Exodus Chapter 1 recounts the plight of the Israelites in Egypt after Joseph's death. A new Pharaoh, fearing their growing population, enslaves them and imposes harsh labor. Despite this oppression, the Israelites continue to multiply. Pharaoh orders Hebrew midwives to kill newborn boys, but they defy him out of fear of God, allowing the boys to live. In frustration, Pharaoh decrees that all newborn Hebrew boys must be thrown into the Nile, setting the stage for the dramatic events that follow in the Exodus narrative.

This chapter describes the final steps in the construction and consecration of the tabernacle, as well as the presence of the Lord manifested through the cloud and the glory that fills the tabernacle, guiding the Israelites in their journeys.