Exodus 2 · Verse 23

Exodus 2:23

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
Exodus 2:23, King James Version

Exodus 2:23 in other translations

BSBAfter a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
WEBIn the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
ASVAnd it came to pass in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass during these many days, that the king of Egypt dieth, and the sons of Israel sigh because of the service, and cry, and their cry goeth up unto God, because of the service;
DARBYAnd it came to pass during those many days, that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and cried; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage;
BBENow after a long time the king of Egypt came to his end: and the children of Israel were crying in their grief under the weight of their work, and their cry for help came to the ears of God.
WebsterAnd it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried; and their cry ascended to God, by reason of the bondage.

What does Exodus 2:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage--The language seems to imply that the Israelites had experienced a partial relaxation, probably through the influence of Moses' royal patroness; but in the reign of her father's successor the persecution was renewed with increased severity.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 In process of time - the king of Egypt died - According to St. Stephen, (Act 7:30, compared with Exo 7:7), the death of the Egyptian king happened about forty years after the escape of Moses to Midian. The words ויהי בימים הרבים ההם vayehi baiyamim harabbim hahem, which we translate And it came to pass in process of time, signify, And it was in many days from these that the king, etc. It has already been remarked that Archbishop Usher supposes this king to have been Ramesses Miamun, who was succeeded by his son Amenophis, who was drowned in the Red Sea when pursuing the Israelites, but Abul Farajius says it was Amunfathis, (Amenophis), he who made the cruel edict against the Hebrew children. Some suppose that Moses wrote the book of Job during the time he sojourned in Midian, and also the book of Genesis. See the preface to the book of Job, where this subject is considered. Sighed by reason of the bondage - For the nature of their bondage, see Clarke's note on Exo 1:14.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 2:23-25
The Israelites' bondage in Egypt continued, though the murdering of their infants did not continue. Sometimes the Lord suffers the rod of the wicked to lie very long and very heavy on the lot of the righteous. At last they began to think of God under their troubles. It is a sign that the Lord is coming towards us with deliverance, when he inclines and enables us to cry to him for it. God heard their groaning; he made it to appear that he took notice of their complaints. He remembered his covenant, of which he is ever mindful. He considered this, and not any merit of theirs. He looked upon the children of Israel. Moses looked upon them, and pitied them; but now God looked upon them, and helped them. He had respect unto them. His eyes are now fixed upon Israel, to show himself in their behalf. God is ever thus, a very present help in trouble. Take courage then, ye who, conscious of guilt and thraldom, are looking to Him for deliverance. God in Christ Jesus is also looking upon you. A call of love is joined with a promise of the Redeemer. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Mt 11:28.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 2:23 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.

וַיְהִי֩vay.Hiand it wasH1961
בַיָּמִ֨יםvai.ya.Mimin the daysH3117
הָֽרַבִּ֜יםha.ra.Bim<the> manyH7227
הָהֵ֗םha.Hem<the> thoseH1992
וַיָּ֙מָת֙vai.Ya.motand he diedH4191
מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king ofH4428
מִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714
וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּvai.ye.'a.ne.Chuand they groanedH584
בְנֵֽי\־ve.nei-[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הָעֲבֹדָ֖הha.'a.vo.Dahthe laborH5656
וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּvai.yiz.'A.kuand they cried outH2199
וַתַּ֧עַלva.Ta.'aland it went upH5927
שַׁוְעָתָ֛םshav.'a.Tamcry for help theirH7775
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הָעֲבֹדָֽה\׃ha.'a.vo.Dahthe laborH5656

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

Cross references for Exodus 2:23

  • Genesis 18:20-21

    And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

  • James 5:4

    Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

  • Exodus 3:7-9

    And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

  • Acts 7:30

    And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.

  • Exodus 22:22-27

    Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. …

  • Deuteronomy 26:6-7

    And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

  • Genesis 16:11

    And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

  • Psalms 18:6

    In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

  • Psalms 12:5

    For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.

  • Isaiah 19:20

    And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

  • Nehemiah 9:9

    And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

  • Genesis 4:10

    And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. cir. 2504. B.C. cir. 1500. in process.
7:7; Ac 7:30
the king.
4:19; Mt 2:19,20; Ac 12:23,24
sighed.
Ge 16:11; Nu 20:16; De 26:6,7; Ps 12:5
cry.
3:7-9; 22:22-27; Ge 4:10; 18:20,21; De 24:15; Jud 10:11,12; Ne 9:9
Ps 18:6; 81:6,7; 107:19,20; Isa 5:7; 19:20; Jas 5:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 2:22

    And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

  • Exodus 2:23

    And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

  • Exodus 2:24

    And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Read all of Exodus 2

Exodus 2:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y aconteció que después de muchos días murió el rey de Egipto, y los hijos de Israel suspiraron á causa de la servidumbre, y clamaron: y subió á Dios el clamor de ellos con motivo de su servidumbre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et il arriva en ces jours, qui furent nombreux, que le roi d’Égypte mourut; et les fils d’Israël soupirèrent à cause de leur service, et ils crièrent; et leur cri monta vers Dieu à cause de leur service.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es geschah während jener vielen Tage, da starb der König von Ägypten; und die Kinder Israel seufzten wegen des Dienstes und schrieen; und ihr Geschrei wegen des Dienstes stieg hinauf zu Gott.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Post multum vero tempore mortuus est rex Ægypti: et ingemiscentes filii Israël, propter opera vociferati sunt: ascenditque clamor eorum ad Deum ab operibus.