Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 5:21
21“May the Lord take note of you and judge,” they said to them, “because you have made us reek to Pharaoh and his officials — putting a sword in their hand to kill us!”
Exodus 5:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
- New International Version (NIV)and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)and they said to them, "The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Context of Exodus 5:21
19The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them. “May the Lord take note of you and judge,” they said to them, “because you have made us reek to Pharaoh and his officials — putting a sword in their hand to kill us!” 22So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? And why did you ever send me? 23Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in your name he has caused trouble for this people, and you haven’t rescued your people at all.”
Read all of Exodus 5Exodus 5:21 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם יֵ֧רֶא יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וְיִשְׁפֹּ֑ט אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִבְאַשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־רֵיחֵ֗נוּ בְּעֵינֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ וּבְעֵינֵ֣י עֲבָדָ֔יו לָֽתֶת־חֶ֥רֶב בְּיָדָ֖ם לְהָרְגֵֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- lookרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- upon you, and judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- because ye have made our savourרֵיחַrêyach · aromaH7381
- to be abhorredבָּאַשׁbâ'ash · to stinkH887
- in the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
- of Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- and in the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
- of his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- to putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- a swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- in their handיָדyâd · handH3027
- to slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
Cross-references for Exodus 5:21
- Exodus 4:31The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention to them and that he had seen their misery, they knelt low and worshiped.
- Exodus 6:9Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.
- Genesis 16:5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”
- Ecclesiastes 10:1Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
- Joel 2:20I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
- Genesis 34:30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
- 1 Samuel 13:4And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
- 1 Samuel 27:12So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself repulsive to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”
- 2 Samuel 10:6When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired twenty thousand foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, one thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.
- 1 Chronicles 19:6When the Ammonites realized they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent thirty-eight tons of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
Commentaries on Exodus 5:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21The Lord look upon you, and judge - These were hasty and unkind expressions; but the afflicted must be allowed the privilege of complaining; it is all the solace that such sorrow can find; and if in such distress words are spoken which should not be justified, yet the considerate and benevolent will hear them with indulgence. God is merciful; and the stroke of this people was heavier even than their groaning. Put a sword in their hand - Given them a…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-23Verses 10-23 The Egyptian task-masters were very severe. See what need we have to pray that we may be delivered from wicked men. The head-workmen justly complained to Pharaoh: but he taunted them. The malice of Satan has often represented the service and worship of God, as fit employment only for those who have nothing else to do, and the business only of the idle; whereas, it is the duty of those who are most busy in the world. Those who are diligent in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-23In this section, the Lord promised to rescue the Israelites. He said that he would bring them out of slavery. At first, the people responded in a positive way. They believed what God said. However, later they faced a crisis of faith. They began to doubt God’s promise and struggled to trust him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2120-21. they met Moses ... The Lord look upon you, and judge--Thus the deliverer of Israel found that this patriotic interference did, in the first instance, only aggravate the evil he wished to remove, and that instead of receiving the gratitude, he was loaded with the reproaches of his countrymen. But as the greatest darkness is immediately before the dawn, so the people of God are often plunged into the deepest affliction when on the eve of their…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 5:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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