God’s Word Translation
Exodus 5:6
6That same day Pharaoh gave these orders to the slave drivers and foremen:
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 distracting the people from their work? Get back to work!” 5Then Pharaoh added, “Look how many people there are in the land! Do you want them to quit working?” That same day Pharaoh gave these orders to the slave drivers and foremen: 7“Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks as you have been doing. Let them gather their own straw, 8but insist that they make the same number of bricks they were making before. Making fewer bricks will not be acceptable. They’re lazy! That’s why they’re crying, ‘Let us go offer sacrifices to our God.’
Read all of Exodus 5Exodus 5:6 word by word
וַיְצַ֥ו פַּרְעֹ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא אֶת־הַנֹּגְשִׂ֣ים בָּעָ֔ם וְאֶת־שֹׁטְרָ֖יו לֵאמֹֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 5:6
- Exodus 5:10The slave drivers and foreman went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: I’m no longer giving you straw.
- Exodus 1:11So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh.
- Proverbs 12:10A righteous person cares ⌞even⌟ about the life of his animals, but the compassion of wicked people is ⌞nothing but⌟ cruelty.
- Exodus 2:14The man asked, “Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought that everyone knew what he had done.
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
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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