Exodus 1 · Verse 13

Exodus 1:13

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Exodus 1:13, King James Version

Exodus 1:13 in other translations

BSBThey worked the Israelites ruthlessly
WEBThe Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
ASVAnd the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:
YLTand the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigour,
DARBYAnd the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;
BBEAnd they gave the children of Israel even harder work to do:
WebsterAnd the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.

What does Exodus 1:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 1:13-14
13-14. The Egyptians ... made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick--Ruins of great brick buildings are found in all parts of Egypt. The use of crude brick, baked in the sun, was universal in upper and lower Egypt, both for public and private buildings; all but the temples themselves were of crude brick. It is worthy of remark that more bricks bearing the name of Thothmes III, who is supposed to have been the king of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, have been discovered than of any other period [Wilkinson]. Parties of these brickmakers are seen depicted on the ancient monuments with "taskmasters," some standing, others in a sitting posture beside the laborers, with their uplifted sticks in their hands.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 To serve with rigour - בפרך bepharech, with cruelty, great oppression; being ferocious with them. The word fierce is supposed by some to be derived from the Hebrew, as well as the Latin ferox, from which we more immediately bring our English term. This kind of cruelty to slaves, and ferociousness, unfeelingness, and hard-heartedness, were particularly forbidden to the children of Israel. See Lev 25:43, Lev 25:46, where the same word is used: Thou shalt not rule over him with Rigor, but shalt fear thy God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 1:8-14

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…

Read the full comment on Exodus 1:8-14 →

Exodus 1:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּעֲבִ֧דוּvai.ya.'a.Vi.duand they compelled to laborH5647
מִצְרַ֛יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4713
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
בְּפָֽרֶךְ\׃be.Fa.rekhwith harshnessH6531

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 1:13

  • Deuteronomy 4:20

    But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Context

  • Exodus 1:12

    But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

  • Exodus 1:13

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

  • Exodus 1:14

    And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

Read all of Exodus 1

Exodus 1:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y los Egipcios hicieron servir á los hijos de Israel con dureza:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les Égyptiens firent servir les fils d’Israël avec dureté,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Ägypter hielten die Kinder Israel mit Härte zum Dienst an.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		oderantque filios Israël Ægyptii, et affligebant illudentes eis,