Exodus 3:7

7 To whom the Lord said, I saw the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I heard the cry thereof, for the hardness of them that be sovereigns of the works (and I heard their cry, for the hardness of those who be their taskmasters). And I knew the sorrow of the people,

Exodus 3:7 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 3:7

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my
people which are in Egypt
Or, "in seeing I have seen", which not only denotes the certainty of it, as we express it; but the clear, distinct, and full sight he had of it, with sympathy towards them, an affectionate concern for them, and a fixed, settled, determination in his mind to deliver them; he had long took notice of, and had thoroughly observed their affliction, and was afflicted with them in it, and was bent upon their deliverance out of it: and have heard their cry, by reason of their taskmasters;
who were set over them to see that they did their work, and to lay heavy burdens on them, and afflict them by all manner of ways and methods they could devise; and who abused and beat them for not doing what was not to be done, which made them cry out because of their barbarous usage of them, and cry unto God for help and deliverance: for I know their sorrows;
the pains of body they were put unto, and the inward grief and trouble of their minds on account of them.

Exodus 3:7 In-Context

5 And the Lord said, Nigh thou not hither, but (first) unbind thou the shoes of thy feet, for the place in which thou standest is holy land (for the place where thou standest is holy ground).

6 And the Lord said, I am (the) God of thy father(s), (the) God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. Moses hid his face, for he durst not look against God (for he dared not look at God).

7 To whom the Lord said, I saw the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I heard the cry thereof, for the hardness of them that be sovereigns of the works (and I heard their cry, for the hardness of those who be their taskmasters). And I knew the sorrow of the people,

8 and I came down to deliver them from the hands of (the) Egyptians, and lead out of that land into a good land and broad (and to lead them out of that land into a good and broad land), into a land that floweth with milk and honey, to the places of Canaanites, and of Hittites, of Amorites, and of Perizzites, and of Hivites, and of Jebusites.

9 Therefore the cry of the sons of Israel came to me, and I saw the torment of them, by which they be oppressed of the Egyptians (And so the cry of the Israelites came to me, and I saw their torment, and how they were oppressed by the Egyptians.)