SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:14
y amargaron su vida con dura servidumbre, en hacer barro y ladrillo, y en toda labor del campo, y en todo su servicio, al cual los obligaban con dureza.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Exodus 1:14
Verse 14. They made their lives bitter] So that they became weary of life, through the severity of their servitude. With hard bondage] hq hdb[b baabodah kashah, with grievous servitude. This was the general character of their life in Egypt; it was a life of the most painful servitude, oppressive enough in itself, but made much more so by the cruel manner of their treatment while performing their tasks.
In mortar, and in brick] First, in digging the clay, kneading, and preparing it, and secondly, forming it into bricks, drying them in the sun, &c.
Service in the field] Carrying these materials to the places where they were to be formed into buildings, and serving the builders while employed in those public works. Josephus says "The Egyptians contrived a variety of ways to afflict the Israelites; for they enjoined them to cut a great number of channels for the river, and to build walls for their cities and ramparts, that they might restrain the river, and hinder its waters from stagnating upon its overrunning its own banks; they set them also to build pyramids, (puramidav te anoikodomountev,) and wore them out, and forced them to learn all sorts of mechanic arts, and to accustom themselves to hard labour."-Antiq., lib. ii., cap. ix., sec. 1. Philo bears nearly the same testimony, p. 86, Edit. Mangey.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-14 - The land of Egypt became to Israel a house of bondage. The place wher we have been happy, may soon become the place of our affliction; an that may prove the greatest cross to us, of which we said, This sam shall comfort us. Cease from man, and say not of any place on this sid heaven, This is my rest. All that knew Joseph, loved him, and were kin to his brethren for his sake; but the best and most useful services man does to others, are soon forgotten after his death. Our great car should be, to serve God, and to please him who is not unrighteous whatever men are, to forget our work and labour of love. The offence of Israel is, that he prospers. There is no sight more hateful to a wicke man than the prosperity of the righteous. The Egyptians feared lest the children of Israel should join their enemies, and get them up out of the land. Wickedness is ever cowardly and unjust; it makes a man fear where no fear is, and flee, when no one pursues him. And human wisdo often is foolishness, and very sinful. God's people had task-master set over them, not only to burden them, but to afflict them with their burdens. They not only made them serve for Pharaoh's profit, but s that their lives became bitter. The Israelites wonderfully increased Christianity spread most when it was persecuted: the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. They that take counsel against the Lord and his Israel, do but imagine a vain thing, and create greate vexation to themselves.
Original Hebrew
וימררו 4843 את 853 חייהם 2416 בעבדה 5656 קשׁה 7186 בחמר 2563 ובלבנים 3843 ובכל 3605 עבדה 5656 בשׂדה 7704 את 853 כל 3605 עבדתם 5656 אשׁר 834 עבדו 5647 בהם בפרך׃ 6531
