Exodus 1:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

NIV: Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.

NASB: Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

CSB: A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

NLT: Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.

KJV: Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

NKJV: Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

This verse transitions from the introduction regarding the growth of Jacob's family to the situation just prior to the birth of Moses. A new king (Pharaoh) arose in Egypt who "did not know Joseph." The implication is that previous Pharaohs respected Joseph's role in saving their nation, while this new ruler had either no knowledge or no concern for this history. Despite popular use of the name Rameses, the exact identification of this Pharaoh is uncertain. Likely candidates are Thutmose I, Neferhotep I, or possibly Amenhoteph I. The capital city during these times was Zoan, known as Tanis in Greek.

Whoever this specific ruler was, he saw the Hebrew people as a threat to Egyptian rule. The Egyptians had recently struggled against a people group known as the Hyksos, and were likely focused on establishing a greater nationalism. The Pharaoh would focus on three different ways of decreasing the threat of the Hebrew people in the remaining verses of this chapter. His rule was oppressive and violent, leading to God's intervention among the Hebrews and the midwives who served among them.

Exodus 1:1–14 describes the explosive growth of the nation of Israel and the erosion of their relationship to Egypt. Joseph's efforts in the past saved Egypt from ruin, and his family was welcomed into the land. Generations later, the drastic increase in their population is seen as a threat to the Egyptian people. Motivated by a combination of fear and disgust, the king of Egypt brutally enslaves the people of Israel in an attempt to reduce their numbers. This effort fails, and the following passage shows Pharaoh resorting to infanticide in an effort to control the Hebrews.

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.