And God looked upon the children of Israel
With an eye of pity and compassion, and saw all the hardships they laboured under, and all the injuries that were done unto them:
and God had respect unto [them];
had a favourable regard to them; or "knew" F2 not only them, the Israelites, and loved them, and approved of them, and owned them as his own, all which words of knowledge sometimes signify; but he knew their sorrows and sufferings, and took notice of what was done to them secretly; see ( Exodus 3:7 ) .