Exodus 1:14

Bishops' Bible (1568)

And they made their lyues bytter vnto them in that cruell bondage, in claye, and bricke, and all maner of worke in the fielde: for all their bondage wherein they serued them was ful of tirannie.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיְמָרְר֨וּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם בַּעֲבֹדָ֣ה קָשָׁ֗ה בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙ וּבִלְבֵנִ֔ים וּבְכָל־עֲבֹדָ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־עָבְד֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃

Transliteration

And way-mārərû ʾet-ḥayyêhem in ʿăḇōdâ qāšâ with ḥōmer and with ləḇēnîm and with all ʿăḇōdâ in the śādeh ʾēt all ʿăḇōdātām which ʿāḇədû with them with pāreḵ

Grammar Details

• וַיְמָרְר֨וּ: conjunction *wə-* + verb, Piel imperfect, 3rd masculine plural, vav-consecutive - 'and they made bitter'
• אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם: direct object marker + noun, masculine plural + 3rd masculine plural suffix - 'their lives'
• בַּעֲבֹדָ֣ה: preposition + noun, feminine singular - 'with labor'
• *qāšâ*: adjective, feminine singular - 'hard'
• בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙: preposition + noun, masculine singular - 'with mortar'
• וּבִלְבֵנִ֔ים: conjunction *wə-* + preposition + noun, feminine plural - 'and with bricks'
• וּבְכָל־עֲבֹדָ֖ה: conjunction *wə-* + preposition + noun, feminine singular - 'and with all labor'
• בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה: preposition + definite article + noun, masculine singular - 'in the field'
• אֵ֚ת: direct object marker
• כָּל־עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם: construct + noun, feminine singular + 3rd masculine plural suffix - 'all their labor'
• אֲשֶׁר־עָבְד֥וּ: relative pronoun + verb, Qal perfect, 3rd masculine plural - 'which they worked'
• בָהֶ֖ם: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - 'with them'
• בְּפָֽרֶךְ: preposition + noun, masculine singular - 'with rigor'

Word Meanings

• *way-mārərû*: they made bitter, embittered
• *ḥayyêhem*: their lives, their existence
• *ʿăḇōdâ*: labor, service, work, servitude
• *qāšâ*: hard, harsh, severe, cruel
• *ḥōmer*: mortar, clay, cement
• *ləḇēnîm*: bricks
• *śādeh*: field, country, open land
• *ʿăḇōdātām*: their service, their labor, their work
• *ʿāḇədû*: they worked, served, labored
• *pāreḵ*: rigor, harshness, cruelty

Referenced Verses

• Exod 2:23 : 23 And in processe of tyme the kyng of Egypt dyed, and the chyldren of Israel syghed by the reason of bondage, and cryed.
• Exod 6:9 : 9 And Moyses tolde the children of Israel euen so: but they hearkened not vnto Moyses for anguishe of spirite and for cruell bondage.
• Num 20:15 : 15 Our fathers went downe into Egypt, & we haue dwelt in Egypt a long tyme: and the Egyptians vexed vs and our fathers.
• Acts 7:19 : 19 The same dealt subtilly with our kinrede, and euyll intreated our fathers, & made them caste out their young chyldren, that they shoulde not remayne alyue.
• Acts 7:34 : 34 I haue seene, I haue seene the afflictio of my people which is in Egypt, and I haue hearde their gronyng, and am come downe to deliuer them: And now come, & I wyll sende thee into Egypt.
• Ps 81:6 : 6 I eased his shoulder from the burthen: and his handes ceassed from making pottes.
• Isa 14:6 : 6 Which when he is wroth, smiteth the people with continuall strokes, and in wrath raigneth ouer the heathen, who he persecuteth without compassion.
• Isa 51:23 : 23 But I wil put it into their hande that trouble thee, which haue spoken to thy soule, Stoupe downe, that we may go ouer thee, make thy body euen with the grounde, and as the streete to go vpon.
• Isa 52:5 : 5 And nowe, what profite is it to me saith the Lorde? that my people is freely caryed away, & brought into heauinesse by their rulers, and my name euer styll blasphemed saith the Lorde.
• Isa 58:6 : 6 Doth not this fasting rather please me, That thou lose the wicked bands, that thou take of the ouer heauie burthens, that thou let the oppressed go free, and breake all maner of yoke?
• Jer 50:33-34 : 33 Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes, The children of Israel and Iuda suffer violence together, all they that haue them in captiuitie kepe them fast, and wyll not let them go. 34 But their auenger and redeemer is mightie, whose name is the Lorde of hoastes, he shall maynteyne their cause, he shal make the lande shake, and iudge them that dwell therin, one with another
• Mic 3:3 : 3 And they eate also the fleshe of my people, & flay of their skinne from them: and they breake their bones, and chop them in peeces as for the pot, and as fleshe within the cauldron.
• Nah 3:14 : 14 Drawe thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortes, go into the clay, treade the morter, make strong the brickyll.
• Exod 20:2 : 2 I am the Lord thy GOD, whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt, out of ye house of bondage.
• Lev 25:43 : 43 Thou shalt not rule ouer hym cruelly, but shalt feare thy God.
• Lev 25:46 : 46 And ye shall take them as inheritauce for your children after yon, to possesse them for an inheritaunce, they shalbe your bondmen for euer: but ouer your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one ouer another cruelly.
• Lev 25:53 : 53 And he shalbe with hym yere by yere as an hired seruaunt: and the other shal not raigne cruelly ouer him in thy sight.
• Exod 5:7-9 : 7 Ye shall geue the people no more strawe to make brycke withal, as ye did in tyme passed: let them go and gather them strawe them selues. 8 And the number of bricke which they were wont to make in tyme passed, lay vnto their charges also, and minishe nothing therof: for they be idell, and therfore crye, saying: we wyll go, and do sacrifice vnto our God. 9 They must haue more worke layed vpon them, that they may labour therin, and not regarde vayne wordes. 10 Then went the taskemaisters of the people, and the officers out, and tolde the people, saying: Thus sayeth Pharao, I wyll geue you no more strawe. 11 Go your selues and gather you straw where ye can finde it: yet shall none of your labour be minished. 12 And so were the people scattered abrode throughout all ye land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe. 13 And the taskemaisters hasted them forwarde, saying: fulfyll your worke, your dayly taskes in their due tyme, as if you had strawe. 14 And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaos taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten. And they sayde vnto them: wherfore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in makyng of brycke both yesterday and to day, as well as in tymes past? 15 The officers also of the children of Israel, came & complayned vnto Pharao, saying: Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruauntes? 16 There is no strawe geuen vnto thy seruauntes, and they say vnto vs, make brycke: and thy seruauntes are beaten, and the fault is thyne owne people. 17 He sayde: you are idle, idle are you: and therfore you say, we will go, and do sacrifice vnto the Lorde. 18 Go therfore nowe, & worke, and there shall no strawe be geuen you, & yet shall ye deliuer the whole tale of bricke. 19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in worse case, after it was sayde, ye shall minishe nothyng of your brycke, of your dayly taske in due tyme: 20 And they met Moyses and Aaron, which stoode in their way as they came out from Pharao. 21 And saide vnto them: The Lorde looke vpon you & iudge you, which hath made the sauour of vs to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharao, and in the eyes of his seruauntes, and haue put a sworde in their hande to slay vs.
• Gen 15:13 : 13 And he sayde vnto Abram: Knowe this of a suertie, that thy seede shalbe a straunger in a lande that is not theirs, and shall serue them, and they shall entreate them euyll foure hundreth yeres.
• Exod 1:13 : 13 And the Egyptians helde the children of Israel in bondage without mercie,
• Deut 4:20 : 20 But the Lorde hath taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, euen out of Egypt, to be vnto hym a people & inheritaunce, as ye be this day.
• Deut 26:6 : 6 And the Egyptians vexed vs, and troubled vs, and laded vs with most cruel bondage.
• Ruth 1:20 : 20 And she annswered them: Cal me not Naomi: but call me Mara, for the almightie hath made me verie bitter.
• Ps 68:13 : 13 Though ye haue lyen among the pottes: yet shall ye be as the wynges of a doue that is couered with siluer, and hath her fethers as yelowe as golde.