1Pharaoh chideth Moses and Aaron for their message: 6he increaseth the task of the Israelites. 10The people have no straw allowed them. 15Pharaoh checketh their complaints. 20They cry out upon Moses and Aaron. 22Moses complaineth to God.
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, Whoa is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? Ib know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
a Job 21:15.
b Exod. 3:19.
3And they said, Thec 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.
c Exod. 3:18.
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, 1the people of the land now are many, and ye 2make them rest from their burdens.
1 He speaks of the people of Israel in the land of Egypt.
2 By these words Pharaoh gives to understand wherefore he laid such heavy burdens upon the Israelites, namely, to exhaust and waste all their vigor, and thus to hinder and impair their propagation.
6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the 3taskmasters of the people, and their 4officers, saying,
3 These were Egyptians, verse 14, who were set over the Israelite officers.
4 These were Israelites, verse 14, under the command of the foresaid Egyptians’ taskmasters.
7Ye 5shall no more give the people straw 6to make brick, as heretofore:d let them go and gather straw for themselves.
5 Hebr. ye shall not aid to give.
6 Hebr. to tile tilestones.
d before, previously
8And 7the talee 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.
7 Or, sum, measure.
e number
9Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard 8vain words.
8 Hebr. words of lying, or, of falsehood. This wicked king calls the words of God, vain words; or he would be understood that they were lies, when Moses and Aaron said that they were sent by God.
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.
11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet 9not ought of your work shall be diminished.
9 Hebr. no word; that is, no thing.
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 10demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, 11as heretofore?
10 Hebr. saying.
11 Hebr. as yesterday, the day before yesterday.
15¶Then 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 12they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is 13in thine own people.
12 They, namely, the taskmasters. Other, the bricks, they tell us, ye shall make.
13 Namely, the Egyptians, delivering no straw to us, and nevertheless requiring the ordinary task and days’ work at our hands. Other, and thy people, (namely, the Israelites), must have the blame.
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 14that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily 15task.
14 Hebr. that they were in the evil.
15 Hebr. thing, as verse 13. Other, deliver your task on its day.
20¶And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21And they said unto them, 16The LORD look upon you, and 17judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes 18of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, 19to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
16 That is, the Lord shall take notice of this, and consider what ye have brought upon us. See Gen. 31 on verse 42.
17 See Gen. 15:14; 16:5.
18 Hebr. before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants.
19 That is, by having made us hateful to Pharaoh. See Gen. 34:30.
22And Moses 20returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
20 That is, he resorted himself to a certain retired place where, by prayer and hearty sighs, he might pour out and present his own and the people’s distress and extremity unto the Lord.
23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in 21thy name, he hath done evil to this people; 22neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
21 That is, on Thy behalf and command. Also Ezra 5:1; Psalm 118:26; Jer. 11:21; John 5:43.
22 Hebr. delivering not delivered.