Exodus 5:15-23

The Foremen Complain to Pharaoh and Moses, and Moses Complains to Yahweh

15 And the foremen of the {Israelites} came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you treat your servants like this?

16 Straw [is] not being given to your servants, but [they are] saying to us, 'Make bricks!' and, look, your servants [are] being beaten, but it is the fault of your people."

17 And he said, "You [are] lazy, lazy! Therefore you [are] saying, 'Let us go; let us sacrifice to Yahweh.'

18 And now go, work, but straw will not be given to you, and you must give the full quota of bricks."

19 And the foremen of the {Israelites} saw they were in trouble {with the saying}, "You will not reduce from your bricks {for each day} on its day."

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, [who were] waiting to meet them when they [were] going out from Pharaoh.

21 And they said to them, "May Yahweh look upon you and judge because you have caused our fragrance to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants [so as] to put a sword into their hand to kill us."

22 And Moses returned to Yahweh and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble to this people? Why ever did you send me?

23 And from the time I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble to this people, and you have certainly not delivered your people."

Exodus 5:15-23 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [b]. The expression is difficult. The word translated "fault" or "sin" has pointing for a second-person feminine singular subject ("you sinned"), which does not go well with either "Pharaoh" or "your people" as a subject; but the noun translated "sin of" has the same consonants, leading to the possibility that the word should be understood as a noun
• [c]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [d]. Literally "saying"
• [e]. Literally "a thing of a day"