Exodus 5:10-20

10 So ¹the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I am not going to give you any straw.

11 'You go and get straw for yourselves wherever * you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced.' "

12 So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 The taskmasters pressed them, saying, "Complete your work quota, your daily amount *, just as when you had straw."

14 Moreover, ²the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, ³were beaten and were asked, "Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?"

15 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?

16 "There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people."

17 But he said, "You are ⁴lazy, very lazy; therefore * you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'

18 "So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks."

19 The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, "You must not reduce your daily amount * of bricks."

20 When they left Pharaoh's presence *, they met Moses and Aaron as they were waiting for them.

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Exodus 5:10-20 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 4

1. Exodus 1:11; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 5:6
2. Exodus 5:6
3. Isaiah 10:24
4. Exodus 5:8

Footnotes 7

[a]. Lit "works"
[b]. Lit "the matter of a day in its day"
[c]. Lit "there was"
[d]. Lit "saying"
[e]. Lit "saying"
[f]. Lit "from your bricks the matter of a day in its day"
[g]. Lit "standing to meet"