Exodus 5:6

World English Bible

Contextual Overview

³ They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword." ⁴ The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!" ⁵ Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens." ⁶ The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, ⁷ "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸ The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' ⁹ Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don't let them pay any attention to lying words."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

taskmasters: Nogesim, literally, exactors, oppressors. These taskmasters were Egyptians - Exodus 1:11, but the officers were Hebrews. Exodus 5:14. Exodus 5:10, Exodus 5:13, Exodus 5:15, Exodus 5:19, Exodus 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 Exodus 2:14. Numbers 11:16, Deuteronomy 1:15, Deuteronomy 16:18, Joshua 8:33, Joshua 24:1, Joshua 24:4, 2 Chronicles 26:11

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 13:8 - If Job 3:18 - they

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
There was also born a son to Seth, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on Yahweh's name.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people,.... Who were Egyptians, and whom Pharaoh sent for the same day, to give them orders to oppress them yet more and more, so far was he from complying with their request:

[and] their officers; who were Israelites, and were under the taskmasters, and accountable to them for each man's work that they had the inspection and care of:

saying, as follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Their officers - Or scribes. Hebrews able to keep accounts in writing, appointed by the Egyptian superintendents, and responsible to them for the work; see Exodus 5:14. Subordinate officers are frequently represented on Egyptian monuments, giving in written accounts to their immediate superiors.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 5:6. The task-masters of the people and their officers — The task-masters were Egyptians, (Exodus 1:11), the officers were Hebrews; Exodus 5:14. But it is probable that the task-masters Exodus 1:11, who are called שרי מסים sarey missim, princes of the burdens or taxes, were different from those termed taskmasters here, as the words are different; נגשים nogesim signifies exactors or oppressors - persons who exacted from them an unreasonable proportion either of labour or money.

Officers. - שטרים shoterim; those seem to have been an inferior sort of officers, who attended on superior officers or magistrates to execute their orders. They are supposed to have been something like our sheriffs.