Exodus 5:12-22

12 dispersusque est populus per omnem terram Aegypti ad colligendas paleas

13 praefecti quoque operum instabant dicentes conplete opus vestrum cotidie ut prius facere solebatis quando dabantur vobis paleae

14 flagellatique sunt qui praeerant operibus filiorum Israhel ab exactoribus Pharaonis dicentibus quare non impletis mensuram laterum sicut prius nec heri nec hodie

15 veneruntque praepositi filiorum Israhel et vociferati sunt ad Pharaonem dicentes cur ita agis contra servos tuos

16 paleae non dantur nobis et lateres similiter imperantur en famuli tui flagellis caedimur et iniuste agitur contra populum tuum

17 qui ait vacatis otio et idcirco dicitis eamus et sacrificemus Domino

18 ite ergo et operamini paleae non dabuntur vobis et reddetis consuetum numerum laterum

19 videbantque se praepositi filiorum Israhel in malo eo quod diceretur eis non minuetur quicquam de lateribus per singulos dies

20 occurreruntque Mosi et Aaron qui stabant ex adverso egredientes a Pharaone

21 et dixerunt ad eos videat Dominus et iudicet quoniam fetere fecistis odorem nostrum coram Pharao et servis eius et praebuistis ei gladium ut occideret nos

22 reversusque Moses ad Dominum ait Domine cur adflixisti populum istum quare misisti me

Exodus 5:12-22 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.