Exodus 5:17

17 The king answered, "You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.

Exodus 5:17 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:17

But he said, ye are idle, ye are idle
Instead of expressing indignation at the taskmasters, and relieving the officers and the people, he insults them in a flouting sarcastic way, charging them with sloth and idleness; and which, for the certainty of it, or, however, to show how strongly persuaded and fully assured he was of the truth of it, repeats it, and gives the following as a proof of it,

therefore ye say, let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord;
suggesting that it was not so much the service and honour of God they regarded, as that they might have a leisure day from work and labour.

Exodus 5:17 In-Context

15 Then the foremen went to the king and complained, "Why do you do this to us, Your Majesty?

16 We are given no straw, but we are still ordered to make bricks! And now we are being beaten. It is your people that are at fault."

17 The king answered, "You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.

18 Now get back to work! You will not be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks."

19 The foremen realized that they were in trouble when they were told that they had to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made before.