Exo 1:11 | MHM | STEP | vv. 11, 13-14 : To control the Israelites, the Egyptians forced them into hard labor and slavery (vv. 11, 13, 14 ). They set taskmasters over them and made them build cities for Pharaoh and work in the fields. The Egyptians made their lives bitter and forced them to work very hard in all kinds of jobs. They hoped this would break the Israelites’ spirits, ruin their health, discourage them from having families, and maybe make them leave their people or join the Egyptians. Some Israelites even started to worship Egyptian gods (Josh. 24:14; Ezek. 20:8 ). Still, God kept them as a separate people.

‏ Exodus 1:11

vv. 11, 13-14: To control the Israelites, the Egyptians forced them into hard labor and slavery (vv. 11, 13, 14 ^a). They set taskmasters over them and made them build cities for Pharaoh and work in the fields. The Egyptians made their lives bitter and forced them to work very hard in all kinds of jobs. They hoped this would break the Israelites’ spirits, ruin their health, discourage them from having families, and maybe make them leave their people or join the Egyptians. Some Israelites even started to worship Egyptian gods (Josh. 24:14; Ezek. 20:8 ^b). Still, God kept them as a separate people.