Exodus 1:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live."

NIV: Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

NASB: Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, 'Every son who is born, you are to throw into the Nile, but every daughter, you are to keep alive.'

CSB: Pharaoh then commanded all his people: "You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live."

NLT: Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: 'Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live.'

KJV: And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

NKJV: So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

Pharaoh's first command regarding infanticide was limited to the midwives (Exodus 1:16). That failed to work, so he expands his command to all Egyptians. Every newborn Israeli son was to be thrown into the Nile River. This was a mass genocide of all infant Jewish males. The only other place the Bible notes a similar act was following the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. King Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus to remove any threat of another king. He commanded the death of all male children two years and younger in the city (Matthew 2:16–18).

Ironically, this very command from Pharaoh will frame the life of the man who eventually leads Israel out of slavery. One of the boys born to a Hebrew family will be hidden in a basket in the Nile and found by the Pharaoh's own daughter. This child, raised with the benefits and support of Pharaoh's own household, is Moses: the man chosen by God to lead Israel's exodus from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 2:1–10).

This is one of many ways Jesus reflects the life of Moses. Both were born during a time in which the Jews were under oppression. Both miraculously escaped death as an infant. Both lived as immigrants in a land not their own. Both had a public ministry that brought people from bondage to freedom. In many ways, Jesus represented a new exodus; He is the one greater than Moses (Hebrews 3).

Exodus 1:15–22 describes the most drastic attempt to curb Israeli population growth. After enslavement and brutality, the Hebrews are still growing. Out of fear, the Egyptians seek other ways of reducing Israeli power. Here, Pharaoh will enact a program of infanticide: ordering Hebrew midwives to murder male Jewish babies. When they resist, Egypt's king extends this command to the Egyptian people in general. This backdrop of murder sets the scene for the rise of Moses, the eventual leader of the nation of Israel.

The children of Abraham and Jacob grow rapidly, forming a prosperous nation made up of twelve tribes, one for each son of Jacob. This inspires fear and hate from the Egyptians. Their king first tries to slow down the Hebrews' growth by enslaving them. Next, he increases the brutality of their work. Then, he tries to command Jewish midwives to kill their own people's newborn baby boys. When these all fail, he openly orders the murder of all Jewish infant boys. Inadvertently, this creates the very situation which leads to the rise of Israel's eventual leader, Moses.

Exodus chapter 1 establishes the difficult reality faced by the nation of Israel. At the end of Genesis, Abraham's descendants were finally safe. In this passage, they become prosperous and expand rapidly. This, however, results in fear and hatred from the native Egyptians, who enact a program of slavery and infanticide against the Hebrews. This sets the scene for the arrival of Israel's greatest leader, the prophet Moses, who will speak for God during this time of Israel's rescue. The next chapter explains Moses' dangerous childhood and exile in the desert.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.