh
H3843
brick
Conj | Prep | N-fp
וּ/בְ/כָל
kôl
H3605
all
Conj | Prep | N-ms
עֲבֹדָ֖ה
ʻăbôdâh
H5656
service
N-fs
בַּ/שָּׂדֶ֑ה
sâdeh
H7704
field
Prep | N-ms
אֵ֚ת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
כָּל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔/ם
ʻăbôdâh
H5656
service
N-fs | Suff
אֲשֶׁר
ʼăsher
H834
which
Rel
עָבְד֥וּ
ʻâbad
H5647
to serve
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
בָ/הֶ֖ם
Prep | Suff
בְּ/פָֽרֶךְ
perek
H6531
severity
Prep | N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Exodus 1:14
וַ/יְמָרְר֨וּ
mârar
H4843
"to provoke"
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp
The word marar means to be or make something bitter. It can also describe a strong or intense emotion, such as anger or grief. In the Bible, it is used to describe a range of feelings and experiences, from physical bitterness to emotional pain.
Definition: 1) to be bitter 1a) (Qal) to be bitter 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to show bitterness 1b2) to make bitter 1c) (Hiphil) to make bitter, embitter 1d) (Hithpalpel) 1d1) to embitter oneself 1d2) to be enraged 2) (TWOT) to be strong, strengthen
Usage: Occurs in 13 OT verses. KJV: (be, be in, deal, have, make) bitter(-ly, -ness), be moved with choler, (be, have sorely, it) grieved(-eth), provoke, vex. See also: Genesis 49:23; Job 27:2; Isaiah 22:4.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
חַיֵּי/הֶ֜ם
chay
H2416
"alive"
N-mp | Suff
In the Bible, this word means life or being alive. It can refer to physical life, like in Genesis 1:20, or spiritual life, like in Psalm 30:5.
Definition: adj 1) living, alive 1a) green (of vegetation) 1b) flowing, fresh (of water) 1c) lively, active (of man) 1d) reviving (of the springtime) Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)
Usage: Occurs in 450 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop. See also: Genesis 1:20; Deuteronomy 4:9; 2 Kings 5:16.
בַּ/עֲבֹדָ֣ה
ʻăbôdâh
H5656
"service"
Prep | N-fs
This Hebrew word means service or work, including serving God or others. It appears in various forms in the Bible, such as in Exodus and Deuteronomy, to describe labor or ministry.
Definition: : service[as_servant/slave] 1) labour, service 1a) labour, work 1b) labour (of servant or slave) 1c) labour, service (of captives or subjects) 1d) service (of God)
Usage: Occurs in 125 OT verses. KJV: act, bondage, [phrase] bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, [idiom] wrought. See also: Genesis 29:27; Numbers 18:6; Psalms 104:14.
קָשָׁ֗ה
qâsheh
H7186
"severe"
Adj
This word describes something or someone as severe or cruel, like the harsh treatment of the Israelites by their enemies in Judges.
Definition: 1) hard, cruel, severe, obstinate 1a) hard, difficult 1b) severe 1c) fierce, intense, vehement 1d) stubborn, stiff of neck, stiff-necked 1e) rigorous (of battle)
Usage: Occurs in 36 OT verses. KJV: churlish, cruel, grievous, hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, [phrase] impudent, obstinate, prevailed, rough(-ly), sore, sorrowful, stiff(necked), stubborn, [phrase] in trouble. See also: Genesis 42:7; 2 Samuel 2:17; Psalms 60:5.
בְּ/חֹ֨מֶר֙
chômer
H2563
"clay"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word refers to a dry measure, about 65 gallons, or a heap of material like clay or mire. It is used in the Bible to describe measurements and substances.
Definition: 1) cement, mortar, clay 1a) mortar, cement 1b) clay 1c) mire
Usage: Occurs in 26 OT verses. KJV: clay, heap, homer, mire, motion. See also: Genesis 11:3; Isaiah 10:6; Isaiah 5:10.
וּ/בִ/לְבֵנִ֔ים
lᵉbênâh
H3843
"brick"
Conj | Prep | N-fp
A brick is a small, whitish block made of clay, used for building, like the altar in Exodus.
Definition: 1) tile, brick 1a) brick 1b) tile 1c) pavement Also spelled: liv.nah (לִבְנָה "brick" H3840)
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: (altar of) brick, tile. See also: Genesis 11:3; Exodus 5:18; Isaiah 9:9.
וּ/בְ/כָל
kôl
H3605
"all"
Conj | Prep | N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
עֲבֹדָ֖ה
ʻăbôdâh
H5656
"service"
N-fs
This Hebrew word means service or work, including serving God or others. It appears in various forms in the Bible, such as in Exodus and Deuteronomy, to describe labor or ministry.
Definition: : service[as_servant/slave] 1) labour, service 1a) labour, work 1b) labour (of servant or slave) 1c) labour, service (of captives or subjects) 1d) service (of God)
Usage: Occurs in 125 OT verses. KJV: act, bondage, [phrase] bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, [idiom] wrought. See also: Genesis 29:27; Numbers 18:6; Psalms 104:14.
בַּ/שָּׂדֶ֑ה
sâdeh
H7704
"field"
Prep | N-ms
A field or land is what this word represents, often referring to a flat area of land used for cultivation or as a habitat for wild animals, as described in the book of Genesis. It can also mean a plain or a country, as opposed to a mountain or sea. This term is used in the story of Ruth and Boaz.
Definition: 1) field, land 1a) cultivated field 1b) of home of wild beasts 1c) plain (opposed to mountain) 1d) land (opposed to sea)
Usage: Occurs in 309 OT verses. KJV: country, field, ground, land, soil, [idiom] wild. See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 28:38; Nehemiah 12:29.
אֵ֚ת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
כָּל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔/ם
ʻăbôdâh
H5656
"service"
N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word means service or work, including serving God or others. It appears in various forms in the Bible, such as in Exodus and Deuteronomy, to describe labor or ministry.
Definition: : service[as_servant/slave] 1) labour, service 1a) labour, work 1b) labour (of servant or slave) 1c) labour, service (of captives or subjects) 1d) service (of God)
Usage: Occurs in 125 OT verses. KJV: act, bondage, [phrase] bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, [idiom] wrought. See also: Genesis 29:27; Numbers 18:6; Psalms 104:14.
אֲשֶׁר
ʼăsher
H834
"which"
Rel
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Definition: A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when
Usage: Occurs in 4440 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 31:16.
עָבְד֥וּ
ʻâbad
H5647
"to serve"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To serve or work is the meaning of this verb, which can also imply slavery or bondage, as seen in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. It is used to describe various types of work or service, including serving God or other people. The word has different forms and meanings in different contexts.
Definition: : serve[someone] 1) to work, serve 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to labour, work, do work 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour 1a3) to serve as subjects 1a4) to serve (God) 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land) 1b2) to make oneself a servant 1c) (Pual) to be worked 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
Usage: Occurs in 262 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper, See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 28:14; Psalms 2:11.
בָ/הֶ֖ם
""
Prep | Suff
בְּ/פָֽרֶךְ
perek
H6531
"severity"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word means severity or harshness, like cruelty or rigor. It describes something or someone that is strict or unyielding. In the Bible, it is used to convey a sense of intensity or sternness.
Definition: harshness, severity, cruelty
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: cruelty, rigour. See also: Exodus 1:13; Leviticus 25:46; Ezekiel 34:4.
Study Notes — Exodus 1:14
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Exodus 1:14 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Exodus 1:14
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 1:14
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
- Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
- Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
- Cambridge Bible on Exodus 1:14
- Barnes' Notes on Exodus 1:14
- Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
- Sermons on Exodus 1:14
Context — Oppression by a New King
12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.
13They worked the Israelites ruthlessly
14and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.
15Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acts 7:19 | He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. |
| 2 | Numbers 20:15 | how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, |
| 3 | Exodus 2:23 | After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. |
| 4 | Exodus 6:9 | Moses relayed this message to the Israelites, but on account of their broken spirit and cruel bondage, they did not listen to him. |
| 5 | Acts 7:34 | I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ |
| 6 | Isaiah 58:6 | Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? |
| 7 | Psalms 81:6 | “I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. |
| 8 | Leviticus 25:43 | You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God. |
| 9 | Deuteronomy 26:6 | But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. |
| 10 | Deuteronomy 4:20 | Yet the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of His inheritance, as you are today. |
Exodus 1:14 Summary
In Exodus 1:14, we see how the Egyptians treated the Israelites very cruelly, making them work extremely hard in brick and mortar, and in the fields, with no care for their well-being. This was a very difficult time for the Israelites, but it also shows how God was setting the stage for their eventual rescue and redemption, as seen in Exodus 14:13-14. Just like the Israelites, we may face hard times and struggles, but we can trust in God's promise to deliver us, just as He did for them (Psalm 34:17-20). We can also learn from this passage to treat others with kindness and respect, especially those who are oppressed or mistreated, just as God commands us to do in Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 4:1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Egyptians treat the Israelites so harshly in Exodus 1:14?
The Egyptians treated the Israelites harshly because they feared their growing population, as seen in Exodus 1:12, and wanted to oppress them to prevent them from becoming too powerful, which is similar to how the Israelites would later be instructed to treat the foreign slaves in their own midst with kindness, as stated in Deuteronomy 10:19.
What kind of work did the Israelites have to do according to Exodus 1:14?
The Israelites were forced to do hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields, which was a form of bondage similar to what is described in Exodus 5:7-14, and this harsh treatment was a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Abraham in Genesis 15:13.
How does this verse relate to the concept of slavery in the Bible?
This verse highlights the cruel treatment of the Israelites as slaves in Egypt, which serves as a backdrop to the larger narrative of God's deliverance and redemption, as seen in Exodus 14:13-14 and reiterated in the New Testament in Colossians 1:13-14.
What does the phrase 'every service they imposed was harsh' mean in Exodus 1:14?
This phrase means that every task or job the Egyptians gave the Israelites was difficult and burdensome, with no regard for their well-being, which is in stark contrast to the way God commands believers to treat others with kindness and respect, as taught in Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 4:1.
Reflection Questions
- How can I apply the principle of kindness and compassion towards those who are oppressed or mistreated, just as God showed towards the Israelites in this passage?
- What are some ways in which I may be unknowingly contributing to the oppression or hardship of others, and how can I change my actions to reflect God's heart of love and mercy?
- In what ways can I identify with the Israelites' experience of hardship and oppression, and how can I use that understanding to pray for and support those who are currently suffering in similar ways?
- How does the concept of God's deliverance and redemption, as seen in the larger narrative of Exodus, apply to my own life and struggles, and what hope can I draw from this promise?
Gill's Exposition on Exodus 1:14
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage,.... So that they had no ease of body nor peace of mind; they had no comfort of life, their lives and mercies were embittered to them: in mortar and
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 1:14
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.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
Service in the field was the basest and most laborious of all their services.
Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
Exodus 1:14 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.Ver. 14. Bitter with hard bondage.] Did we but live a while, saith one, in Turkey, Persia, yea, or but in France, a dram of that liberty we yet enjoy would be as precious to us as a drop of cold water would have been to the rich man in hell, when he was so grievously tormented in those flames. Mercer.
Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
(14) In morter and in brick.—It has been questioned whether the Egyptians used brick as a material for building. No doubt temples, palaces, and pyramids were ordinarily of stone; but the employment of brick for walls, fortresses, and houses, especially in the Delta, is well attested. (See the Quarterly Statement of the Palestine Exploration Fund for July, 1880, pp. 137, 139, 143, &c.) Pyramids, too, were sometimes of brick (Herod. ii. 136). The manufacture of bricks by foreigners, employed (like the Israelites) as public slaves, is represented by the kings upon their monuments. All manner of service in the field.—Josephus speaks of their being employed to dig canals (Ant. Jud. ii. 9, § 1), and there is a trace in Deuteronomy 11:10 of other labours connected with irrigation having been devolved on them. Such labours, under the hot sun of Egypt, are exhausting and dangerous to health. And all their service . . . was with rigour. Rather, besides all their other service, which they made them serve with rigour.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
Verse 14. They made their lives bitter] So that they became weary of life, through the severity of their servitude. With hard bondage] בעבדה קשה baabodah kashah, with grievous servitude. This was the general character of their life in Egypt; it was a life of the most painful servitude, oppressive enough in itself, but made much more so by the cruel manner of their treatment while performing their tasks. In mortar, and in brick] First, in digging the clay, kneading, and preparing it, and secondly, forming it into bricks, drying them in the sun, c. Service in the field] Carrying these materials to the places where they were to be formed into buildings, and serving the builders while employed in those public works. Josephus says "The Egyptians contrived a variety of ways to afflict the Israelites for they enjoined them to cut a great number of channels for the river, and to build walls for their cities and ramparts, that they might restrain the river, and hinder its waters from stagnating upon its overrunning its own banks; they set them also to build pyramids, (πυραμιδαςτεανοικοδομουντες,) and wore them out, and forced them to learn all sorts of mechanic arts, and to accustom themselves to hard labour." - Antiq., lib. ii., cap. ix., sec. 1. Philo bears nearly the same testimony, p. 86, Edit. Mangey.
Cambridge Bible on Exodus 1:14
14. hard service] Exodus 6:9 (P) Heb. (EVV. cruel bondage); also Deuteronomy 26:6 (EVV. hard bondage); 1 Kings 12:4 (= 2 Chronicles 10:4); Isaiah 14:3. in mortar and in brick] for the Egyptian buildings: cf. Exodus 5:7-8. The ‘mortar’ (lit. clay, Isaiah 29:16 al.), would be the black Nile-mud, which was used in ancient Egypt not only for bricks (see on Exodus 5:6-9; Exodus 5:19), but also (Erman, Anc. Egypt, p. 419) for mortar: in the latter case it was usually mixed with potsherds. in the field] E.g. in constructing canals and dams for conveying water from the Nile to the fields, and in the actual work of irrigation (Deuteronomy 11:10). This was laborious; for the water had to be brought to the high-lying fields artificially, by a series of shadufs, or buckets attached to long poles, worked on axles, by which it was gradually raised from one elevation to another. ‘It is hard work to be the whole day raising and emptying the pail of the shaduf, in fact nothing is so tiring in the daily work of the Egyptians as this irrigation of the fields’ (Erman, p. 427). In ancient Egypt this and other agricultural operations were carried on by serfs, slaves, and captives taken in war. The shaduf, constructed exactly as in ancient times, is still a familiar sight on the banks of the Nile: see an illustration of both the ancient and the modern type in Erman, p. 426. all their service, &c.] The sentence is loosely attached to what precedes, and the construction with ’çth (the mark of the accus.) is very anomalous: cf. however, in the later Heb., Ezekiel 37:19, Zechariah 12:10.
Barnes' Notes on Exodus 1:14
The use of brick, at all times common in Egypt, was especially so under the 18th Dynasty.
Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 1:14
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.
Sermons on Exodus 1:14
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Serpent on a Pole by Dr. A.E. Wilder-Smith | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of teaching children about the word of God. He starts by explaining the story of the Israelites, who were slaves in Egypt for 4 |
|
I Was a Slave in Russia - Part 2 by John Noble | In this sermon, the speaker shares his experience of being in a prisoner camp in the Soviet Union. He describes how prisoners from different backgrounds and professions were brough |
|
Emblems From Their Bondage and Redemption by A.B. Simpson | A.B. Simpson's sermon 'Emblems From Their Bondage and Redemption' explores the bitter bondage of the Israelites in Egypt as a metaphor for the enslavement of sin and Satan. He emph |
|
(Hebrews - Part 37): Faith Is a Pertubing Thing by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher shares a personal story about a moral rebound. He talks about his own past of indulging in drinking and reckless behavior, even on Christmas Eve. Howev |
|
(Exodus) Exodus 6:1-5 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Exodus 6:2-4, where God reveals himself to Moses as Jehovah, the self-existing one. The preacher emphasizes that God is who he says he is an |
|
The Spirit of Grace and Power by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of distributing the word of God rather than simply producing knowledge. He encourages ministers to focus on providing spiritua |
|
Carry His Burden by Dennis Kinlaw | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a burden for the world that is without God. He encourages the audience to bear the burden and care for others, belie |