Exodus 1:9 - He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.

Generated Verse: Exodus 1:9

What does "Exodus 1:9" mean?


This verse, Exodus 1:9, expresses the fear and anxiety of the new Pharaoh of Egypt. It means:

"He said to his people": The Pharaoh is addressing his advisors or the Egyptian population in general.
"Behold, the people of the children of Israel": The Pharaoh is pointing out the growing number and presence of the Israelites within Egypt.
"are more and mightier than we": This is the crux of the verse. The Pharaoh believes that the Israelite population has grown so large that they outnumber the Egyptians ("more") and, perhaps more importantly, are becoming too strong or powerful ("mightier") for the Egyptians to control or dominate.

In summary, the verse signifies the Pharaoh's fear that the Israelites were becoming a demographic and potential military threat to Egypt. This fear is the motivation for the oppressive measures he institutes in the following verses, ultimately leading to the Israelite's enslavement. The Pharaoh perceives the growth of the Israelite population as a problem that needs to be addressed before it undermines Egyptian power.

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