And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, 'Every baby boy that is born, you must throw into the river, but let every baby girl live.'
Pharaoh ordered his people to kill all Hebrew baby boys by drowning them in the river, while sparing the girls.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, the Israelites had grown into a large nation in Egypt after the time of Joseph, which made the Egyptians fearful of their increasing numbers and potential threat. A new Pharaoh, who did not know of Joseph's earlier role in saving Egypt from famine, responded by enslaving the Israelites and issuing decrees to control their population. This specific order to throw newborn Hebrew boys into the Nile River was a brutal measure aimed at preventing the Israelites from becoming too powerful.
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