Exodus 1:13
New International Version
and worked them ruthlessly.

New Living Translation
So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy.

English Standard Version
So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves

Berean Standard Bible
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

King James Bible
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

New King James Version
So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.

New American Standard Bible
The Egyptians used violence to compel the sons of Israel to labor;

NASB 1995
The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously;

NASB 1977
And the Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously;

Legacy Standard Bible
So the Egyptians brutally compelled the sons of Israel to slave labor;

Amplified Bible
And the Egyptians made the Israelites serve rigorously [forcing them into severe slavery].

Christian Standard Bible
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

American Standard Version
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:

Contemporary English Version
and made them work so hard

English Revised Version
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So they forced the Israelites to work hard as slaves.

International Standard Version
The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them,

Majority Standard Bible
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

NET Bible
and they made the Israelites serve rigorously.

New Heart English Bible
And the Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel labor,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.

World English Bible
The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigor,

Young's Literal Translation
and the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigour,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the Egyptians will make the sons of Israel serve by oppression.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.

New American Bible
So the Egyptians reduced the Israelites to cruel slavery,

New Revised Standard Version
The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So the Egyptians oppressed the children of Israel severely;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Egyptians were oppressing the children of Israel with hardship:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Egyptians tyrannised over the children of Israel by force.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Oppression by a New King
12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13They worked the Israelites ruthlessly 14and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.…

Cross References
Exodus 5:9
Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”

Exodus 6:9
Moses relayed this message to the Israelites, but on account of their broken spirit and cruel bondage, they did not listen to him.

Leviticus 25:43
You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

Deuteronomy 26:6
But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.

Judges 10:16
So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.

1 Kings 9:21
their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

Nehemiah 9:27
So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.

Psalm 81:6
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

Isaiah 14:3
On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced,

Jeremiah 50:33
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “The sons of Israel are oppressed, and the sons of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to release them.

Ezekiel 34:27
The trees of the field will give their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; My flock will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and delivered them from the hands that enslaved them.

Matthew 23:4
They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Luke 11:46
“Woe to you as well, experts in the law!” He replied. “For you weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.

John 8:34
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Acts 7:19
He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.


Treasury of Scripture

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:

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Cause Children Compelled Egyptians Harder Harshness Israel Labor Rigor Rigorously Rigour Ruthlessly Serve Work Worked
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Cause Children Compelled Egyptians Harder Harshness Israel Labor Rigor Rigorously Rigour Ruthlessly Serve Work Worked
Exodus 1
1. The children of Israel, after Joseph's death, increase.
8. The more they are oppressed by a new king, the more they multiply.
15. The godliness of the midwives in saving the male children alive.
22. Pharaoh commands the male children to be cast into the river














So they worked the Israelites ruthlessly
So they
This phrase refers to the Egyptians, specifically the taskmasters and Pharaoh's officials, who were enforcing labor upon the Israelites. In the broader context of Exodus, the Egyptians had become fearful of the Israelites' growing numbers and strength. Historically, this reflects a common theme in ancient societies where a dominant group would oppress a minority perceived as a threat. The Hebrew word for "they" here is "וַיַּעֲבִדוּ" (vaya'avidu), which is derived from the root "עבד" (avad), meaning to work or serve. This root is significant throughout the Old Testament, often used to describe both servitude and worship, highlighting the dual nature of service as both a burden and a form of devotion.

worked
The Hebrew word used here is "עבד" (avad), which, as mentioned, means to work or serve. In this context, it implies forced labor, a common practice in ancient Egypt, where large building projects often relied on the labor of slaves or subjugated peoples. This word sets the stage for understanding the severity of the Israelites' oppression, as their work was not voluntary but imposed upon them with harshness. Theologically, this labor contrasts with the rest and freedom God desires for His people, as later exemplified in the Sabbath commandment.

the Israelites
The term "Israelites" refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel. This name carries the covenantal promise God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, marking them as God's chosen people. In the context of Exodus, the Israelites are in Egypt due to Joseph's earlier rise to power and the subsequent migration of his family during a famine. Their identity as Israelites is crucial, as it underscores the fulfillment of God's promises and sets the stage for their eventual deliverance and formation as a nation under God's law.

ruthlessly
The Hebrew word here is "בְּפָרֶךְ" (beparekh), which conveys a sense of harshness, severity, and cruelty. This term is used to describe the oppressive nature of the labor imposed on the Israelites, emphasizing the Egyptians' lack of compassion and the brutal conditions under which the Israelites were forced to work. Historically, this reflects the harsh realities of slavery in ancient times, where human dignity was often disregarded. From a theological perspective, this ruthless oppression highlights the need for divine intervention and sets the stage for God's redemptive action through the Exodus. The use of "ruthlessly" serves as a reminder of the suffering endured by God's people and the hope of liberation that follows.

(13) With rigour.--Forced labour in Egypt was of a very severe character. Those condemned to it worked from morning to night under the rod of a task-master, which was freely applied to their legs or backs, if they rested their weary limbs for a moment. (See Records of the Past, vol. viii. p. 149; Chabas, Melanges Egyptolo-giques, vol. ii. p. 121). The heat of the sun was great; the burthens which the labourers had to carry were heavy, and the toil was incessant. Death often resulted from the, excessive work. According to Herodotus, a single monarch, Neco, destroyed in this way 120,000 of his subjects (Herod, ii. 158).

Verse 13. - The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour. The word translated rigour is a very rare one. It is derived from a root which means "to break in pieces, to crush." The "rigour" would be shown especially in the free use of the stick by the taskmaster, and in the prolongation of the hours of work.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They worked
וַיַּעֲבִ֧דוּ (way·ya·‘ă·ḇi·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

the Israelites
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

ruthlessly
בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃ (bə·p̄ā·reḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6531: Harshness, severity


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OT Law: Exodus 1:13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 1:12
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