Exodus 1:1-5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 1:1-7

In these verses we have, 1. A recital of the names of the twelve patriarchs, as they are called, Acts 7:8. Their names are often repeated in scripture, that they may not sound uncouth to us, as other hard names, but that, by their occurring so frequently, they may become familiar to us; and to show how precious God's spiritual Israel are to him, and how much he delights in them. 2. The account which was kept of the number of Jacob's family, when they went down into Egypt; they were in all... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 1:1

Now these are the names of the children of Israel which came down into Egypt ,.... Of the twelve patriarchs, the sons of Jacob, who were heads of the twelve tribes, whose names are here given; since the historian is about to give an account of their coming out of Egypt, and that it might be observed how greatly they increased in it, and how exactly the promise to Abraham, of the multiplication of his seed, was fulfilled: or, "and these are the names" F2 ואלה "et haec", Pagninus,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 1:2

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. The first sons of Jacob by Leah. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 1:3

Issachar, Zebulun ,.... The other two sons of Jacob, by Leah: Benjamin ; the youngest of all Jacob's sons is placed here, being his son by his beloved wife Rachel. Joseph is not put into the account, because he did not go into Egypt with Jacob. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 1:4

Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Who are last mentioned, being sons of the concubine wives. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 1:5

And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls ,.... "Souls" are put for persons; of the number seventy, and how reckoned; see Gill on Genesis 46:27 . This was but a small number that went down to Egypt, when compared with that which went out of it; and that it should be compared with it is the design of its being mentioned, see Exodus 12:37 , for Joseph was in Egypt already ; and is the reason why he is not reckoned among the sons of Jacob, that came... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 1:1

These are the names - Though this book is a continuation or the book of Genesis, with which probably it was in former times conjoined, Moses thought it necessary to introduce it with an account of the names and number of the family of Jacob when they came to Egypt, to show that though they were then very few, yet in a short time, under the especial blessing of God, they had multiplied exceedingly; and thus the promise to Abraham had been literally fulfilled. See the notes on Genesis 46... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 1:1

Verse 1 1.These are the names It is the intention of Moses to describe the miraculous deliverance of the people, (from whence the Greeks gave the name to the book;) but, before he comes to that, he briefly reminds us that the promise given to Abraham was not ineffectual, that his seed should be multiplied “as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore.” (Genesis 22:17.) This, then, is the commencement of the book, — that although their going down from the land of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 1:1

Now these are the names . Literally, "And these are the names." Compare Genesis 46:8 , where the phrase used is the same. We have here the first example of that almost universal practice of fife writers of the Historical Scriptures to connect book with book in the closest possible way by the simple copulative "and." (Compare Joshua 1:1 , 1:1 , Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.) This practice, so unlike that of secular writers, can only be explained by the instinctive... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 1:1

Removal to Egypt. This early instance of emigration shows— I. How the CALL to leave the land of one's fathers may sometimes be 1 . Unexpected Jacob little expected to end his days in Egypt. 2 . Trying. Canaan, the land of promise, where were the graves of his ancestors, etc. 3 . Mysterious. An apparent reversal of the lines on which Providence had hitherto been moving. Yet— 4 . Distinct. Jacob had no doubt that God's call had come to him. It came first in providence,... read more

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