Exodus 5:6

Exodus 5:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
• New International Version (NIV)That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people:
• English Standard Version (ESV)The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen,
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

Context of Exodus 5:6

4The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your labor!” 5Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from their labor.” That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen, 7“Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves. 8But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers — that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

Exodus 5:6 word by word

וַיְצַ֥ו פַּרְעֹ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא אֶת־הַנֹּגְשִׂ֣ים בָּעָ֔ם וְאֶת־שֹׁטְרָ֖יו לֵאמֹֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• the same dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• the taskmastersנָגַשׂnâgaώ · to oppressH5065
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and their officersשֹׁטֵרshôţêr · officialH7860
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559

Cross-references for Exodus 5:6

• Exodus 5:10So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not giving you straw.
• Exodus 1:11So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh.
• Proverbs 12:10The righteous cares about his animal’s health, but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.
• Exodus 2:14“Who made you a commander and judge over us?” the man replied. “Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses became afraid and thought, “What I did is certainly known.”

Commentaries on Exodus 5:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The task-masters of the people and their officers - The task-masters were Egyptians, (see Clarke on Exodus 1:11; (note)), the officers were Hebrews; see Clarke below Exodus 5:14; (note). But it is probable that the task-masters Exodus 1:11, who are called מסים שרי 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Their 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.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-14Pharaoh increased the workload to punish their disobedience. He thought they had too much free time (5:8). He could not imagine a god revealing himself outside the royal worship system. He believed they invented their unusual religious ideas instead of working (see also 5:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Pharaoh commanded--It was a natural consequence of the high displeasure created by this interview that he should put additional burdens on the oppressed Israelites. taskmasters--Egyptian overseers, appointed to exact labor of the Israelites. officers--Hebrews placed over their brethren, under the taskmasters, precisely analogous to the Arab officers set over the Arab Fellahs, the poor laborers in modern Egypt.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 5:6

• Cruelty

In the dictionaries

• Pharaoh
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Cover
• Demand
• Tale
• Task
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Leviticus
• Libraries

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