Exodus 2:23

Authorized King James Version

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיְהִי֩
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#2
בַיָּמִ֨ים
of time
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
#3
הָֽרַבִּ֜ים
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
#4
הָהֵ֗ם
And it came to pass in process
they (only used when emphatic)
#5
וַיָּ֙מָת֙
died
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
#6
מֶ֣לֶךְ
that the king
a king
#7
מִצְרַ֔יִם
of Egypt
mitsrajim, i.e., upper and lower egypt
#8
וַיֵּאָֽנְח֧וּ
sighed
to sigh
#9
בְנֵֽי
and the children
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
#10
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל
of Israel
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
#11
מִן
by reason of
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
#12
הָֽעֲבֹדָֽה׃
by reason of the bondage
work of any kind
#13
וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ
and they cried
to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly
#14
וַתַּ֧עַל
came up
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
#15
שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם
and their cry
a hallooing
#16
אֶל
near, with or among; often in general, to
#17
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים
unto God
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
#18
מִן
by reason of
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
#19
הָֽעֲבֹדָֽה׃
by reason of the bondage
work of any kind

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine sovereignty contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

This passage must be understood within the political and social structures of the biblical period. The author writes to address believers seeking to understand God's will and purposes, making the emphasis on salvation particularly relevant. Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.

Questions for Reflection

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