Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Exodus 1:9

and he told the Egyptians: There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Israel;   Servant;   Usurpation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Egypt;   Persecution;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Exodus;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Egypt;   Exodus, book of;   Pharaoh;   Rameses (ra'amses);   Easton Bible Dictionary - Pharaoh;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Egypt;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   History;   Lot;   Tribes of Israel, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Egypt;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ex'odus;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Enslavement, the;   Exodus, the;   Encampment at Sinai;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Exodus, the;   Exodus, the Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Family and Family Life;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Yisra'el are more and mightier than we.
King James Version
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Lexham English Bible
And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the Israelites are greater and more numerous than us.
New Century Version
This king said to his people, "Look! The people of Israel are too many and too strong for us to handle!
New English Translation
He said to his people, "Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are!
Amplified Bible
He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us [they greatly outnumber us].
New American Standard Bible
And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sayde vnto his people, Beholde, the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier then we.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.
Complete Jewish Bible
but said to his people, "Look, the descendants of Isra'el have become a people too numerous and powerful for us.
Darby Translation
And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we.
Easy-to-Read Version
This king said to his people, "Look at the Israelites. There are too many of them, and they are stronger than we are!
English Standard Version
And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we;
Good News Translation
He said to his people, "These Israelites are so numerous and strong that they are a threat to us.
Christian Standard Bible®
He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are.
Literal Translation
And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many and stronger than we.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and sayde vnto his people: Beholde, the people of the children of Israel are many, & mightier then we:
American Standard Version
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Bible in Basic English
And he said to his people, See, the people of Israel are greater in number and in power than we are:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayde vnto his folke, Beholde, the people of the chyldren of Israel are greater and myghtier then we.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said unto his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us;
King James Version (1611)
And he said vnto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are moe and mightier then we.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to his nation, Behold, the race of the children of Israel is a great multitude, and is stronger than we:
English Revised Version
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Berean Standard Bible
"Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
the puple of the sones of Israel is myche, and strongere than we;
Young's Literal Translation
and he saith unto his people, `Lo, the people of the sons of Israel [is] more numerous and mighty than we;
Update Bible Version
And he said to his people, Look, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we.
World English Bible
He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
New King James Version
And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
New Living Translation
He said to his people, "Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are.
New Life Bible
He said to his people, "See, the people of Israel are too many and too powerful for us.
New Revised Standard
He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he said, unto his people, Lo! the people of the sons of Israel are too many and mighty for us!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.
Revised Standard Version
And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.

Contextual Overview

8 Many years later a new king came to power. He did not know what Joseph had done for Egypt, 9 and he told the Egyptians: There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are. 10 If we don't outsmart them, their families will keep growing larger. And if our country goes to war, they could easily fight on the side of our enemies and escape from Egypt. 11 The Egyptians put slave bosses in charge of the people of Israel and tried to wear them down with hard work. Those bosses forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses, where the king could store his supplies. 12 But even though the Israelites were mistreated, their families grew larger, and they took over more land. Because of this, the Egyptians hated them worse than before 13 and made them work so hard 14 that their lives were miserable. The Egyptians were cruel to the people of Israel and forced them to make bricks and to mix mortar and to work in the fields.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the people: Numbers 22:4, Numbers 22:5, Job 5:2, Psalms 105:24, Psalms 105:25, Proverbs 14:28, Proverbs 27:4, Ecclesiastes 4:4, Titus 3:3, James 3:14-16, James 4:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:16 - mightier Exodus 1:12 - grieved Deuteronomy 4:34 - take him Psalms 73:8 - speak wickedly Acts 7:19 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:2
The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water.
Genesis 1:5
and named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening came and then morning—that was the first day.
Genesis 1:6

The Second Day

God said, "I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it."
Genesis 1:8
and named it "Sky." Evening came and then morning—that was the second day.
Genesis 1:9

The Third Day

God said, "I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground." And that's what happened.
Genesis 1:11
God said, "I command the earth to produce all kinds of plants, including fruit trees and grain." And that's what happened.
Genesis 1:28
God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.
Genesis 1:29
I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat.
Job 26:7
who hung the northern sky and suspended the earth on empty space.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto his people,.... His princes, nobles, and courtiers about him, his principal ministers of state:

behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: which could not be true in fact, but is said to stir up his nobles to attend to what he was about to say, and to work upon them to take some speedy measures for the crushing of this people; for that they were more in number, and mightier in power and wealth than the Egyptians, it was impossible; and indeed it may seem strange, that the king should tell such an untruth, which might be so easily contradicted by his courtiers; though the words will bear to be otherwise rendered, as that "the children of Israel are many" o; as they were very greatly multiplied, and became very numerous; and they might be "mightier", that is, more robust and strong, and fitter for war than the Egyptians, and therefore, were formidable, and a people to be guarded against; and it was high time to think of securing themselves from them, before they grew too mighty and powerful; or they might be more numerous and mighty in that part of the land in which they were, in Goshen, though not more and mightier than the Egyptians in general.

o רב "multus", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Rivet.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 1:9. He said unto his people — He probably summoned a council of his nobles and elders to consider the subject; and the result was to persecute and destroy them, as is afterwards stated.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile