Exodus 5:9

9 Give these people harder work to do. That will keep them too busy to pay attention to speeches full of lies."

Exodus 5:9 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:9

Let there more work be laid upon the men
Instead of lessening it, let it be increased, or "be heavy" ^F11 upon them, that it may oppress and afflict them and keep them down, and weaken their strength and their spirits, and diminish them:

that they may labour therein;
and have no leisure time to spend in idleness and sloth:

and let them not regard vain words;
or "words of falsehood" ^F12 and lies, such as were spoken by Moses and Aaron, promising them liberty and deliverance from their bondage, which he was determined never to grant, and so eventually make such words to appear to be vain and empty, falsehood and lies.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (dbkt) "aggravetur", Pagninus, Montanus
F12 (yrbdb) "in verbis mendacii", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. "Verbis falsis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Exodus 5:9 In-Context

7 "You are no longer to provide straw for the bricks the people are making, as you did before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 But you will require them to produce the same quantity of bricks as before, don't reduce it, because they're lazing around. This is why they're crying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

9 Give these people harder work to do. That will keep them too busy to pay attention to speeches full of lies."

10 The people's slavemasters went out, their foremen too, and said to the people, "Here is what Pharaoh says: 'I will no longer give you straw.

11 You go, yourselves, and get straw wherever you can find it. But your output is not to be reduced.'"