Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Exodus 5

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Introduction

1  Pharaoh chides Moses and Aaron for their message.
6  He increases the Israelites' task.
15  He checks their complaints.
19  They cry out upon Moses and Aaron.
22  Moses complains to God.
Verse 1

And 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.
and told
1 Kings 21:20, Psalms 119:46, Ezekiel 2:6, Jonah 3:3,4, Matthew 10:18,28, Acts 4:29
a feast
10:9, Isaiah 25:6, 1 Corinthians 5:8
Verse 2

And 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.
Who
3:19, 2 Kings 18:35, 2 Chronicles 32:15,19, Job 21:15, Psalms 10:4, 12:4, 14:1
I know not
1 Samuel 2:12, John 16:3, Romans 1:28, 2 Thessalonians 1:8
neither
3:19, Jeremiah 44:16,17
Verse 3

And 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.
The God
3:18
lest he
Deuteronomy 28:21, 2 Kings 17:25, 2 Chronicles 30:8, Ezra 7:23, Ezekiel 6:11, Zechariah 14:16-19
Verse 4

And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
wherefore
Jeremiah 38:4, Amos 7:10, Luke 23:2, Acts 16:20,21, 24:5
let
Taphreeoo, from pard, to loose, disengage; and which we render let, from the Anglo-Saxon lettan, to hinder. Ye hinder the people from their work: "Get you unto your burdens." "Let religion alone and mind your work." The language not only of tyranny, but of thoughtless irreligion.
burdens
1:11
Verse 5

And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
1:7-11, Proverbs 14:28
Verse 6

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
taskmasters
Nogesim, literally, exactors, oppressors. These taskmasters were Egyptians, (ch. 1:11,) but the officers were Hebrews. See ver. 14.
10,13,15,19, 1:11, Proverbs 12:10
officers
Shoterim, from the Arabic saytara, to overlook, superintend, seems to denote, as musaytar in Arabic also does, overseers, superintendents. They may have been somewhat like the chiefs of trades, who are found in every city in the East; where every trade has a head, who is entrusted with authority over them, and is in some measure answerable for them to Government. Compare ch. 2:14.
Numbers 11:16, Deuteronomy 1:15, 16:18, Joshua 8:33, 24:1,4, 2 Chronicles 26:11
Verse 7

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
straw
The straw was mixed with clay, in order to make the bricks. This is expressly affirmed by Philo, (vit. Mos.) who was himself a native of Alexandria, in Egypt. He says, describing the oppression of the Israelites, that some were obliged to work in clay, and others to gather straw for the formation of bricks, [plinthou gar achyra desmos] because straw is the binding of the brick. Philo's account is confirmed by Dr. Shaw, who says that "some of the Egyptian pyramids are made of brick, the composition whereof is only a mixture of clay, mud, and straw, slightly blended and kneaded together, and afterwards baked in the sun. The straw, which keeps the bricks together, and still preserves its original colour, seems to be a proof that these bricks were never burnt or made in kilns." The same materials are now used for building in Egypt. Mr. Baumgarten says, "The houses are for the most part of bricks that are only hardened by the heat of the sun, and mixed with straw to make them firm."
Genesis 24:25, Judges 19:19
Verse 8

And 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.
tale
Tale denotes number, from the Anglo-Saxon tællan, to number, count, etc.
ye shall lay
Psalms 106:41
Verse 9

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
Let there more work be laid upon the men
Heb. Let the work be heavy upon the men. vain words.
2 Kings 18:20, Job 16:3, Jeremiah 43:2, Zechariah 1:6, Malachi 3:14, Ephesians 5:6
Verse 10

And 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.
taskmasters
1:11, Proverbs 29:12
Verse 11

Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
not ought
13,14
Verse 12

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
stubble
15:7, Isaiah 5:24, 47:14, Joel 2:5, Nahum 1:10, Obadiah 1:18, 1 Corinthians 3:12
Verse 13

And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
daily tasks
Heb. a matter of a day in his day.
Verse 17

But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
Matthew 26:8, John 6:27, 2 Thessalonians 3:10,11
Verse 18

Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
yet shall ye deliver
Ezekiel 18:18, Daniel 2:9-13
Verse 19

And 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.
evil case
Deuteronomy 32:36, Ecclesiastes 4:1, 5:8
Verse 21

And 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.
The Lord
4:31, 6:9, Genesis 16:5
our savour
Ecclesiastes 10:1, Joel 2:20, 2 Corinthians 2:15,16
to be abhorred
Heb. to stink.
Genesis 34:30, 1 Samuel 13:4, 27:12, 2 Samuel 10:6, 1 Chronicles 19:6
Verse 22

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
returned
17:4, 1 Samuel 30:6, Psalms 73:25, Jeremiah 12:1
why is it
Numbers 11:14,15, 1 Kings 19:4,10, Jeremiah 20:7, Habakkuk 2:3
Verse 23

For 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.
in thy name
Psalms 118:26, Jeremiah 11:21, John 5:43
neither hast thou delivered
Heb. delivering, thou hast not delivered.
Isaiah 26:17,18, 28:16, Hebrews 10:36,37

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