Exodus 1:10
8 Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
11 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
- KJV
- Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
- WEB
- 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.”
- ASV
- come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.
- DARBY
- Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, if war occur, they take side with our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of the land.
- BLB
- Come, let us act wisely with him, lest he multiply, and it comes to pass when war meets us, that he also may join himself to those hating us and fight against us and go up out of the land.”
- ÅB
- Nå vel, la oss gå klokt til verks mot dem, for at de ikke skal ta mere til, og for at de ikke, om det kommer krig, skal slå seg i lag med våre fiender og føre krig mot oss og dra ut av landet.
- OTB
- Kom, la oss handle klokt med dem, for at de ikke skal bli flere, og i tilfelle krig, kan de slutte seg til våre fiender, kjempe mot oss, og forlate landet."
- B1930
- Nu vel, la oss gå klokt til verks mot dem, forat de ikke skal ta mere til, og forat de ikke, om det kommer krig, skal slå sig i lag med våre fiender og føre krig mot oss og dra ut av landet.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Acts 7:19
He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.
Read in contextPsalms 83:3–4
With cunning they scheme against Your people and conspire against those You cherish,
Read in contextProverbs 1:11
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
Read in contextPsalms 105:25
whose hearts He turned to hate His people, to conspire against His servants.
Read in contextPsalms 10:2
In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise.
Read in contextProverbs 16:25
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
Read in context1 Corinthians 3:18–20
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
Read in contextProverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
Read in context