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The Hebrew version of Exodus has Pharaoh order that every newborn son be thrown into the river, which could have included Egyptians. The Greek Septuagint adds ‘to the Hebrews,’ clarifying the ambiguous Hebrew.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Exodus 1:22
Hebrew Bible
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women—for the Hebrew women are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!” 20 So God treated the midwives well, and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he made households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “All sons that are born you must throw into the river, but all daughters you may let live.”
LXX Exodus 1:22
Septuagint
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt, for they give birth before the midwives get to them; indeed, they have already given birth.” 20 And God did good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 Since the midwives feared God, they made houses for themselves. 22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “Every male baby that may be born to the Hebrews, throw it into the river, and every female baby, keep it alive.”
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Notes and References
... adds τοῖς Ἐβραίοις. Verse 22 escalates the extent of the males to be killed (πᾶν). His command to them both repeats his command to the midwives to kill the males born to the Hebrews and to preserve the females. It also expands in escalating severity. The males are to be thrown into the river. Whereas verse 16 is simply concerned that the child be killed (ἀποκτείνατε αὐτό), in verse 22 Pharaō indicates the means by which the execution is to take place: ‘cast (him) into the river’ (εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ῥίψατε). Ποταμὸν renders the Hebrew יאֹר, ‘river,’ a loanword from the Egyptian itrw (Propp 1999, 147), thus sometimes translated ‘Nile.’ ...
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