Why did egypts pharaoh make the Hebrew people become slaves?

Answer 1

Exodus 1:7-14 - But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land."

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.

So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage - in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.[NKJV]

Answer 2

Because his chief of staff, his secretary of state, his national security council, the chairman of his joint chiefs, the president pro tem of his senate, the speaker of his house, his supreme court, the chairman of his fed, and most of his other advisors, advised him that regardless of all the benefits these people have brought to our country throughout our recent history, regardless of the fact that one of them was our vice president less than a hundred years ago, regardless of the agricultural and commercial development they've brought to Goshen and the tax revenue you get from them every year, regardless of how many of them have done everything in our military forces from a single hitch to a 20-yr career, and regardless of how fully they've integrated and assimilated into every facet of the arts, sciences, economy, and culture of our country, you just listen to us ! The minute anybody threatens Egypt from the outside, these people will jump ship, go over to the enemy, and do everything they can to undermine us. Even though their society seems to be completely bound up with ours, you've seen how they do things different, how they like to stick together, how they want every Saturday off, how they wear funny clothing, how they don't even have the decency to celebrate Christmas like reasonable people, and how they even like to speak their own language when they're together with their own kind. You listen to us, Pharaoh ! Even though they've never given us a bit of trouble, and everything they've ever done around here has been beneficial to us, all of that is just their scheme to throw us off guard. Sooner or later these people are going to tear our country apart if we let them. We have to do something to stop them now, before it's too late !

Funny thing . . . Germany heard the same thing in the 1930's, and they bought it too.

Answer 3

The Torah states that Pharaoh claimed that the high Israelite birth-rate could pose a potential threat (Exodus ch.1).On a spiritual level, the Egyptian slavery was brought about by God (see Genesis ch.15). It taught us the importance of loving the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19), it showed us the power of God when He redeemed us (Exodus 10:2) as well as His personal concern for us (Exodus 2:24); and it served as the "iron furnace" (Deuteronomy 4:20) which smelted us (the Israelites) into a nation and separated the dross.

See also:

Timeline

The Exodus

Answer 4

A mean Pharaoh came to power, and he was mean.

Answer 5

Because he was afraid that if war came, the Hebrews would side with Egypt's enemies.

Answer 6

He was afraid of their high birthrate (Exodus ch.1).