Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 1
Overview:
The children of
Israel increase in
Egypt after the
Death of
Joseph.
(8-14) They are oppressed, but multiply exceedingly.
(1-7) The men-children destroyed.
(15-22)
1-7 During more than 200 years, while
Abraham,
Isaac, and
Jacob
lived at liberty, the
Hebrews increased slowly; only about
seventy persons went down into
Egypt. There, in about the same
number of years, though under cruel
Bondage, they became a large
nation. This wonderful increase was according to the promise
long before made unto the fathers. Though the performance of
God's promises is sometimes slow, it is always sure.
8-14 The land of
Egypt became to
Israel a
House of
Bondage. The
place where we have been happy, may soon become the place of our
affliction; and that may prove the greatest
Cross to us, of
which we said, This same shall comfort us. Cease from
Man, and
say not of any place
On this side
Heaven, This is my
Rest. All
that knew
Joseph, loved him, and were kind to his brethren for
his sake; but the best and most useful services a
Man does to
others, are soon forgotten after his
Death. Our great care
should be, to serve
God, and to please him who is not
unrighteous, whatever men are, to forget our work and labour of
Love. The
Offence of
Israel is, that he prospers. There is
No
sight more hateful to a wicked
Man than the prosperity of the
righteous. The Egyptians feared lest the children of
Israel
should join their enemies, and get them up out of the land.
Wickedness is ever cowardly and unjust; it makes a
Man fear,
where
No fear is, and flee, when
No one pursues him. And human
Wisdom often is foolishness, and very sinful.
God's people had
task-masters set over them, not only to
Burden them, but to
afflict them with their burdens. They not only made them serve
for
Pharaoh's profit, but
So that their lives became
Bitter. The
Israelites wonderfully increased. Christianity spread most when
it was persecuted: the
Blood of the martyrs was the seed of the
Church. They that take counsel against the
Lord and his
Israel,
do but imagine a vain thing, and create greater vexation to
themselves.
15-22 The Egyptians tried to destroy
Israel By the
Murder of
their children. The
Enmity that is in the seed of the
Serpent,
against the Seed of the
Woman, makes men forget all pity. It is
Plain that the
Hebrews were now under an uncommon blessing. And
we see that the services done for
God's
Israel are often repaid
in kind.
Pharaoh gave orders to
Drown all the male children of
the
Hebrews. The enemy who,
By Pharaoh, attempted to destroy the
Church in this its infant state, is busy to stifle the rise of
serious reflections in the
Heart of
Man. Let those who would
escape, be afraid of sinning, and cry directly and fervently to
the
Lord for assistance.