Exodus 5:17

17 He said, "You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, "Let us go and 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 Then the Israelite supervisors came to Pharaoh and cried, "Why do you treat your servants like this?

16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, "Make bricks!' Look how your servants are beaten! You are unjust to your own people."

17 He said, "You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, "Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.'

18 Go now, and work; for no straw shall be given you, but you shall still deliver the same number of bricks."

19 The Israelite supervisors saw that they were in trouble when they were told, "You shall not lessen your daily number of bricks."