And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
Parallel translations
- WEB God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them.
- BSB God saw the Israelites and took notice.
- NKJV And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
- NASB And God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.
- NLT He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.
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
God sees the people of Israel and takes notice of their plight. The chapter ends with God turning His attention toward His suffering people.
Overview
The verbs of chapter 2's close, God heard, remembered, saw, and knew, build toward the deliverance about to unfold. God is not distant or indifferent; He sees and is concerned for the afflicted. This assurance that the Lord knows His people's suffering prepares the way for His mighty intervention in chapter 3.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Exod 4:31And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
- Ps 55:22Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
- Exod 3:7–8And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
- Luke 1:25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
- Ps 1:6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
- Matt 7:23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
- 2 Sam 16:12It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
- Job 33:27He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
- 1 Sam 1:11And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
- Exod 1:8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
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 2:25 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.