Back to Exodus 1

Exodus 1:11-14

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel. The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, 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.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Exodus 1:11-14 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph. He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel. The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, 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.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

    But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.

    The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,

    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.

  • KJV King James Version

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

    But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

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

    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.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

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

    But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were adread because of the children of Israel.

    And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve 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; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigour.

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Cross-references (46)

  • Psalms 105:24 (v12) He increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their adversaries.
  • Genesis 15:13 (vv11, 14) He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will…
  • Exodus 1:9 (v12) He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
  • Acts 7:19 (v14) The same took advantage of our race, and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to throw out their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay…
  • Numbers 20:15 (vv11, 14) how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers.
Show all 40 cross-references
  • Genesis 47:11 (v11) Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of…
  • Exodus 2:11 (v11) In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his…
  • Exodus 3:7 (v11) Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I…
  • Exodus 2:23 (v14) In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and…
  • Exodus 6:9 (v14) Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
  • Deuteronomy 26:6 (vv11, 14) The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us.
  • Psalms 81:6 (vv11, 14) “I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket.
  • Romans 8:28 (v12) We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.
  • Exodus 6:6-7 (v11) Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you…
  • 1 Kings 9:19 (v11) all the storage cities that Solomon had, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build…
  • 2 Chronicles 8:4 (v11) He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamath.
  • Isaiah 58:6 (v14) “Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free,…
  • Acts 5:28-33 (v12) saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to…
  • Acts 7:34 (v14) I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come,…
  • Deuteronomy 4:20 (vv13–14) But Yahweh has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as it is today.
  • Psalms 68:13 (vv11, 14) while you sleep among the camp fires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.
  • Exodus 1:13 (v14) The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
  • Exodus 5:4-6 (v11) The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!” Pharaoh said,…
  • Exodus 5:7-21 (v14) “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. You shall require from…
  • Exodus 5:15 (v11) Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?
  • Exodus 20:2 (v14) “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
  • Leviticus 25:43 (v14) You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your God.
  • Leviticus 25:46 (v14) You may make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession. Of them you may take your slaves forever, but over…
  • Leviticus 25:53 (v14) As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him. He shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight.
  • Ruth 1:20 (v14) She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
  • Psalms 105:13 (v11) They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.
  • Proverbs 27:4 (v11) Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
  • Isaiah 14:6 (v14) who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that no one restrained.
  • Isaiah 51:23 (v14) I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to your soul, ‘Bow down, that we may walk over you;’ and you have laid…
  • Isaiah 52:5 (v14) “Now therefore, what do I do here,” says Yahweh, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them mock,” says…
  • Jeremiah 50:33-34 (v14) Yahweh of Armies says: “The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together. All who took them captive hold them fast.…
  • Micah 3:3 (v14) who also eat the flesh of my people, and peel their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and…
  • Nahum 3:14 (v14) Draw water for the siege. Strengthen your fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make the brick kiln strong.
  • John 12:19 (v12) The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”
  • Acts 4:2-4 (v12) being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. They laid hands on them, and put them in…

40 distinct cross-references across this passage (46 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (17 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv11, 12, 14 Or, corn and provision.

Or, corn and provision.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv11–14 Exo 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv11–14 Taskmasters, Heb. masters of tribute, who were to exact…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv11–14 Therefore they did set taskmasters over them, to afflict…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv11–12 They set over them task-masters, to afflict them -…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv11–14 Verse 11. Set over them task-masters] שרי מסים sarey…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv12–14 Exo 1:12. The more they multiplied — To the…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv11, 14 Taskmasters - The Egyptian “Chiefs of tributes.” They were…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv11, 14 Masters. Cruel like himself, who not only made them…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters--Having first obliged…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv11–13 11. Taskmasters — Chiefs of tribute. The words are…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv11–14 11. They were consequently brought into a condition of…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv11–14 (11) Task-masters.—Heb., chiefs of tributes. The Egyptian system of…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv11–14 They did set over them taskmasters. Literally, "lords of…
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v13 MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Exo_1:13-14
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv11, 13 Egyptians whose job was to force the Israelites to…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv11, 12, 14 1:11 Pithom and Rameses have been identified with the…
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