Exodus 5:16-23

16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault."
17 But he said, "You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.'
18 Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks."
19 The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, "You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks."
20 When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood [waiting] to meet them.
21 "May the Lord take note of you and judge," they said to them, "because you have made us reek in front of Pharaoh and his officials-putting a sword in their hand to kill us!"
22 So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, "Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me?
23 Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't delivered Your people at all."

Exodus 5:16-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 5

Moses and Aaron go in to Pharaoh, and desire leave for the children of Israel to go into the wilderness three days' journey, to sacrifice to the Lord, and are answered in a very churlish and atheistical manner, and are charged with making the people idle, the consequence of which was, the taskmasters had orders, to make their work more heavy and toilsome, Ex 5:1-9 which orders were executed with severity by them, Ex 5:10-13, upon which the officers of the children of Israel complained to Pharaoh, but to no purpose, Ex 5:14-19, and meeting with Moses and Aaron, lay the blame upon them, Ex 5:20,21, which sends Moses to the Lord to expostulate with him about it, Ex 5:22,23.

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