Shemot 1:10

* tanakh school
[2025-10-06 Mon]

Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”

הבה נתחכמה לו פןירבה והיה כיתקראנה מלחמה ונוסף גםהוא עלשנאינו ונלחםבנו ועלה מןהארץ

1. The King Viewed the jews as a threat/something negative

  • He wanted to do something about the Jews before they multiplied and joined their enemies in a war
  • He thought that after the Jews back-stab them in a war, they would leave them and Ascend to Israel.

1.1. The Kings Reasoning for His Fear of the Jews

  • They are strangers without a strong connection to the land
  • If they multiplied, they would eventually ask for rights
  • They might take control if they become a majority

2. Some egyptians Held Different Views and Were OK With the Jews

  • Since they were immigrants, the egyptians thought they probably wanted to help them and avoid drama
  • The jews gave them blessings
  • They were good farmhands and shepherds

3. The King Thought the Jews Were His Enemy

  • He wanted to eliminate the threat
    • He did this by enslaving them
      • This nullified their autonomy and let him control the threat
    • He threw the firstborn into the river as a form of humiliation. God promised there would be never a flood like the book of Noah and he was throwing them in water.
      • He was saying god isnt real – This fuckass teacher, i am so close to bashing his head in

4. Why did he enslave them?

  • He enslaved the Jews because that let him control them completely

5. Ramban's Opinion on why he did not kill them

5.1. Betrayal

  • In the beggining pharoah did not want to kill them because them it would be a tremendous betrayal towards the guests joseph invited.

5.2. Rebellion

  • Killing all the Jews immediately could create danger inside the nation because the Jews were settled and an order to kill them may spark unrest.

5.3. Secrecy

  • The Egyptians wanted to hide their intentions because they feared that the Jews would turn against them

6. Pharoahs plan of removing the jews–Ramban

Instead of murdering them, pharoah implemented several tactics.

6.1. Heavy Taxation

He gave the jews heavy taxes. The jews had to pay an extra tax the egyptians did not have to pay this tax. This initiated their descent into poverty

6.2. Killing baby boys(1)

  • The mothers were not supposed to know this happened–This occured in secrecy
  • The midwives would take the boys and throw them in the river
  • Pharoah thought that the death of newborns would not be out of the ordinary–infant deaths & miscarriages were common in that time.

6.3. Killing baby boys(2)

  • He publicly ordered all baby boys to be thrown in the river–Everyone knew this

7. Pharoahs plan of removing the jews–Torah

7.1. Heavy labor & Taxation

  • He made the jews work and pay absurd amounts of money

7.2. Slavery

  • He enslaved them
  • "A slave is the worst place to be in–You have no control"

7.3. Killing of baby boys(1)- This was done in secret

  • Pharoah was made at them after they did not kill the baby boys. (They did not do it because they were scared of God's anger see: Shemot 1:17) The midwives told pharoah they didnt kill the boys because the jewish women were like animals — they gave birth independently

7.4. Killing of baby boys(2) —Public

  • THis was done in public, pharoah made this order out of desperation

8. Different scholar's assumptions on what the egyptians thought   DONE

Question Rashi Rashbam Ramban
Who will fight with who? Egypt & israel Egypt & their enemies Israel will join their enemies and fight egypt
Who will leave egypt The egyptians will be pushed out by the jews after they turn on them The jews will leave egypt & goto israel The jews will leave egypt
The big change The jews will take control The egyptians will lose human capital The jews will loot the egyptians while they are weak and they will lose of ressources

9. Elsewhere

9.1. References

9.2. In my garden

Notes that link to this note (AKA backlinks).

Glossary

נתחכמה
outsmart
Human capital
The knowledge, skills, and labor power that people contribute to an economy or society. ↑

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