Exodus 2:23-25 form the introduction to the next chapter. The cruel oppression of the Israelites in Egypt continued without intermission or amelioration. "In those many days the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the service" (i.e., their hard slave labour). The "many days" are the years of oppression, or the time between the birth of Moses and the birth of his children in Midian. The king of Egypt who died, was in any case the king mentioned in Exodus 2:15; but whether he was one and the same with the "new king" (Exodus 1:8), or a successor of his, cannot be decided. If the former were the case, we should have to assume, with Baumgarten, that the death of the king took place not very long after Moses' flight, seeing that he was an old man at the time of Moses' birth, and had a grown-up daughter. But the greater part of the "many days" would then fall in his successor's reign, which is obviously opposed to the meaning of the words, "It came to pass in those many days, that the king of Egypt died." For this reason the other supposition, that the king mentioned here is a successor of the one mentioned in Exodus 1:8, has far greater probability. At the same time, all that can be determined from a comparison of Exodus 7:7 is, that the Egyptian oppression lasted more than 80 years. This allusion to the complaints of the Israelites, in connection with the notice of the king's death, seems to imply that they hoped for some amelioration of their lot from the change of government; and that when they were disappointed, and groaned the more bitterly in consequence, they cried to God for help and deliverance. This is evident from the remark, "Their cry came up unto God," and is stated distinctly in Deuteronomy 26:7.

Exodus 3:4 Parallel Commentaries

unto him.

Deuteronomy 33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelled in the bush...

Moses.

Genesis 22:1,11 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said to him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am...

Genesis 46:2 And God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

1 Samuel 3:4,6,8,10 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I...

Psalm 62:11 God has spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs to God.

Acts 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me?

Acts 10:3,13 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying to him, Cornelius...