Year of the Bible
Exodus 1
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Commentary on the the Book of Exodus, Chapter:
The second book of the Bible begins by connecting it to the end of Genesis by listing the names of the sons of Jacob who went to Egypt. The positive experience of their descendants is summarized by repeating how their numbers multiplied, which recalls God’s blessings (e.g. Genesis 1:28, 12:16, 16:10, 22:17, 26:24, 35:11, 47:27, 48:4). This thriving threatens the Pharaoh, who does not remember the good Joseph had done for his nation (Genesis 41). He plans to control the Hebrews in a series of ever-escalating threats. First, he afflicts them with hard labor. Second, he tells the midwives who serve them to kill the male Hebrew babies. The midwives fear the Hebrew God more than Pharaoh so they refuse his orders, which leads Pharaoh to his third threat: all Egyptians are commanded to throw Hebrew baby boys into the Nile River. It is ironic that Pharaoh does not fear the daughters, for it is women who disobey him and thereby save the future leader of the Hebrews, whom we will meet in Chapter 2.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 1:
The Sons of Israel
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.
The Israelites Are Oppressed by the Egyptians
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war befall us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-amses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13 So they made the sons of Israel serve with rigor, 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; in all their work they made them serve with rigor.
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the mid-wives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Fear can lead people to make bad decisions big and small. Abortion and euthanasia are often chosen out of fear that the person will be too much of a burden. Lord, do I ever view others as a burden? Help me to trust in your provisions, and to care for those who might be considered burdensome.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Éstos son los nombres de los hijos
de Israel que bajaron a Egipto con Jacob,
cada uno con su familia: 2 Rubén, Simeón,
Leví, Judá, 3 Isacar, Zabulón, Benjamín,
4 Dan, Neftalí, Gad y Aser. 5 El total de
los descendientes directos de Jacob era de
setenta personas. José estaba ya en Egipto.
6 Luego murió José, y todos sus hermanos y
toda aquella generación. 7 Pero los hijos de
Israel fueron prolíficos y crecieron, se multiplicaron
y se hicieron muy fuertes, hasta ir
llenando el país entero.
8 Surgió en Egipto un nuevo rey que
no había conocido a José, 9 y dijo a su
pueblo:
–Mirad, el pueblo de los hijos de Israel
es ya más numeroso y fuerte que
nosotros. 10 Vamos, actuemos astutamente
con él, para que no siga multiplicándose
y suceda que, si se declara una
guerra, se unan a nuestros enemigos,
peleen contra nosotros y luego abandonen
el país. 11 Así pues, les impusieron
capataces que les oprimieran con duros
trabajos mientras construían para el Faraón
las ciudades de almacenaje Pitón
y Ramsés. 12 Pero cuanto más los oprimían,
más se multiplicaban y propagaban.
Los egipcios llegaron a sentir pavor
ante los hijos de Israel, 13 así que los
esclavizaron con crueldad 14 y les llenaron
su vida de amargura, imponiéndoles
trabajos severos como el de la arcilla
y los ladrillos, y toda clase de faenas del
campo; a todo tipo de trabajos los sometieron
con crudeza.
15 Entonces el rey de los egipcios dio
órdenes a las comadronas hebreas, una
de las cuales se llamaba Sifrá y otra Puá:
16 –Cuando asistáis a las hebreas y
llegue el momento del parto, si es niño,
hacedlo morir, si es niña, dejadla con
vida.
17 Pero las comadronas temían a
Dios y no actuaron como les había ordenado
el rey de Egipto, sino que dejaron
con vida a los niños. 18 Entonces el
rey egipcio las llamó y les dijo:
–¿Por qué habéis hecho esto y habéis
dejado con vida a los niños?
19 Respondieron las comadronas al
Faraón:
–Es que las mujeres hebreas no son
como las egipcias; son fuertes y antes de
que llegue la partera, ya han dado a luz.
20 Dios favoreció a las comadronas
y el pueblo se multiplicó y se hizo muy
fuerte. 21 Y a las comadronas, por haber
temido a Dios, les concedió numerosa
descendencia. 22 Entonces el Faraón dio
a todo su pueblo esta orden:
–A todo niño que les nazca a los hebreos
lo arrojaréis al Nilo; en cambio, a
las niñas las dejaréis con vida.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
El miedo puede llevar a la gente a tomar malas decisiones, grandes y pequeñas. El aborto y la eutanasia se eligen a menudo por miedo a que esa persona sea una gran carga Señor, ¿considero en algún momento a los demás como una carga? Ayúdame a confiar en tu providencia y a cuidar de los que pueden ser considerados una carga.
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).