Exodus 5:15

15 veneruntque praepositi filiorum Israhel et vociferati sunt ad Pharaonem dicentes cur ita agis contra servos tuos

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 praefecti quoque operum instabant dicentes conplete opus vestrum cotidie ut prius facere solebatis quando dabantur vobis paleae

14 flagellatique sunt qui praeerant operibus filiorum Israhel ab exactoribus Pharaonis dicentibus quare non impletis mensuram laterum sicut prius nec heri nec hodie

15 veneruntque praepositi filiorum Israhel et vociferati sunt ad Pharaonem dicentes cur ita agis contra servos tuos

16 paleae non dantur nobis et lateres similiter imperantur en famuli tui flagellis caedimur et iniuste agitur contra populum tuum

17 qui ait vacatis otio et idcirco dicitis eamus et sacrificemus Domino