What does Exodus 1:11 mean?

The first part of this verse notes the presence of "taskmasters:" slave supervisors who managed the work of the oppressed Israelites. These men served under Pharaoh's command. They were harsh and demanding of the Hebrews, expecting tremendous work from them. "Heavy burdens" could refer to hard labor of any kind. In this context, it applies to building Pithom and Raamses. The Hebrew grammar used here is helpful, indicating a focus on the building of these cities as "the result of" this decision by Pharaoh.

Because of the name Raamses, many have assumed the Pharaoh Raamses II was the leader of Egypt during Moses' time. However, that figure ruled far later than the chronology of the life of Moses and the exodus from Egypt. Either this city existed by this name before the rule of Raamses or the city's name was changed later and is used here by that later name.

This part of the book of Exodus is crucial in understanding the Bible's view of slavery. The terms "slave" and "slavery" are used to mean a wide variety of things in Scripture. Here, under the harsh treatment of Egypt, Israel experiences the same kind of "slavery" which modern readers assume when encountering that term. This is forced, brutal, race-based, permanent, possessive slavery. The term often used for this practice is "chattel slavery," where the subjects are treated as sub-human and lacking in any rights. The slavery associated with the American Civil War and the Atlantic slave trade fit this model. God's view of this practice will be made clear in His fierce judgment of Egypt, shown later in this book.