Deuteronomy 26:6

KJV

And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:

KJV (with Strong's)

And the Egyptians {H4713} evil entreated {H7489} us, and afflicted {H6031} us, and laid {H5414} upon us hard {H7186} bondage {H5656}:

Complete Jewish Bible

But the Egyptians treated us badly; they oppressed us and imposed harsh slavery on us.

Berean Standard Bible

But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.

American Standard Version

And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 26:6 is a pivotal verse within the prescribed firstfruits liturgy, serving as the opening declaration of Israel's historical confession before God. It vividly recounts the severe and multifaceted oppression endured by the Israelites under Egyptian rule, detailing the "evil entreatment," "affliction," and "hard bondage" they suffered. This powerful remembrance of their past suffering is not merely a historical note but a foundational element of their identity and a crucial prelude to acknowledging God's mighty and gracious deliverance, fostering profound gratitude and perpetual reliance on His covenant faithfulness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is embedded within the liturgical confession (Deuteronomy 26:5-10) that accompanies the offering of firstfruits (Deuteronomy 26:1-11). The act of bringing the first portion of the land's produce to the priest at the central sanctuary was not merely an agricultural ritual but a profound theological statement. The confession begins with the individual identifying themselves as a "perishing Aramean" (Deuteronomy 26:5), highlighting their humble, nomadic origins and vulnerability. Verse 6 then immediately shifts to the subsequent period of intense suffering in Egypt, forming the crucial initial step in a divinely mandated historical narrative that culminates in God's powerful intervention and their settlement in the Promised Land. This structure ensures that gratitude for the land's bounty is inextricably linked to the remembrance of God's redemptive acts.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical backdrop is the centuries-long enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt, as detailed in the book of Exodus. This period was characterized by systematic oppression, forced labor (corvée labor), and attempts to control and diminish the Israelite population. The Egyptians, a powerful and advanced civilization, viewed the growing Israelite community as a threat, leading to harsh decrees and dehumanizing treatment. For the Israelites, this experience of "hard bondage" (Exodus 1:13-14) was a defining national trauma. Culturally, the act of remembering and recounting national history, especially one marked by suffering and divine deliverance, was vital for forging and maintaining a collective identity. This confession served as a pedagogical tool, ensuring that future generations, who had no direct experience of Egypt, would internalize their origins and God's faithfulness.
* **Key Themes:** Deuteronomy 26:6 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch. It underscores the theme of **Oppression and Suffering**, painting a stark picture of the depths from which God delivered His people, thereby magnifying the glory of His salvation. Central also is **Historical Remembrance**, a constant Deuteronomic imperative (e.g., [Deuteronomy 8:2](/deuteronomy/8-2 "Deuteronomy 8:2 - Remembering God's Leading")), ensuring that Israel's identity remained rooted in God's past acts rather than their own merit. This remembrance fosters **Gratitude** for God's provision and **Covenant Faithfulness**, as God's deliverance from Egypt (foreshadowed in this verse and detailed in [Exodus 12:51](/exodus/12-51 "Exodus 12:51 - The Exodus from Egypt")) is the bedrock of the Mosaic Covenant. The verse implicitly sets the stage for the theme of **Divine Deliverance**, which immediately follows in the confession, highlighting God's compassionate response to their cries.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Evil entreated (Hebrew, רעע, _ra'a'_):** This verb signifies "to treat badly," "to harm," or "to do evil." In this context, it conveys a deliberate, malicious, and comprehensive mistreatment by the Egyptians. It implies not just incidental hardship but a systematic and intentional program of causing distress and injury to the Israelites, encompassing physical, emotional, and social dimensions of abuse.
* **Afflicted (Hebrew, ענה, _'anah'_):** This word carries the nuance of "to humble," "to oppress," "to cause suffering," or "to bring low." It speaks to the burden and distress laid upon the Israelites, often through forced labor or harsh conditions that broke their spirit and diminished their dignity. It suggests a state of being weighed down, both physically and psychologically, under the yoke of their oppressors.
* **Hard bondage (Hebrew, עבדה קשה, _'abodah qashah'_):** This phrase literally translates to "hard service" or "heavy labor." The term _'abodah_ refers to work or service, while _qashah_ means difficult, severe, or harsh. Together, they describe the rigorous, back-breaking, and dehumanizing nature of the forced labor imposed by the Egyptians, as vividly depicted in [Exodus 1:13-14](/exodus/1-13 "Exodus 1:13-14 - Israel's Hard Bondage in Egypt"). This was not merely work but a form of enslavement designed to crush their spirit and control their population.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the Egyptians evil entreated us":** This opening clause establishes the perpetrators and the nature of their initial actions. It highlights the deliberate malice and comprehensive ill-treatment inflicted by the Egyptians upon the Israelites, setting the tone for the subsequent descriptions of suffering. This "evil entreatment" was foundational to their experience of oppression.
* **"and afflicted us":** Building upon the previous clause, this phrase emphasizes the deepening and intensification of the suffering. It speaks to the physical and psychological burdens imposed, indicating that the mistreatment was not superficial but deeply distressing and debilitating, causing profound distress and humiliation.
* **"and laid upon us hard bondage":** This final clause specifies the primary means of their oppression: systematic, rigorous, and dehumanizing forced labor. It describes the culmination of the Egyptians' malicious intent, resulting in a life of arduous servitude that stripped the Israelites of their freedom and dignity, making their lives bitter and unbearable.

#### Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 26:6 employs several literary devices to enhance its impact. The most prominent is **Repetition** through the use of three distinct yet complementary verbs ("evil entreated," "afflicted," "laid upon us hard bondage") to describe the suffering. This cumulative effect emphasizes the comprehensive, severe, and relentless nature of the Egyptian oppression, ensuring the hearer fully grasps the depth of Israel's plight. This repetition also creates a sense of **Pathos**, evoking sympathy and a profound emotional connection to the historical suffering, which in turn magnifies the subsequent divine deliverance. Furthermore, the verse functions as a concise piece of **Historical Narrative**, serving as a mnemonic device within a liturgical context. Its succinct yet powerful description ensures that the foundational story of Israel's origins and God's redemptive work is remembered and recited across generations, solidifying national identity and theological understanding.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 26:6 serves as a profound theological anchor, reminding Israel, and by extension, all believers, of God's unwavering character as a compassionate deliverer. The recounting of severe oppression is not meant to wallow in past pain but to magnify the glory of God's intervention. It underscores that God hears the cries of the oppressed and acts decisively on behalf of His people, not because of their merit, but because of His covenant faithfulness and boundless mercy. This historical memory cultivates a deep sense of humility and gratitude, preventing entitlement and fostering a perpetual reliance on divine grace. It also establishes a theological precedent: God is inherently opposed to injustice and bondage, and His redemptive work consistently involves freeing those who are enslaved or suffering.

* [Exodus 1:11-14](/exodus/1-11 "Egyptian Oppression of Israel")
* [Exodus 3:7-8](/exodus/3-7 "God Sees Israel's Affliction and Hears Their Cry")
* [Psalm 105:23-25](/psalm/105-23 "Israel's Sojourn and Affliction in Egypt")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 26:6, though rooted in ancient Israel's history, resonates deeply with the human experience of suffering and the divine promise of deliverance. For believers today, it serves as a powerful reminder that God is intimately acquainted with our struggles, whether they be spiritual bondage to sin, emotional affliction, or societal oppression. Just as God heard the cries of Israel and acted decisively, He remains attentive to the cries of His people in every generation. This verse calls us to cultivate a posture of profound gratitude by intentionally remembering the "Egypts" in our own lives—the times of hardship, despair, or spiritual enslavement from which God has graciously delivered us. Such remembrance not only deepens our worship but also fuels our empathy for those who are currently suffering injustice or oppression, compelling us to participate in God's ongoing work of liberation and restoration in the world.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what specific ways has God delivered me from "hard bondage" or affliction in my own life, and how can I more consistently remember and celebrate those acts of deliverance?**
* **How does understanding Israel's historical suffering under oppression deepen my empathy and call me to advocate for or serve those who are marginalized and suffering injustice in my community or globally?**
* **What "firstfruits" of my life—whether time, talent, or treasure—can I offer to God as a tangible expression of gratitude for His past and ongoing faithfulness?**

### FAQ

**Why was it so important for the Israelite to recite this specific historical confession, including the details of their suffering, during the firstfruits ceremony?**

Answer: The recitation of this historical confession during the firstfruits ceremony was crucial for several interconnected reasons. Firstly, it served as a powerful act of **remembrance and identity formation**. By recounting their humble origins as a "perishing Aramean" (Deuteronomy 26:5) and their subsequent suffering in Egypt, the Israelite was reminded that their prosperity in the Promised Land was not due to their own merit or strength, but solely to God's gracious and powerful intervention. This prevented spiritual amnesia and fostered humility. Secondly, it was an act of **gratitude and covenant renewal**. The offering of the firstfruits was a tangible expression of thanks for God's provision, and the confession articulated the profound reason for that gratitude: deliverance from bondage into a land of abundance. It reaffirmed their commitment to the covenant with the God who had redeemed them. Thirdly, it served a **pedagogical purpose**, ensuring that the story of God's redemptive work was passed down through generations, maintaining the collective memory of the nation. It reinforced the understanding that God is a deliverer who hears the cries of the oppressed, a truth essential for their ongoing faithfulness and trust in Him, guarding against the danger of forgetting God's past leading as warned in [Deuteronomy 8:11-14](/deuteronomy/8-11 "Deuteronomy 8:11-14 - Warning Against Forgetting God").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 26:6, with its vivid portrayal of Israel's "hard bondage" and affliction in Egypt, powerfully foreshadows humanity's universal spiritual enslavement to sin and death. Just as Israel was held captive by an oppressive power, all humanity is born into bondage under the dominion of sin, unable to free themselves (as seen in [John 8:34](/john/8-34 "John 8:34 - Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin") and [Romans 6:6](/romans/6-6 "Romans 6:6 - Our Old Self Crucified with Christ")). The cries of Israel under Pharaoh find their ultimate echo in the groaning of creation and humanity under the weight of sin and its consequences. Jesus Christ, the true and greater Moses, enters this bondage not to escape it, but to conquer it from within. His incarnation, suffering, and sacrificial death on the cross constitute the ultimate Exodus, delivering us from the tyranny of sin and the fear of death (as articulated in [Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Jesus Frees from Fear of Death")). We are redeemed not by silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Christ (as revealed in [1 Peter 1:18-19](/1_peter/1-18 "1 Peter 1:18-19 - Redeemed by the Precious Blood of Christ")), granting us true freedom and access to the ultimate "promised land" of eternal life and communion with God. Our "firstfruits" offering now is a life lived in grateful obedience, standing firm in the liberty Christ has secured for us (as exhorted in [Galatians 5:1](/galatians/5-1 "Galatians 5:1 - Stand Firm in the Freedom of Christ")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Exodus 1:11

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

Exodus 1:14

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, [was] with rigour.

Exodus 5:9

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Deuteronomy 4:20

But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, [even] out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as [ye are] this day.

Exodus 5:19

And the officers of the children of Israel did see [that] they [were] in evil [case], after it was said, Ye shall not minish [ought] from your bricks of your daily task.

Exodus 1:16

And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [be] a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it [be] a daughter, then she shall live.

Exodus 5:23

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.