Exodus 1:12

1:12 But the more the Egyptians 1  oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread. 2  As a result the Egyptians loathed 3  the Israelites,

Exodus 40:19

40:19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

1 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

2 tn The imperfect tenses in this verse are customary uses, expressing continual action in past time (see GKC 315 §107.e). For other examples of כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher) with כֵּן (ken) expressing a comparison (“just as…so”) see Gen 41:13; Judg 1:7; Isa 31:4.

sn Nothing in the oppression caused this, of course. Rather, the blessing of God (Gen 12:1-3) was on Israel in spite of the efforts of Egypt to hinder it. According to Gen 15 God had foretold that there would be this period of oppression (עָנָה [’anah] in Gen 15:13). In other words, God had decreed and predicted both their becoming a great nation and the oppression to show that he could fulfill his promise to Abraham in spite of the bondage.

3 tn Heb “they felt a loathing before/because of”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.