Exodus 5:17

17 But he said, "You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.'

Exodus 5:17 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:17

But he said, ye are idle, ye are idle
Instead of expressing indignation at the taskmasters, and relieving the officers and the people, he insults them in a flouting sarcastic way, charging them with sloth and idleness; and which, for the certainty of it, or, however, to show how strongly persuaded and fully assured he was of the truth of it, repeats it, and gives the following as a proof of it,

therefore ye say, let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord;
suggesting that it was not so much the service and honour of God they regarded, as that they might have a leisure day from work and labour.

Exodus 5:17 In-Context

15 So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: "Why are you treating your servants this way?

16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault."

17 But he said, "You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.'

18 Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks."

19 The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, "You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks."