Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.
Exodus 1:1-10
A new book of the scriptures starts today, obviously. It is not the book of Exodus. The Hebrew name of this book is v'E-lay sh'mote ("And these are the names of"). It was the same when we started Genesis. The Hebrew name for that book is v'yeekrah, which was the first word written in the Hebrew text. That is how Hebrew texts work. One day, I will get into how page numbering works but now, we have some catching up to do after a massive time warp in our story.
The book begins with the sons of (y'e-lay sh'mote) Jacob who is Israel. Eleven of the boys are named. The text speaks of Jacob's offspring, seventy in total, and also Joseph and his children having died, "... and all that generation." Yes, that is round-about way of saying the generation had died off. The people of Israel after them were fruitful and multiplied. Meod, Meod.
Next we hear about a new king rising in Mitsraim (Egypt), one that did not know all that Joseph had done, or maybe he did not care about those things. The new king was worried about the visible strength of God's people and how they might team up with the enemies of Mitsraim. The age old question of paranoia, "What if...?"
The last line in our text is just that, but it includes the words, "... and escape from the land." I am wondering why, if Israel was living as a free people, would he be trying to keep them from escaping? Was it a sign that he had hatched a plan to enslave them? Would he start that plan by dealing shrewdly with them?
Today's reading
English
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."
Hebrew
The story continues next with commanders and forced...
Info on each letter starting at the beginning
If you are just starting, my lessons are all here starting at Alef, adding vowels (the dots and lines) as we go. I explain the meaning of each letter and its numerical value. Just go to my blog and scroll to the bottom or click here
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Thanks for reading.
I always remember the "join our enemies" part, but overlook the "escape from the land" part. This hints that the land relied on the Israelite for their economy and labor already, even before they were enslaved.
I have never thought about that part of it. This post and the reading therein are the only clues we have to life before they were enslaved. Glad you brought that up. Thanks.
This story to me has always portrayed shifting perspectives on power and fear. The new king's paranoia about Israel's strength leading to enslavement raises questions about leadership and control in uncertain times. That has always been my take on this particular story
True. Mine too. Governments today fear the people as they did back then. Many movies portray slavery of the people and an effort to keep them asleep, Matrix is one that is very totalitarian in this regard even though the government was a machine population. Let's hope AI doesn't make that scenario a reality in this world. Thanks for your comment.
Yes brother I hope AI doesn't at all... Perhaps Web 3.0 and Blockchain decentralization might be the best solution for this problem
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