| Douay RheimsDouay-Rheims Bible -- The New Testament was published at Rheims (1582), the Old Testament at Douay (1609). The Douay Rheims served as the main English bible for the Catholic world for centuries. Bishop Challoner updated it extensively mid-18th century. Biblical scholar Rev. George Haydock compiled a Catholic commentary mid-19th century. This text set is from an approved 1914 U.S. printing. | Haydock CommentaryHaydock Catholic Bible Commentary - based on the Douay-Rheims Bible; originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). |
| 1 These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household: | |
| 2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, | |
| 3 Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin, | And Benjamin. He is mentioned here because he was the son of Rachel, as the preceding were the children of Lia. The offspring of the handmaids follow. H.
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| 4 Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser. | |
| 5 And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt. | Seventy: Sept. "75," including the offspring of Joseph. See Gen. xlvi. 26.
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| 6 After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation, | Generation, or race of mortals who had seen his wonderful works. The tyrant, who knew not Joseph, began his reign about 58 years after that patriarch's death. C. --- His name was Pharao Amenophis, (Perer.) or Ramesses Miamum. Usher.
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| 7 The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land. | |
| 8 In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph: | |
| 9 And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we. | Numerous. Calvisius observes, that from Ephraim alone might have sprung 4,112,323,729 people. See S. Aug. q. 43, &c. H. --- In the space of 215 years, 70 people may produce an immense multitude, as Bonfrere shews by an accurate calculation. God also was pleased to bless the Hebrews with fecundity, so that they sprung up ( ebullierunt ) like frogs or fishes, v. 7. In Egypt, the women had sometimes seven at a birth (Plin. vii. 3,) and Aristotle (Anim. vii. 4,) mentions one woman who had 20 children at four births. T. --- Stronger. This might easily be true, if this king had only Thebais under his command. But if he was king of all Egypt, it seems an exaggeration. C. --- Indeed, human policy often gives birth to all kinds of wickedness. The king justifies his cruelty on this pretext of self-defence. He wishes to keep the Hebrews under; yet he is not willing to let them depart, as he knew they intended, according to Joseph's prediction. H. --- God permitted
this disposition, in order to punish his people for their idolatry, (Ezec. xxiii. 8,) to admonish them not to fix their abode in Egypt, and to manifest his power and glory in the destruction of the impious. M.
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| 10 Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land. | |
| 11 Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses. | Masters . Cruel like himself, who not only made them build without proper materials, (v. 14. and C. v. 10. H.) but oppressed them with heavy burdens of brick and tile. Hence Aristophanes calls the Hebrews in derision Plinthophoroi. This servitude is styled the iron furnace of Egypt, Deut. iv. 20. Jer. xi. 4. --- Of tabernacles, or of storehouses. Ch. --- To keep his treasures, Chal. or "fortresses," Sept. It may also be the name of a city, Miscenoth. C. xii. 37. Phithom, perhaps the same as the town of Heroum, where the Sept. say Joseph first met his father. Gen. xlvi. 28. Ramesses was the capital, and situate in the Arabic nome. C.
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| 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased: | |
| 13 And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them: | |
| 14 And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth. | Service. They were forced to till the land, reap, &c. M.
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| 15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua, | Midwives. Egyptian women, who assisted all of that district. Josephus xi. 5. There were others under them. Some think all these midwives were of Hebrew extraction, as their names are Hebrew, &c. C.
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| 16 Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive. | The time, &c. Heb. "and you shall see them upon the two stones." Abenaim. Jeremias (xviii. 3,) uses the same expression, speaking of a potter hard at work. C. --- A woman, from whom nothing could be feared, to be reserved for service and for pleasure. M. --- We must not obey princes in their unjust commands. Acts iv. and v. Matt. x. 28. W.
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| 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children. | |
| 18 And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children? | |
| 19 They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them. | Skilful, &c. Heb. Caioth means midwives: or they are full of vigour, or bring forth alive, like brutes. By this allusion they not only excuse themselves, but seem also to enter into the king's sentiments of hatred and scorn for the Hebrews. M. --- Women in Egypt, and in the eastern regions, are easily delivered, and hardly stand in need of any assistance. Ludolf. 1 K. iv. 19. Perhaps, therefore, the midwives spoke truth, with regard to the generality of the Hebrew women. But they gave way to a lie of excuse, with regard to some, (v. 17,) which S. Augustine would not allow, even to save all the Hebrew children. c. Mend. 15. It was not so easy to discover this delusion, as women in that country seldom appear in public; and hence Jochabed was enabled to hide Moses so long. C.
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| 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong. | |
| 21 And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses. | |
| 22 Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive. |
The river
Nile, where the persecuting successor of this king found his end. H. --- It seems this inhuman decree was not published till after Aaron was born, and it was probably revoked soon after the birth of Moses; for if it had been rigorously put in execution, there would have been nothing but old men 80 years after, when Moses led the people out of Egypt. C. --- But perhaps even the Egyptians abhorred and refused to execute this edict. M.
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