Exodus 1:14

Geneva Bible (1560)

Thus they made them weary of their liues by sore labour in clay & in bricke, & in al worke in the fielde, with all maner of bondage, which they layde vpon them most cruelly.

📖 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 Then in processe of time, the King of Egypt dyed, and the children of Israel sighed for the bondage and cryed: and their crie for the bondage came vp vnto God.
• Exod 6:9 : 9 So Moses told the children of Israel thus: but they hearkened not vnto Moses, for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage.
• Num 20:15 : 15 How our fathers went downe into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, where the Egyptians handled vs euill and our fathers.
• Acts 7:19 : 19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and euill entreated our fathers, and made them to cast out their yong children, that they should not remaine aliue.
• Acts 7:34 : 34 I haue seene, I haue seene the affliction of my people, which is in Egypt, & I haue heard their groning, and am come downe to deliuer them: and nowe come, and I will sende thee into Egypt.
• Ps 81:6 : 6 I haue withdrawen his shoulder from the burden, and his handes haue left the pots.
• Isa 14:6 : 6 Which smote the people in anger with a continuall plague, and ruled the nations in wrath: if any were persecuted, he did not let.
• Isa 51:23 : 23 But I will put it into their hande that spoile thee: which haue said to thy soule, Bowe downe, that wee may goe ouer, and thou hast layde thy bodie as the grounde, and as the streete to them that went ouer.
• Isa 52:5 : 5 Nowe therefore what haue I here, saith the Lorde, that my people is taken away for naught, & they that rule ouer them, make them to howle, saith the Lorde? And my Name all the day continually is blasphemed?
• Isa 58:6 : 6 Is not this the fasting, that I haue chosen, to loose the bandes of wickednes, to take off the heauie burdens, and to let the oppressed goe free, and that ye breake euery yoke?
• Jer 50:33-34 : 33 Thus saieth the Lord of hosts, The children of Israel, and the children of Iudah were oppressed together: and all that tooke them captiues, held them, and would not let them goe. 34 But their strong redeemer, whose Name is the Lord of hostes, he shall maintaine their cause, that he may giue rest to the lande, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babel.
• Mic 3:3 : 3 And they eate also the flesh of my people, & flay off their skinne from them, & they breake their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
• Nah 3:14 : 14 Drawe thee waters for the siege: fortifie thy strong holdes: go into the clay, and temper the morter: make strong bricke.
• Exod 20:2 : 2 I am the Lorde thy God, which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
• Lev 25:43 : 43 Thou shalt not rule ouer him cruelly, but shalt feare thy God.
• Lev 25:46 : 46 So ye shall take them as inheritance for your children after you, to possesse them by inheritance, ye shall vse their labours for euer: but ouer your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule one ouer another with crueltie.
• Lev 25:53 : 53 He shalbe with him yeere by yeere as an hired seruant: he shall not rule cruelly ouer him in thy sight.
• Exod 5:7-9 : 7 Ye shall giue the people no more strawe, to make bricke ( as in time past) but let them goe and gather them strawe them selues: 8 Notwithstanding lay vpon them the nober of bricke, which they made in time past, diminish nothing thereof: for they be idle, therefore they crie, saying, Let vs go to offer sacrifice vnto our God. 9 Lay more worke vpon the men, & cause them to do it, & let the not regard vaine words. 10 Then went the taskemasters of the people and their officers out, and tolde the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will giue you no more strawe. 11 Goe your selues, get you strawe where yee can finde it, yet shall nothing of your labour bee diminished. 12 Then were the people scattered abroade throughout all the land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe. 13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Finish your dayes worke euery dayes taske, as ye did when ye had strawe. 14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaohs taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making bricke yesterday and to daye, as in times past? 15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came, & cryed vnto Pharaoh, saying, Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruants? 16 There is no strawe giuen to thy seruantes, and they say vnto vs, Make bricke: and loe, thy seruants are beaten, and thy people is blamed. 17 But he said, Ye are to much idle: therfore ye say, Let vs goe to offer sacrifice to the Lord. 18 Goe therefore nowe and worke: for there shall no strawe be giuen you, yet shall yee deliuer the whole tale of bricke. 19 Then the officers of the children of Israel sawe them selues in an euill case, because it was saide, Ye shall diminish nothing of your bricke, nor of euery dayes taske. 20 And they met Moses and Aaron, which stood in their way as they came out fro Pharaoh, 21 To whom they said, The Lord looke vpon you and iudge: for yee haue made our sauour to stinke before Pharaoh and before his seruants, in that ye haue put a sword in their hand to slay vs.
• Gen 15:13 : 13 Then he saide to Abram, Knowe for a suretie, that thy seede shalbe a stranger in a land, that is not theirs, foure hundreth yeeres, and shall serue them: & they shall intreate them euill.
• Exod 1:13 : 13 Wherefore the Egyptians by crueltie caused the children of Israel to serue.
• Deut 4:20 : 20 But the Lorde hath taken you and brought you out of the yron fornace: out of Egypt to be vnto him a people and inheritance, as appeareth this day.
• Deut 26:6 : 6 And the Egyptians vexed vs, and troubled vs, and laded vs with cruell bondage.
• Ruth 1:20 : 20 And she answered them, Call me not Naomi, but call me Mara: for the Almightie hath giuen me much bitternes.
• Ps 68:13 : 13 Though ye haue lien among pots, yet shal ye be as the winges of a doue that is couered with siluer, and whose fethers are like yelowe golde.