What does Exodus 1:14 mean?

The Egyptians affected the daily lives of the Israelites as described by the Hebrew root word marar, translated "bitter," a term that will later become important at the introduction of Passover in Exodus 12:8. Their bitterness includes two major areas. First, they worked with "mortar and brick." The hot, strenuous, monotonous work of making bricks and using them in construction would serve as the form of labor for Hebrews in urban areas. Second, they were forced into various manual labors. These included the planting and harvesting of food for the Egyptians. This may have also included caring for Egyptian livestock.

The final sentence refers to working the people "ruthlessly" (Exodus 1:13). Though the Hebrews had already worked as servants for the Egyptians (Genesis 47:5–6), their current situation was much different. They had been downgraded from servants to oppressed slaves, given no mercy and no rights. This difference is important to the Bible's stance on slavery; even the most strict servanthood is not the same as the sub-human practices of racial, lifelong, oppressive bondage.

The following verses will show this oppression even included attempts to kill the newborn sons of the Jews, something God particularly despised (Exodus 1:20–21).