What does Exodus 1:10 mean?

Pharaoh continues his discussion with his people (Exodus 1:9) by declaring the answer to the problem of the large Hebrew population is to "deal shrewdly" with the Israelites. He bases his decision on the fear that the Israelites will become so numerous they will join Egypt's enemies during war and escape from the land. This policy was likely enforced for many years since two cities were built following this command.

This effort to "deal shrewdly" included forced labor, or what we today would define as slavery. This would serve as the first of three phases of oppression noted in this chapter. After this first phase of enslavement verse 12 notes that the population of Israel continued to grow. Second, the Egyptians "ruthlessly" forced the Israelites to work as slaves, making "their lives bitter" with harsh labor as brick makers and workers in fields (Exodus 1:12–14). Third, the Pharaoh will later tell Hebrew midwives to throw newborn Hebrew sons into the Nile. This infanticide was intended to reduce population growth (Exodus 1:15–22). Yet the midwives let the children live out of fear of God, causing Pharaoh to extend this murderous command to all of the Egyptian people (Exodus 1:22). Despite these efforts, nothing could stop God's plan to turn the Jewish people into a mighty nation (Genesis 12:1–3).