Exodus 5:12

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

Exodus 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:12

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of
Egypt
That part of it where they dwelt:

to gather stubble instead of straw;
straw not being easy to come at, they were obliged to gather stubble that was left in the fields, after the corn was gathered in. Ben Melech observes, that the word signifies small straw, or small sticks of wood, and Kimchi ^F13, and if so, this must be to burn the bricks with in the furnaces.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Sepher Shorash, rad. (vvq) .

Exodus 5:12 In-Context

10 So the people's slave masters and supervisors came out and spoke to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says, ‘I'm not giving you straw anymore.

11 Go and get the straw on your own, wherever you can find it. But your work won't be reduced at all.'"

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

13 The slave masters drove them hard and said, "Make sure you make the same daily quota as when you had the straw."

14 The Israelite supervisors, whom Pharaoh's slave masters had set over them, were also beaten and asked, "Why didn't you produce the same number of bricks yesterday and today as you did before?"