Bible Strands
Exodus 1:8
Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records this event immediately after describing the rapid multiplication of the Israelites in Egypt. The text marks a political transition as a new ruler assumes authority over the land.
The words — The phrase אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע (a.Sher lo' ya.Da') translates literally to "who did not know." This Hebrew idiom denotes a complete lack of personal acquaintance or covenantal recognition.
The thread — Luke records this same succession in Acts 7:18 when Stephen recounts Israel’s history. The motif of forgotten legacy also echoes in Ecclesiastes 2:18 and Ecclesiastes 9:15 regarding successors who inherit without remembering the past.
Why it lands — The verse demands acknowledgment that historical memory shapes political reality. It requires the reader to recognize how the erasure of past alliances enables new policies of control.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Cross-references
- Acts 7:18 Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt.
- Ecclesiastes 2:18 I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
- Ecclesiastes 9:15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.