Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”
- KJV Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
- NKJV come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”
- NASB Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”
- NLT We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Pharaoh proposes to deal shrewdly with Israel, fearing they might join Egypt's enemies and leave. His scheming launches a campaign of oppression.
Overview
Pharaoh's "wisdom" is worldly cunning set against God, and Scripture will show it turned to folly (Psalm 2). His fear that Israel might "escape out of the land" unwittingly anticipates the very exodus God has planned. Human plans against God's people become, in His hands, the occasion for His mightier deliverance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 83:3–4With cunning they scheme against Your people and conspire against those You cherish,
- Acts 7:19He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.
- Prov 1:11If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
- Ps 105:25whose hearts He turned to hate His people, to conspire against His servants.
- Ps 10:2In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise.
- Num 22:6So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”
- Prov 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- Jas 3:15–18Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
- 1 Cor 3:18–20Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- Prov 16:25There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
- Job 5:13He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
- Acts 23:12When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 1:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.