Exodus 3:7–8
God sees his people's affliction in Egypt, hears their cry and comes down to free them
Study it word by word7YHWH 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.
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.
In its context
5He said, “Do not come near here. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
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.
…
9And now, look, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10So now, go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and bring out my people, the sons of Israel, from Egypt.”
Its words in the original
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- רָאֹהrao· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- עֳנִיoni· affliction
Affliction, suffering, misery.
- עַמִּami· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.
- מִצְרָיִםmitsrayim· Egypt, Mizraim
Mizraim, the Hebrew name of Egypt; also the Egyptians. As a person, a son of Ham, ancestor of the Egyptians.
- צַעֲקָתָtsaakata· outcry
Outcry, cry of distress.
- שָׁמַעְתִּיshamati· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- פְּנֵיpene· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- נֹגְשָׂיnogsay· drive; taskmaster
Drive, press hard; one who forces others to work, a taskmaster; also one who collects a debt.
- יָדַעְתִּיyadati· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- מַכְאֹבָיmachovay· pain
Pain, suffering.
- אֵרֵדered· go down, bring down
Go down, come down, descend. In the causative form, bring down, take down. Going from Canaan to Egypt is "going down".
- הַצִּילhatsil· rescue, deliver
Snatch away, take away; very often, deliver or rescue from danger. In another form, strip oneself of something.
- יַּדyad· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- מִצְרַיִםmitsrayim· Egyptian
Egyptian.
- הַעֲלֹתhaalot· go up, offer up
Go up, ascend, climb. It is also used for "offering" a sacrifice (making it go up), and for coming up from Egypt.
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- טוֹבָהtova· good
Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".
- רְחָבָהrechava· broad, wide
Broad, wide, roomy. "Broad on both hands": spacious on every side.
- זָבַתzavat· flow, have a discharge
Flow, run freely (of water). Said of the body, have a discharge (Leviticus 15). "A land flowing with milk and honey" means a very fertile land.
- חָלָבchalav· milk
Milk.
- דְבָשׁdevash· honey
Honey; also sweet fruit syrup.
- מְקוֹםmekom· place
Place, spot; the space someone or something occupies; also a home or a holy place.
- כְּנַעֲנִיkenaani· Canaanite
Canaanite: an inhabitant of Canaan before Israel; also a trader.
- חִתִּיchiti· Hittite
Hittite: a descendant of Heth, one of the peoples of Canaan.
- אֱמֹרִיemori· Amorite
Amorite: one of the main peoples of Canaan before Israel.
- פְּרִזִּיperizi· Perizzite
Perizzite: one of the peoples that lived in Canaan before Israel.
- חִוִּיchivi· Hivite
Hivite: one of the peoples of Canaan.
- יְבוּסִיyevusi· Jebusite
Jebusite: a people of Canaan that lived in Jerusalem before David.