The Meaning of Exodus 1:9 Explained

Exodus 1:9

KJV: And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:

YLT: and he saith unto his people, 'Lo, the people of the sons of Israel is more numerous and mighty than we;

Darby: And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we.

ASV: And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto his people,  Behold, the people  of the children  of Israel  [are] more  and mightier  than we: 

What does Exodus 1:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 1:1-14 - The Children Of Israel Afflicted
The buried seed began to bear an abundant harvest, notwithstanding the efforts of Pharaoh and his people. The kings of the earth take counsel together to thwart the divine purpose. They might as well seek to arrest the incoming tide. The days of persecution and opposition have always been the growing days of the Church.
The new king probably belonged to a great dynasty, intent on preventing the recurrence of shepherd domination. The first move of the new policy was to embitter Israel's existence by cruel bondage. The pictured walls of the Pyramids bear witness to sufferings inflicted on slaves of a Hebrew cast of face by taskmasters armed with whips. Pharaoh and his counselors had to learn that they were not only dealing with a subject nation, but with the Eternal God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 1

1  The children of Israel, after Joseph's death, increase
8  The more they are oppressed by a new king, the more they multiply
15  The godliness of the midwives in saving the male children alive
22  Pharaoh commands the male children to be cast into the river

What do the individual words in Exodus 1:9 mean?

And he said to his people Look the people of the sons of Israel [are] more and mightier than we
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־ עַמּ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֗ה עַ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֥ב וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַמּ֑וֹ  his  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הִנֵּ֗ה  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
עַ֚ם  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
רַ֥ב  [are]  more 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וְעָצ֖וּם  and  mightier 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָצוּם  
Sense: mighty, vast, numerous.
מִמֶּֽנּוּ  than  we 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.