How does the text emphasize Egypt’s malice toward Israel?

Just as Exodus 1:7 piles up words to emphasize Israel’s fertility, so here the text piles up words to highlight Egypt’s hatred:

• ruthlessly – two times, at the beginning and end of the description

• made them work as slaves, made their lives bitter, made them work as slaves

• hard service, all kinds of work, all their work

Furthermore, the text tells us the kinds of work they were to do, namely, preparing mortar and brick (see also Exodus 5:7) and in fieldwork. The latter may have included the work of irrigation which was essential to Egyptian agriculture.¹ In all, the text paints a grim picture of how awful life was for the Israelite slaves.

Notably, Exodus 1:13–14 is not merely a repetition of Exodus 1:11.² Rather, these verses describe the increasing oppression that resulted from Egypt’s dread of Israel. In other words, as Israel continued to grow, Egypt became more and more ferocious in their attacks on God’s people.