Exodus 1:12

1:12 But the more the Egyptians31 oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread.32 As a result the Egyptians loathed33 the Israelites,

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31	tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32	tn The imperfect tenses in this verse are customary uses, expressing continual action in past time (see GKC 315 §107.e). For other examples of כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher) with כֵּן (ken) expressing a comparison (“just as … so”) see Gen 41:13; Judg 1:7; Isa 31:4. sn Nothing in the oppression caused this, of course. Rather, the blessing of God (Gen 12:1–3) was on Israel in spite of the efforts of Egypt to hinder it. According to Gen 15 God had foretold that there would be this period of oppression (עָנָה [’anah] in Gen 15:13). In other words, God had decreed and predicted both their becoming a great nation and the oppression to show that he could fulfill his promise to Abraham in spite of the bondage.
33	tn Heb “they felt a loathing before/because of”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.