Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
After Joseph and his brothers and all that generation died, while the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and grew exceeding mighty until the land was filled with them, a new ruler came to power over Egypt. In one sense, he had no knowledge of Joseph. In another sense, he did not honor Joseph and refused to acknowledge his service to Egypt, rather than being merely unaware of it.
With the generation Joseph had helped gone, he treated Israel's growing population as a threat, telling his people that Israel had become more and mightier than they and calling for wise dealing to keep them from multiplying further lest they join enemies in war and fight and leave the land, and this began policies that led to their enslavement. Although he moved to hold them, he had learned that Israel were of great service to the kingdom as able and understanding workmen whose labor he was unwilling to lose, so he ranked the free Israelites with the class of slaves who had sold their flocks, herds, lands, and themselves for food. His call for wise dealing to stop their increase led to setting taskmasters over them to afflict them, building the treasure-cities Pithom and Raamses, imposing bitter and rigorous bondage in mortar and brick and field service that put even women to work in the fields, and then enforcing daily quotas to subdue them and crush their independent spirit.
The oppression then advanced to commanding the killing of newborn sons at birth and finally to casting sons into the river, moved by Satan to destroy the male children and defeat God's purpose of raising up a Hebrew deliverer. The verse warns those who inherit what earlier workers prepared not to grow self-important and forget Joseph, whose earlier service had benefited them. It applies to men newly placed in positions of responsibility who disregard the service and history of those who came before them, and their resistance to straight testimony and pride over rebukes puts them at risk of following the pattern of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
After Joseph and his brothers and all that generation died, while the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and grew exceeding mighty until the land was filled with them, a new ruler came to power over Egypt. In one sense, he had no knowledge of Joseph. In another sense, he did not honor Joseph and refused to acknowledge his service to Egypt, rather than being merely unaware of it.
With the generation Joseph had helped gone, he treated Israel's growing population as a threat, telling his people that Israel had become more and mightier than they and calling for wise dealing to keep them from multiplying further lest they join enemies in war and fight and leave the land, and this began policies that led to their enslavement. Although he moved to hold them, he had learned that Israel were of great service to the kingdom as able and understanding workmen whose labor he was unwilling to lose, so he ranked the free Israelites with the class of slaves who had sold their flocks, herds, lands, and themselves for food. His call for wise dealing to stop their increase led to setting taskmasters over them to afflict them, building the treasure-cities Pithom and Raamses, imposing bitter and rigorous bondage in mortar and brick and field service that put even women to work in the fields, and then enforcing daily quotas to subdue them and crush their independent spirit.
The oppression then advanced to commanding the killing of newborn sons at birth and finally to casting sons into the river, moved by Satan to destroy the male children and defeat God's purpose of raising up a Hebrew deliverer. The verse warns those who inherit what earlier workers prepared not to grow self-important and forget Joseph, whose earlier service had benefited them. It applies to men newly placed in positions of responsibility who disregard the service and history of those who came before them, and their resistance to straight testimony and pride over rebukes puts them at risk of following the pattern of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.