Exodus 1:9 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

He said unto his people, &c.— i.e. to his council, composed of the principal people of his land. We must either understand the king here in an hyperbolical sense, or as uttering the language of fear, which, indeed, the word wisely, let us deal wisely, seems to insinuate; or else, as there is no verb in the Hebrew, we must supply the verb will be instead of are: The children of Israel will be more and mightier than we; therefore, come on, (Exodus 1:10.) let us do so and so.