Exodus 1:11

Exodus 1:11

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

a. NLT: So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king.  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And they set over it princes of tribute, so as to afflict it with their burdens, and it buildeth store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: So they set over [the Israelites] taskmasters to afflict and oppress them with [increased] burdens. And [the Israelites] built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint:  And he set over them task-masters, who should afflict them in their works; and they built strong cities for Pharao, both Pitho, and Ramesses, and On, which is Heliopolis. 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: So they appointed taskmasters over it in order to afflict it with their burdens; it built storages cities for pharaoh, pithom and Raamses. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens…”

a. [Therefore they] did set [Strong:  7760 suwm soom or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down, ((over-))turn, X wholly, work.]

b. over [them[ [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

c. [Strong: 8269 sar sar from 8323; a head person (of any rank or class):--captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord, ((-task- ))master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.]

d. taskmasters [Strong: 22 mac mas or mic {mees}; from 4549; properly, a burden (as causing to faint), i.e. a tax in the form of forced labor:--discomfited, levy, task(-master), tribute(-tary).]

e. to [Strong: 4616 ma`an mah'-an from 6030; properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order that:--because of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), + lest, that, to.]

f. afflict [Strong: 6031 `anah aw-naw' a primitive root (possibly rather ident. with 6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows):--abase self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for 6030), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for 6030), speak (by mistake for 6030), submit self, weaken, X in any wise.]

g. [with their] burdens [Strong: 5450 cbalah seb-aw-law' from 5447; porterage:--burden.]

2. “...And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.”

a. [And they] built [Strong: 1129 banah baw-naw' a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), X surely.]

b. [for] Pharaoh [Strong: 6547 Par`oh par-o' of Egyptian derivation; Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings:--Pharaoh.]

c. treasure [Strong: 4543 micknah mis-ken-aw' by transp. from 3664; a magazine: --store(-house), treasure.]

1). This Hebrew word translated “treasure” in the King James is never translated “treasure” anywhere else in its use. It is always translated “stroe” or “storehouses”.

1). 1 Kings 9:19 And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

2). 2 Chronicles 32:28 Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.

3) See also 2 Chronicles 8:4; 2 Chronicles 8:6; 2 Chronicles 16:4; 2 Chronicles 17:12.

2). One of the points to be made is that the Jews were the slaves/craftsmen who built cities and when freed from slavery were able to use their talents and abilities to build the tabernacle. They were highly qualified in their fields. Add to that the wisdom and inspiration of the LORD and you have a Dream Team.

a). Exodus 35:30-35 [Classic Amplified] And Moses said to the Israelites, See, the Lord called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 

35:31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and wisdom, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 

35:32 To devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 

35:33 In cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft. 

35:34 And God has put in Bezalel’s heart that he may teach, both he and Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 

35:35 He has filled them with wisdom of heart and ability to do all manner of craftsmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, of the embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do or design any skilled work.

d. cities [Strong: 5892 `iyr eer or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4) {aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.]

e. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

f. Pithom [Strong: 6619 Pithom pee-thome' of Egyptian derivation; Pithom, a place in Egypt:--Pithom.]

f. and [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

g. Raamses [Strong: 7486 Ra`mcec rah-mes-ace' or Raamcec {rah-am-sace'}; of Egyptian origin; Rameses or Raamses, a place in Egypt:--Raamses, Rameses.