Exodus 5:16

You don't give us any straw but your slave drivers demand that we make bricks, and they beat us! Your people are treating us badly!”

Free Bible Version

In The King James Version

There 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.

In Context

15The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?

17“No, you're just lazy, lazy people!” Pharaoh replied. “That's why you keep on asking, ‘Please let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.’

Read all of Exodus 5

Cross References

Ecclesiastes 4:1Then I turned to consider all the ways people oppress others here on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed—there's no one to comfort them! Powerful people oppress them, and there's no one to comfort them!

Matthew Henry on Exodus 5:16-23

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? 16 There 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. 17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord . 18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. 19 And the officers of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Exodus 5:16