(Exod. 1:1, cont.:) WHO ARE COMING (haba'im) TO EGYPT.¹⁷ They had already been there a long time.¹⁸., Exod. 1:3; Exod. R. 1:4. The problem here concerns the position of this record of names. Why are they listed here in Exod. 1:1–5, when the descent to Egypt has already occurred in Gen. 46 with a much fuller name listing? Then why does it say here (in Exod. 1:1): WHO ARE COMING (haba'im)? It is simply that as long as Joseph was alive, the burden of the Egyptians did not come upon them; but, as soon as Joseph was dead, the burden of the Egyptians was set upon them. Ergo: WHO ARE COMING (haba'im). It was as if all WHO CAME (haba'im) TO EGYPT had entered Egypt on that very day.

footnotes: ¹⁷ A traditional translation would read, “Who came to Egypt,” but the midrash insists that the participle be understood as a present tense in accord with later Hebrew. ¹⁸ Tanh

(Exod. 1:1, cont.:) WITH JACOB. From where are those WHO CAME? From the strength of Jacob.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ Exod. R. 1:4 adds: “Because he had acquired meritorious deeds and good works and was worthy of raising up twelve tribes.”

(Exod. 1:1, cont.:) EACH ONE COMING WITH HIS HOUSEHOLD. R. Huna said: This teaches that Jacob did not go down to Egypt until he had numbered in his family Perez and Hezron. The one was a year old, and the other was two years old.²⁰ Then he paired²¹ cf. zugon, zeugos. them with wives.²²

footnotes: ²⁰ But cf. Gen. 46:12, according to which Perez was the father of Hezron. ²¹ Gk.: zeugnumi; ²² The interpretation is derived from the word HOUSEHOLD. Of course, in earlier times such early betrothals were not unusual.