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Exodus 1 Bible study: The more they multiplied

Exodus opens with God's first blessing coming true in Egypt: Israel was fruitful, multiplied and filled the land, the first three verbs of Genesis 1:28. A new king plotted, lest they "escape out of the land", the same Hebrew verb as Joseph's promise that God would bring them up. The more he afflicted them, the more they multiplied, and two midwives, named when the king isn't, feared God.

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“But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.”
Exodus 1:17 · World English Bible

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“The more the Egyptians afflicted Israel, the more Israel multiplied.”

Is that in Exodus 1, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

From seventy to a land filled

In the text

Exodus picks up where Genesis left off. It names the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob and counts them: "All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls" (1:5). Genesis gave the same total, "seventy" (Genesis 46:27). Then "Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation" (1:6). And yet "The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them" (1:7). God had told Jacob, "Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation" (Genesis 46:3).

Where it leads to Jesus

Whom to fear

Interpretation

Exodus 1:17leads toMatthew 10:28

This link is an interpretation. The king ordered the midwives to kill the baby boys (1:16), but "the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them" (1:17). Sending out his disciples, who would be "brought before governors and kings" for his sake (Matthew 10:18), Jesus said, "Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna" (Matthew 10:28; also Luke 12:4-5). Jesus doesn't mention the midwives or Exodus 1; some hear in his words the same choice the midwives made, to fear God rather than a king who orders killing; others read them as said to his disciples about persecution for his name (Matthew 10:22).

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Exodus 1

That was a taste

The rest of Exodus 1 is waiting in Favor

  • A king who didn't know Joseph
  • Two midwives who feared God
  • Into the river
  • "Come, let’s"
  • Retold in a psalm and by Stephen
  • Dread and fear
  • 9 questions as you read
  • 10 more Hebrew words
  • A short check at the end
  • Your notes, saved as you go
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The Hebrew word behind it

רָבָהrabahsay ra-VAH

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "be, or become, much, many, great". The chapter uses it four times: Israel "multiplied" (1:7); the king plots "lest they multiply" (1:10); "the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied" (1:12); and after the midwives saved the boys, "the people multiplied" (1:20). It is the verb of God's first blessing on people, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28), and Exodus 1:7 has that verse's first three verbs: fruitful, multiplied, filled. God had promised Abram, "I… will multiply you exceedingly" (Genesis 17:2), and told Jacob, "Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 35:11). Near the end of Genesis, Israel in Egypt "were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly" (Genesis 47:27).

For your group

Exodus 1 Bible study questions

  1. 1The midwives feared God and didn't do what the king commanded (1:17). What does fearing God look like when someone with power over you asks you to do wrong?
  2. 2"The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied" (1:12). Where have you seen good grow in a hard season?
  3. 3A generation died (1:6) and a king arose "who didn’t know Joseph" (1:8). What do you want the next generation to remember, and what are you doing to pass it on?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Exodus 1 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

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Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home