Exodus 5

Exodus · Chapter 5

Exodus 5:15

1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.2And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.3And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.4And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,7Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.8And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.9Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.10And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.13And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?16There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.17But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.19And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:21And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.22And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they wentוַיָּבֹ֗אוּvai-ya-VO-'uH0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

[the] foremen ofשֹֽׁטְרֵי֙sho-te-REIH7860
official

שֹׁטֵר (sho.ter) (Qal) official, officer

[the] people ofבְּנֵ֣יbe-NEIH1121GNo entry
Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYIS-ra-'ELH3478
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

and they cried outוַיִּצְעֲק֥וּvai-yitz-'a-KUH6817
to cry

צָעַק (tsa.aq) 1) to cry, cry out, call, cry for help 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cry, cry out (for help) 1a2) to cry, cry out (in distress or need) 1a3) to make outcry, clamour 1b) (Niphal) to be summoned 1c) (Piel) to cry aloud (in grief) 1d) (Hiphil) to call together

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Pharaohפַּרְעֹ֖הpar-'OHH6547J
Pharaoh

פַּרְעֹה (par.oh) A man of the Egyptians living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.3.10 Also named: Pharaō (Φαραώ "Pharaoh" G5328I) § Pharaoh = "great house" the common title of the king of Egypt

to sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle-MORH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

to why?לָ֧מָּהLA-mahH4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

are you doingתַעֲשֶׂ֦הta-'a-SEHH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

thusכֹ֖הkhohH3541
thus

כֹּה (koh) 1) thus, here, in this manner 1a) thus, so 1b) here, here and there 1c) until now, until now...until then, meanwhile Aramaic equivalent: kah (כָּה "thus" H3542)

to servants yourלַעֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃la-'a-va-DEI-khaH5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.