King James Version

Exodus 1:20

Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

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Hebrew

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וַיֵּ֥יטֶבvayeytevand be acceptedיָטַבconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be accepted”, the next action in the storyH3190to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right)be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, [phrase] be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ([phrase]…אֱלֹהִ֖יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑תlamyaldotto bearיָלַדpreposition, with the article, verb, piel, participle, absolute — “to bear”, a verb used as a describing wordH3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineagebear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (wom…וַיִּ֧רֶבvayirevand increaseרָבָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and increase”, the next action in the storyH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…הָעָ֛םhaamthe peopleעַםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּvayaatsmvand closeעָצַםconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and close”, the next action in the storyH6105to bind fast, i.e. close (the eyes); intransitively, to be (causatively, make) powerful or numerous; to crunch the bonesbreak the bones, close, be great, be increased, be (wax) mighty(-ier), be more, shut, be(-come, make) strong(-er).מְאֹֽדmeodespeciallyמְאֹדadverb — “especially”H3966properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), [idiom] louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ([phrase] much, sore), well.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

Young’s Literal Translation

And God doth good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;

World English Bible

God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

Darby Translation

And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.

Douay-Rheims

Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And God did well to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very strong.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εὖ δὲ ἐποίει ὁ Θεὸς ταῖς μαίαις· καὶ ἐπλήθυνεν ὁ λαὸς, καὶ ἴσχυε σφόδπα.