The Meaning of Exodus 2:23 Explained

Exodus 2:23

KJV: And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

YLT: And it cometh to pass during these many days, that the king of Egypt dieth, and the sons of Israel sigh because of the service, and cry, and their cry goeth up unto God, because of the service;

Darby: And it came to pass during those many days, that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and cried; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage;

ASV: And it came to pass in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass in process  of time,  that the king  of Egypt  died:  and the children  of Israel  sighed  by reason of  the bondage,  and they cried,  and their cry  came up  unto God  by reason of the bondage. 

What does Exodus 2:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 2:11-25 - Moses Slays An Egyptian And Flees To Midian
Amid all the allurements of Pharaoh's court, the heart of Moses beat true to his own people. Neither the treasures of Egypt, nor the pleasures of sin; the attraction of human love, nor the glamour of the world's smile, could turn him aside from his own folk. A light shone for him over the humble huts of Goshen, before which that of Pharaoh's palaces paled. Some glimmering knowledge of the promised Christ appears to have been present to his mind; and he esteemed that hope to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Hebrews 11:26.
He had, however, much to learn. By strength no man can prevail. The battle is not to the strong, nor the race to the swift. The salvation of Israel from their untold miseries must be due, from first to last, to the outstretched hand of their Almighty Protector. Hence the failure of Moses' first attempt. Instead of looking "this way and that," he must look upward. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 2

1  Moses is born, and placed in a basket in the reeds of Nile
5  He is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter;
7  who employs his mother to nurse him
11  He kills an Egyptian
13  He reproves a Hebrew
15  He flees into Midian, and marries Zipporah
22  Gershom is born
23  God respects the Israelites' cry

What do the individual words in Exodus 2:23 mean?

And it came to pass after days many those that died The king of Egypt and groaned the sons of Israel because of the bondage and they cried out And came up their cry to God of the bondage
וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מָת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־ הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים הָעֲבֹדָֽה

וַיְהִי֩  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בַיָּמִ֨ים  after  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָֽרַבִּ֜ים  many 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
הָהֵ֗ם  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וַיָּ֙מָת֙  that  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  The  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ  and  groaned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָנַח  
Sense: (Niphal) sigh, groan (in pain or grief), gasp.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל  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.
מִן־  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה  of  the  bondage 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.
וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ  and  they  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
וַתַּ֧עַל  And  came  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם  their  cry 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שַׁוְעָה  
Sense: cry for help.
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָעֲבֹדָֽה  of  the  bondage 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.