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Matthew Henry

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 1:6

And Joseph died, and all his brethren ,.... It is a notion of the Jews, that Joseph died before any of his brethren; see Gill on Genesis 50:26 and they gather it from these words; but it does not necessarily follow from hence, they might die some before him and some after him; and as they were all born in about seven years' time, excepting Benjamin, they might all die within a little time of each other: according to the Jewish writers F4 R. Bechai apud Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 3. 2.... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 1:6

Joseph died, and all his brethren - That is, Joseph had now been some time dead, as also all his brethren, and all the Egyptians who had known Jacob and his twelve sons; and this is a sort of reason why the important services performed by Joseph were forgotten. 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

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