Exodus 5:15

15 Then the Israelite supervisors came and pleaded to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this?

Exodus 5:15 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:15

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried
unto Pharaoh
Made their complaints to him, perhaps with tears in their eyes, being used so very ill. They little thought it was by Pharaoh's orders; they supposed he knew nothing of it, and therefore hoped to have their grievances redressed by him, but were mistaken:

saying, wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
so they call themselves, they living in his country, and being under his jurisdiction, though not properly his subjects; however, he had made them his slaves, and so indeed even bondservants.

Exodus 5:15 In-Context

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?"

15 Then the Israelite supervisors came and pleaded to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this?

16 No straw is supplied to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!' Look at how your servants are being beaten! Your own people are to blame!"

17 Pharaoh replied, "You are lazy bums, nothing but lazy bums. That's why you say, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.'