Another interpretation: that the theaters and circuses were filled with them. Immediately they decreed against them that they should keep apart from them. "And there arose a new king over Egypt" (Exodus 1:8). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Was he really a new king? Rather, he made new against them decrees of calamity. Another interpretation: he was the same Pharaoh as before, except that they said to him, "Come, let us scheme against this nation." He said to them, "Until now we have lived off what is theirs, and shall we scheme against them? Were it not for Joseph, those men would have no hands." Immediately they brought him down from his throne for three months, and when he saw this he said to them, "Whatever you say, I will obey you," therefore "there arose a new king." The prophet said, "They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, for they have begotten strange children" (Hosea 5:7), for they would bear children and not circumcise them. "Now shall the new moon [chodesh] devour them," "new" is written, "there arose a new [chadash] king." "Who did not know Joseph" (Exodus 1:8), he did not recognize Joseph. To what is the matter compared? To one who stoned the statue of a duke. The king said, "Take him and cut off his head. Today he did this to that one, tomorrow he will do the like to me." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: now "he did not know Joseph," tomorrow he will say "I do not know the LORD" (Exodus 5:2).
A New King Who Did Not Know Joseph
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 162:11
דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁנִּתְמַלְּאוּ בָּתֵּי טַרְטִיאוֹת וּבָתֵּי קִרְקָסִיאוֹת מֵהֶם. מִיָּד גָּזְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁיִּפְרְשׁוּ מֵהֶן. (שמות א ח) וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ עַל מִצְרַיִם, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא וְכִי מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ הָיָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁחִדֵּשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם גְּזֵרוֹת שֶׁל פֻּרְעָנוּת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הוּא הָיָה פַּרְעֹה הָרִאשׁוֹן, אֶלָּא שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ בֹּא וְנִזְדַּוֵּג לְאֻמָּה זוֹ. אָמַר לָהֶם, עַד עַכְשָׁיו הָיִינוּ מִשֶּׂלָּהֶן וְאָנוּ מִזְדַוְּגִין לָהֶן, אִלּוּלֵי יוֹסֵף לֹא הָיָה לְאוֹתָן אֲנָשִׁים יָדַיִם וְאַתֶּם מִזְדַוְּגִין לָהֶם. מִיָּד הוֹרִידוּהוּ מִכִּסֵא שְׁלוֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאָה כֵּן אָמַר לָהֶם כָּל מַה שֶּׁאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים אֲנִי שׁוֹמֵעַ לָכֶם, לְפִיכָךְ וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ. אָמַר הַנָּבִיא (הושע ה, ז) "בַּה' בָּגָדוּ כִּי בָנִים זָרִים יָלָדוּ", שֶׁהָיוּ מוֹלִידִין וְלֹא מָלִין. "עַתָּה יֹאכְלֵם חֹדֶשׁ" חָדָשׁ כְּתִיב וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ. אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע אֶת יוֹסֵף, לֹא הָיָה מַכִּיר אֶת יוֹסֵף, לְמָה הַדָּבָר דוֹמֶה לְאֶחָד, שֶׁרָגַם אִקּוֹנִין שֶׁל דּוּכוּס אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ טְלוּ אוֹתוֹ וְחִתְכוּ אֶת רֹאֹשׁוֹ, הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה לְזֶה כָּךְ, לְמָחָר עוֹשֶה לִי כָּךְ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַכְשָׁיו אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע אֶת יוֹסֵף, לְמָחָר (שמות ה, ב) "לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶת ה'".