Exodus 5:16-23

16 Straw is not given to thy servants, and they tell us to make brick; and behold thy servants have been scourged: thou wilt therefore injure thy people.

17 And he said to them, Ye are idle, ye are idlers: therefore ye say, Let us go do sacrifice to our God.

18 Now then go and work, for straw shall not be given to you, yet ye shall return the rate of bricks.

19 And the accountants of the children of Israel saw themselves in an evil plight, saying, Ye shall not fail to deliver the daily rate of the brick-making.

20 And they met Moses and Aaron coming forth to meet them, as they came forth from Pharao.

21 And they said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge you, for ye have made our savour abominable before Pharao, and before his servants, to put a sword into his hands to slay us.

22 And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? and wherefore hast thou sent me?

23 For from the time that I went to Pharao to speak in thy name, he has afflicted this people, and thou hast not delivered thy people.

Exodus 5:16-23 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. that which belongs to each day.