Hebrew readers: How do you understand Exodus 1?

[miketisdell]

I want to understand the first impressions of others who have read this text in Hebrew. Please indicate your proficiency with Hebrew in your response.

 

Question:
When you read Exodus 1 in Hebrew, do you get the sense that Pharaoh feared the potential strength of an increasing number of Israelites, or was his concern only about their growing number without regard to their potential strength, or were his concerns something else?

 

 

Poll:

 

1. The potential strength of the growing number of Israelites was a real concern to Pharaoh.
2. Pharaoh was primarily concerned only with the growing number of Israelites, but did not fear their potential strength.
3. Pharaoh's comment on the multiplication was an excuse for enslavement. No real fear seems to be present, only the pretense of fear.
4. Other, please explain.

 

How well do you see this text communicated in the NIV family compared to the way it is communicated in most other translations (like the ESV in the example).

 

 

For the record, my standard English bible is the NIV.

[David Lang]

I have a reasonable level of proficiency in Hebrew, and I think it's pretty clear from this text that pharaoh sees the Hebrews' numbers as a clear threat. The words "many" and "mighty" appear to have somewhat overlapping semantic domains and are frequently used together to indicate strength in numbers.

 

The NIV does seem to be obscuring the description of the Israelites as "mighty," perhaps because they thought English readers might misunderstand this "might" to be personal strength rather than strength in numbers. Obviously, the Israelites were slaves who lacked weaponry and military organization, so they were not more mighty than the Egyptians in that way. Neither can we assume that Hebrews as a race were physically stronger than Egyptians. While I don't agree with the NIV's decision not to translate the Hebrew word for "mighty," I think it still communicates the sense of pharaoh's concern ("the Israelites have become much too numerous for us").

 

Now, to me the really interesting thing about this passage is pharaoh's concerns about the Israelites joining with Egypt's enemies. Some historical reconstructions (see for example, Merrill's Kingdom of Priests) would place this event at the beginning of the 18th Dynasty, shortly after the Egyptians expelled the Semitic Hyksos people. Pharaoh may then have looked at the Hebrews, a large group of Semites flourishing in the delta, as a potential threat to join the Hyksos in opposition to the native Egyptians.

 

Hope this helps.

[TYA]

First impression: military "strength" is definitely implied in the word עָצַם.  If you are asking only about the implications of this one verse all by itself, my reasoning is that the tautological "limit" is exceeded once the word עָצַם is included with all the other verbs for fruitfulness, multiplication, and numbers.

 

Of course, if you add in the context of Exo 1:10, it is quite plain that Pharaoh was concerned about military might--not just numbers for the sake of numbers.

 

For that reason, I feel that the NIV (2011) misses the mark here with "exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers."  This is just too redundant in my opinion. The ESV (2016) is more on point with "were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong."

 

(I don't know how to rate my Hebrew proficiency for you.  I am *extremely* proficient... as long as you agree

Edited March 8, 2019 by TYA

[R. Mansfield]

Again, I have had to add discussion content from the forums to my notes in Accordance :-)

 

[Michel Gilbert]

FWIW, my first question would be, is there a difference in meaning between רב ועצום and גדול ועצום . My impression is that both phrases describe a large group of people approaching the size that could be called a nation, or that is already called a nation. This also coincides with the obvious references to the fulfillment of the promise to Abra(ha)m, to become a great nation. So, I think the Pharaoh is commenting on the size of the group, that it is approaching the size of a nation. Therein lies the threat. If they could arm themselves, or ally themselves with an enemy army, they would pose a great threat. However, they seem to be peaceful and not concerned about arming themselves, so the Pharaoh is able to enslave them, etc. It is ironic that they are put to building storage cities that were probably used militarily, including against the threat of a growing number of Israelites.

 

I also find the order of the text strange. Pharaoh says, ישראל רב ועצום ממנו , followed by פן ירבה , that is, they are already greater in number than us, with the strength that comes with numbers, so, lest they become great in number . . . It would be more logical to say, they are becoming great in number, so, lest they become greater in number and stronger than us . . .  I know what the English translations do to solve this issue.

 

I would have to study all of this, but it was fun to take a few minutes to think about how I would go about it. And, these are just first impressions.

 

Proficiency - I like what Toma said.

 

 

Edit: And, the 7 nations they will dispossess are רבים ועצומים than the Israelites (Deut 7,1), so, in what way are they רב ועצום than Egypt in Exod 1?

Edited March 8, 2019 by Michel Gilbert

[MattChristianOT]

Academically proficient- It is most certainly a fear. As far as the Hyksos are concerned, there are other options. One such theory is the association with the "hapiru" people and whoever they were, most likely Semite mercenaries, and also the growing nomad nation of the Phoenicians would cause concern, (depending on how we date a lot of this, which is super debatable. I think the hapiru option is interesting because it helps us understand how Aaron was free to walk out and about to meet Moses in the wilderness, and able to get an audience with the strongest nation at the time, possibly because the Egyptians used Semite mercenaries all the time as hired muscle. There is a lot of cultural shifts happening at rapid stints but this is purely speculation at this point. Short answer: yes he was afraid of military strength. I do not know if the hapiru hypothesis works but it may be something to think about.