This "new king" didn't just fail to recognize Joseph's past favors; the text implies he actively chose to disregard them. This isn't just forgetfulness, but a deliberate severance from history and any debt owed, setting the stage for a radical shift in policy driven by fear rather than gratitude.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After a period of peace and prosperity, a new ruler takes the throne of Egypt, unaware of or indifferent to the significant contributions Joseph once made. This king views the growing Israelite population not as guests or beneficiaries of past kindness, but as a potential threat. He fears they might multiply and join Egypt's enemies, so he devises a plan to oppress them through forced labor, beginning their long suffering.
Why did this new king 'not know Joseph'? Was he genuinely ignorant, or was it something deeper?
The phrase 'knew not Joseph' goes beyond a simple lack of personal acquaintance. It signifies a deliberate turning away from acknowledging Joseph's crucial contributions.
Pharaoh perceived the Israelites as a threat. But was his reaction logical, or fueled by something else?
The new king's response to the growing Israelite population wasn't based on an immediate threat, but on a calculated, fear-driven strategy.
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Understand the original words
melek · Hebrew Noun
A title for a monarch, often implying absolute rule; in this context, it refers to the sovereign power of Egypt who exercised authority over both his own people and the enslaved Israelites.
yada' · Hebrew Verb
In this context, it implies more than mere intellectual awareness; it denotes a lack of recognition of the covenantal favor, historical alliance, or the divine blessing associated with Joseph's role in Egypt.
chakam · Hebrew Verb
A Hebrew term often translated as 'wise' or 'prudent,' but frequently carrying a negative connotation of cunning, craftiness, or deceit when used in opposition to God's people or His purposes.
milchamah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to armed conflict; biblically, war is often understood within the context of human struggle, but ultimately subject to God’s sovereign control over the nations.
The 'new king' represents a significant political shift, where the memory of Joseph's crucial service to Egypt had been forgotten, allowing fear and a desire for control to dictate policy towards the Israelites.
c. 1700 BC
Expulsion of the Hyksos
Native Egyptian rulers, potentially of the Theban dynasty, expelled the Hyksos (foreign rulers, often called 'Shepherd Kings') from Lower Egypt, reuniting the land under Egyptian control. This marked a significant shift in power and potentially ushered in a period of nationalist sentiment.
c. 1600 BC - 1400 BC
New Kingdom Period Begins
Following the expulsion of the Hyksos, Egypt entered its New Kingdom period, a time of great power, prosperity, and imperial expansion. This era saw the rise of powerful dynasties like the 18th Dynasty.
c. 1550 BC - 1450 BC
Joseph's Ministry in Egypt
While debated, this period (or earlier) is when Joseph, sold into slavery, rose to prominence as a high official, saving Egypt from famine and allowing his family (the Israelites) to settle in the land of Goshen.
c. 1450 BC - 1350 BC
Generations Pass and Memory Fades
Over generations, the extraordinary service of Joseph to Egypt began to fade from collective memory, especially as new dynasties took power and the original context of his service was forgotten.
c. 1350 BC— this verse
Accession of a New King
A new pharaoh ascended to the throne. This ruler, possibly of a new dynasty or simply with a different political outlook, did not personally remember or feel bound by the past benefits Joseph had conferred upon Egypt.
c. 1350 BC
Israelites Begin to Be Oppressed
Driven by fear of the growing Israelite population, the new pharaoh initiated policies of oppression, starting with taskmasters and forced labor on building projects like Pithom and Raamses.
This passage highlights the initial positive reception of Joseph's family in Egypt, showing the stark contrast with the later oppression when this relationship was forgotten.
Psalm 106:13This verse speaks to how quickly the Israelites' accomplishments and God's deliverance were forgotten by the Egyptians, mirroring the 'new king's' ignorance of Joseph's work.
Proverbs 17:13This proverb warns that returning evil for good is a wicked act, which directly applies to the Pharaoh's actions towards the descendants of the man who saved Egypt.
Matthew 25:40Jesus' teaching that what is done to the least of His brothers is done to Him provides a divine perspective on the injustice of oppressing Joseph's descendants.
Romans 1:21This verse describes how people's minds became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened, which can be seen as a spiritual parallel to the king's willful ignorance of past benefits.
calvinExodus 1:8-11: "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph."
Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and right against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Agedum, prudenter nos geramus erga illum, ne multiplicetur; ne accidat, si obvenerit bellum, jungatur ipse quoque hostibus nostris, et pugnet contra nos, ascendatque e terra.
Therefore they did…
clarkeExodus 1:8: "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph."
There arose up a new king - Who this was it is difficult to say. It was probably Ramesses Miamun, or his son Amenophis, who succeeded him in the government of Egypt about A. M. 2400, before Christ 1604. Which knew not Joseph - The verb ידע yada, which we translate to know, often signifies to acknowledge or approve. See Judges 2:10; Psalm 1:6; Psalm 31:7; Hosea 2:8; Amos 3:2. The Greek verbs ειδω and γινωσκω are used…
This "new king" didn't just fail to recognize Joseph's past favors; the text implies he actively chose to disregard them. This isn't just forgetfulness, but a deliberate severance from history and any debt owed, setting the stage for a radical shift in policy driven by fear rather than gratitude.
After a period of peace and prosperity, a new ruler takes the throne of Egypt, unaware of or indifferent to the significant contributions Joseph once made. This king views the growing Israelite population not as guests or beneficiaries of past kindness, but as a potential threat. He fears they might multiply and join Egypt's enemies, so he devises a plan to oppress them through forced labor, beginning their long suffering.
After a period of peace and prosperity, a new ruler takes the throne of Egypt, unaware of or indifferent to the significant contributions Joseph once made. This king views the growing Israelite population not as guests or beneficiaries of past kindness, but as a potential threat. He fears they might multiply and join Egypt's enemies, so he devises a plan to oppress them through forced labor, beginning their long suffering.
"Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out,…" — This "new king" didn't just fail to recognize Joseph's past favors; the text implies he actively chose to disregard them. This isn't just forgetfulness, but a deliberate severance from history and…
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Last reviewed October 2026
