Exodus 3:7

“YHWH said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sufferings.”
Exodus 3:7 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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God sees his people's affliction in Egypt, hears their cry and comes down to free themJustice and mercy

With the Hebrew beneath

YHWHיְהוָהsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“I have surely seenרָאֹה רָאִיתִיthe afflictionאֶת עֳנִיof my peopleעַמִּיwhoאֲשֶׁרare in Egypt,בְּמִצְרָיִםand I have heardוְ שָׁמַעְתִּיtheir cryאֶת צַעֲקָתָםbecause ofמִפְּנֵיtheir taskmasters;נֹגְשָׂיוforכִּיI knowיָדַעְתִּיtheir sufferings.אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו

Quotation · Acts 7:34

Go to Acts 7:34

Stephen sums up Exodus 3:7-10: God has seen the affliction of his people and sends Moses to Egypt.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἤκουσα καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτούς καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε εἰς Αἴγυπτον

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה רָאֹה רָאִיתִי אֶת עֳנִי עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר בְּמִצְרָיִם וְאֶת צַעֲקָתָם שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפְּנֵי נֹגְשָׂיו כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה אֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ אֶל מְקוֹם הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה אֵלָי וְגַם רָאִיתִי אֶת הַלַּחַץ אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם לֹחֲצִים אֹתָם וְעַתָּה לְכָה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֶל פַּרְעֹה וְהוֹצֵא אֶת עַמִּי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם

Septuagint (Exodus 3:7-10 in the Septuagint numbering): εἶπεν δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἰδὼν ἴδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τῆς κραυγῆς αὐτῶν ἀκήκοα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐργοδιωκτῶν· οἶδα γὰρ τῆ ὀδύνην αὐτῶν, καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης, καὶ εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν ἀγαθὴν καὶ πολλήν, εἰς γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι, εἰς τὸν τόπον τῶν χαναναίων καὶ Χετταίων καὶ Ἀμορραίων καὶ καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ κραυγὴ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἥκει πρὸς μέ, κἀγὼ ἑώρακα τὸ θλιμμὸν ὃν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι θλίβουσιν αὐτούς. καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς Φαραὼ Βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἐξάξεις τὸν λαόν μου τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραὴλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 9 consecutive words: “τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Exodus 3:7, word by word

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomer” appears

“I have surely seenרָאֹהrao

see

To see with one's eyes.

Where else “rao” appears

the afflictionעֳנִיoni

affliction

Affliction, suffering, misery.

Where else “oni” appears

of my peopleעַמִּami

Ammi

Israel, YHWH's people: "my people".

Where else “ami” appears

are in Egyptמִצְרָיִםmitsrayim

Egypt, Mizraim

See it on the map Where else “mitsrayim” appears

and I have heardשָׁמַעְתִּיshamati

listen

To pay close attention, or heed a plea.

Where else “shamati” appears

their cryצַעֲקָתָtsaakata

outcry

Outcry, cry of distress.

Where else “tsaakata” appears

because ofפְּנֵיpene

before

Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.

Where else “pene” appears

their taskmastersנֹגְשָׂיnogsay

taskmaster

One who forces others to work harshly.

Where else “nogsay” appears

I knowיָדַעְתִּיyadati

know

To know something, realize.

Where else “yadati” appears

their sufferingsמַכְאֹבָיmachovay

pain

Pain, suffering.

Where else “machovay” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Acts 7:34

Stephen sums up Exodus 3:7-10: God has seen the affliction of his people and sends Moses to Egypt.

See them side by side

Exodus 3:7

⁷YHWH said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sufferings.

Acts 7:34

³⁴I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
Genesis 12:10 Genesis 37:28 Exodus 12:41 Matthew 2:14

The context

6And he said, “I am the Elohim of your father, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at Elohim.

7 · This verse (above)

8And I have come down to rescue them from the hand of Egypt and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

Read all of Exodus 3

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