15 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?
16 They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.
17 But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.
18 Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.
19 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 5
Commentary on Exodus 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
Moses and Aaron are here dealing with Pharaoh, to get leave of him to go and worship in the wilderness.
Exd 5:1-2
Moses and Aaron, having delivered their message to the elders of Israel, with whom they found good acceptance, are now to deal with Pharaoh, to whom they come in peril of their lives-Moses particularly, who perhaps was out-lawed for killing the Egyptian forty years before, so that if any of the old courtiers should happen to remember that against him now it might cost him his head. Their message itself was displeasing, and touch Pharaoh both in his honour and in his profit, two tender points; yet these faithful ambassadors boldly deliver it, whether he will hear or whether he will forbear.
Exd 5:3-9
Finding that Pharaoh had no veneration at all for God, Moses and Aaron next try whether he had any compassion for Israel, and become humble suitors to him for leave to go and sacrifice, but in vain.
Exd 5:10-14
Pharaoh's orders are here put in execution; straw is denied, and yet the work not diminished.
Exd 5:15-23
It was a great strait that the head-workmen were in, when they must either abuse those that were under them or be abused by those that were over them; yet, it should seem, rather than they would tyrannize, they would be tyrannized over; and they were so. In this evil case (v. 19), observe,