Exodus 1.13-14
type: passage created: 2026-05-06 updated: 2026-05-06 book: Exodus chapter: 1 verses: "13-14" translation_default: ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT tags: [scripture] citation_count: 1 enriched: false
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Exodus 1.13-14
Book: Exodus · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT
Immediate context (±2 verses)
ASV (ASV)
"11. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel."
"13. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: 14. and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor."
"15. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16. and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live." (Exodus 1:11-16, ASV)
WEB (WEB)
"11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Israel."
"13. The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, 14. and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve."
"15. The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, 16. and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”" (Exodus 1:11-16, WEB)
KJV (KJV)
"11. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. But: Heb. And as they afflicted them, so they multiplied, etc"
"13. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."
"15. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16. And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live." (Exodus 1:11-16, KJV)
YLT (YLT)
"11. 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; 12. and as they afflict it, so it multiplieth, and so it breaketh forth, and they are vexed because of the sons of Israel;"
"13. and the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigour, 14. and make their lives bitter in hard service, in clay, and in brick, and in every [kind] of service in the field; all their service in which they have served [is] with rigour."
"15. And the king of Egypt speaketh to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, (of whom the name of the one [is] Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah), 16. and saith, 'When ye cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children; if it [is] a son, then ye have put him to death; and if it [is] a daughter, then she hath lived.'" (Exodus 1:11-16, YLT)
Setting
- Speaker: Moses (traditional)
- Audience: Israelite congregation post-Exodus
- Location: Egypt → Sinai wilderness
- Time period: events c. 1446-1445 BC; composed c. 1446-1406 BC
Theological reading
Key words
- H1121 - ben, ben (Strong's H1121). Also appears in: Genesis 3, Genesis 4.26, Genesis 6.2.
- H2416 - chay, chay (Strong's H2416). Also appears in: Genesis 1.21, Genesis 1.24-28, Genesis 1.28.
Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.