Acts 7:19

Dealt subtilly (katasopisameno). First aorist middle participle of katasopizomai, late compound (kata and sopizw, old verb, to make wise, to become wise, then to play the sophist), perfective use of kata. In the LXX, but here only in the N.T. To use fraud, craft, deceit. That they should cast out their babes (tou poiein ta breph ekqeta). Tou poiein (genitive of the articular present infinitive) can be either design or result. The Revised Version here takes it as purpose while the Authorized as result. In either case Pharaoh required the Israelites to expose their children to death, a possible practice done voluntarily in heathen China and by heathen in so-called Christian lands. But the Israelites fought against such an iniquity. The word ekqeta (exposed, cast out) is a verbal adjective from ektiqhmi. It is an old word, but here only in the N.T. and not in the LXX. To the end they might not live (ei to mh zwogoneisqai). Purpose with ei and the articular infinitive (present middle). This compound verb is from zwogono (from zwo, alive, and genw, to bear) and is used by late writers and the LXX. It is three times in the N.T. (here, Luke 17:33 ; 1 Timothy 6:13 ) in the sense to preserve alive.