Exode 5:18

18 Or, maintenant, allez, travaillez; et l'on ne vous donnera point de paille; et vous fournirez la même quantité de briques.

Exode 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:18

Go therefore now, and work
Go about your business, attend to your work, even you officers, as well as your people; work yourselves, as well as see that your people do theirs, and do not trouble me with such impertinent applications:

for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of
bricks;
the usual number of bricks, as the Vulgate Latin version has it; though in ( Exodus 5:8 ) , it is rendered in that version the measure of bricks, and so another word is translated by them, ( Exodus 5:14 ) , and perhaps both may be intended, both number and measure; that is, that it was expected and insisted on that they delivered the full number of bricks they used to make, and these of full measure; for bricks were made of different measures, as Vitruvius F16 observes; some among the bricks were of two hands' breadth, others of four, and a third sort of five. (See Gill on Exodus 5:7).


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Ut supra. (Vide Vitruvium de Architectura, l. 2. c. 3. p. 46)

Exode 5:18 In-Context

16 On ne donne point de paille à tes serviteurs, et l'on nous dit: Faites des briques! Et voici, tes serviteurs sont battus et ton peuple est en faute.
17 Et il répondit: Vous êtes des paresseux, des paresseux! C'est pour cela que vous dites: Allons sacrifier à l'Éternel.
18 Or, maintenant, allez, travaillez; et l'on ne vous donnera point de paille; et vous fournirez la même quantité de briques.
19 Les commissaires des enfants d'Israël se virent donc dans la peine, parce qu'on leur dit: Vous ne retrancherez rien de vos briques; chaque jour, la quantité fixée.
20 Et ils rencontrèrent Moïse et Aaron qui les attendaient, à leur sortie d'auprès de Pharaon;
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.