Exodus 5:17

17 And he said: You are idle, and therefore 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 And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?

16 Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before; behold we, thy servants, are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.

17 And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

18 Go therefore and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.

19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.