As soon as Jacob was dead, the eyes of the Israelites were closed, as
well as their hearts. They began to feel the dominion of the
stranger,[1] although real bondage did not enslave them until some time
later. While a single one of the sons of Jacob was alive, the Egyptians
did not venture to approach the Israelites with evil intent. It was
only when Levi, the last of them, had departed this life that their
suffering commenced.[2] A change in the relation of the Egyptians
toward the Israelites had, indeed, been noticeable immediately after
the death of Joseph, but they did not throw off their mask completely
until Levi was no more. Then the slavery of the Israelites supervened
in good earnest.
The first hostile act on the part of the Egyptians was to deprive the
Israelites of their fields, their vineyards, and the gifts that Joseph
had sent to his brethren. Not content with these animosities, they
sought to do them harm in, other ways.[3] The reason for the hatred of
the Egyptians was envy and fear. The Israelites had increased to a
miraculous degree. At the death of Jacob the seventy persons he had
brought down with him bad grown to the number of six hundred
thousand,[4] and their physical strength and heroism were extraordinary
and therefore alarming to the Egyptians. There were many occasions at
that time for the display of prowess. Not long after the death of Levi
occurred that of the Egyptian king Magron, who had been bred up by
Joseph, and therefore was not wholly without grateful recollection of
what he and his family had accomplished for the welfare of Egypt. But
his son and successor Malol, together with his whole court, knew not
the sons of Jacob and their achievements, and they did not scruple to
oppress the Hebrews.
The final breach between them and the Egyptians took place during the
wars waged by Malol against Zepho, the grandson of Esau. In the course
of it, the Israelites had saved the Egyptians from a crushing defeat,
but instead of being grateful they sought only the undoing of their
benefactors, from fear that the giant strength of the Hebrews might be
turned against them.[5]