Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

The Bible does not go into a great deal of detail in this area, but I think that it's possible to draw some inferences from the first four chapters of Exodus.

Exodus 1:17 says that the Hebrew midwives feared God, and thus disobeyed Pharaoh's command. Pharaoh then ordered all the Egyptians to kill newborn Jewish males. Although the Bible does not specifically state it, there may have also been Egyptians (such as even Pharaoh's own daughter) who, for reasons of their own, or out of the same compassion that motivated her, were unwilling to obey Pharaoh's command by killing another human being, or who showed mercy on the Hebrew children. (To me, it would have been harder for Pharaoh to punish his own subjects for disobeying his order if it were known that his own daughter had rescued a Hebrew child, but had not been killed or otherwise punished for doing so.) 

Also, Exodus 2:23 says that during the long period of time that elapsed between Moses' birth and the time God called him (eighty years), the Pharaoh who issued the original order died. The Bible does not pinpoint when that occurred, but if it were shortly after Moses' rescue, the order given by the previous Pharaoh (even if it was being observed by the Egyptians) may not have remained in force. This would have allowed the Israelites to continue to increase in number (even though the Egyptians continued to oppress them). (God also told Moses when He called him to return to Egypt that all those who had wanted to kill Moses for his slaying of an Egyptian (Exodus 2:12) were dead (Exodus 4:19).)

Third, God told Moses when He called him that He had been watching over Israel (Exodus 3:16). Perhaps this could mean that God had not only been observing their suffering, but also somehow had been intervening Himself to protect the Israelites in ways that Scripture does not specifically mention.

Finally, if any or all of the above suppositions are true, a period of eighty years would have allowed the Israelites to increase substantially just by normal population growth.

April 10 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Ainsworth Henry

When the Egyptian was ordered to kill the Isralites male children. It was because of a prophecy and such information from the prophecy reveal certain age group. Pharaoh understanding of prophecy led him to order the murdering of all new born up to a certain age I do believe from month old up to three yrs old. Older Isralites male was not harm, unless they stood against Egypt soldiers.

April 14 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report