Exodus 5:14
12 So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”
Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”
15 So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?
16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”
- KJV
- And 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?
- WEB
- The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
- ASV
- And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh`s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore?
- DARBY
- And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, [and] it was said, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?
- BLB
- And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them, were beaten saying, “Why have you⁺ not fulfilled your⁺ quota for making bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday, both yesterday and today?”
- ÅB
- Og oppsynsmennene som Faraos arbeidsfogder hadde satt over Israels barn, fikk hugg, og arbeidsfogdene sa til dem: Hvorfor har dere ikke gjort ferdig den fastsatte mengde teglstein, slik som før, hverken igår eller idag?
- OTB
- Faraos oppsynsmenn slo de israelittiske formennene de hadde utnevnt, og krevde: «Hvorfor har dere ikke oppfylt deres kvote av murstein verken i går eller i dag, som før?»
- B1930
- Og opsynsmennene som Faraos arbeidsfogder hadde satt over Israels barn, fikk hugg, og arbeidsfogdene sa til dem: Hvorfor har I ikke gjort ferdig den fastsatte mengde teglsten, likesom før, hverken igår eller idag?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 10:24
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear Assyria, who strikes you with a rod and lifts his staff against you as the Egyptians did.
Read in context