earnest.

The first hostile act on the part of the Egyptians was to
deprive the Israelites of their fields, their vineyards, and the
gifts that Joseph had sent to his brethren. Not content with
these animosities, they sought to do them harm in, other
ways.[3] The reason for the hatred of the Egyptians was envy
and fear. The Israelites had increased to a miraculous
degree. At the death of Jacob the seventy persons he had
brought down with him bad grown to the number of six
hundred thousand,[4] and their physical strength and heroism
were extraordinary and therefore alarming to the Egyptians. There
were many occasions at that time for the display
of prowess. Not long after the death of Levi occurred
that of the Egyptian king Magron, who had been bred up