Exodus 5:8

Exodus 5:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
• New International Version (NIV)But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, 'Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

Context of Exodus 5:8

6So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, 7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves. But you shall impose on them the quota of bricks which they were making before; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, for that reason they cry out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.” 10So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not going to give you any straw.

Exodus 5:8 word by word

וְאֶת־מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת הַלְּבֵנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵם֩ עֹשִׂ֨ים תְּמ֤וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם֙ תָּשִׂ֣ימוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־נִרְפִּ֣ים הֵ֔ם עַל־כֵּ֗ן הֵ֤ם צֹֽעֲקִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר נֵלְכָ֖ה נִזְבְּחָ֥ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear

• But you shall imposeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• on them the quotaמַתְכֹ֫נֶתmathkôneth mathkûneth · tallyH4971
• of bricksלְבֵנָהlebênâh · brickH3843
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• they were makingעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• beforeתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543
• you are not to reduceגָּרַעgâra‛ · diminishH1639
• anyמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• of it. Becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• lazyרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
• for thatכֵּןkên · rightH3651
• they cryצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
• Let us goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• and sacrificeזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
• to our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Exodus 5:8

• Psalms 106:41So He handed them over to the nations, And those who hated them ruled over them.

Commentaries on Exodus 5:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8And the tale of the bricks - Tale signifies the number, from the Anglo-Saxon to number, to count, etc. For they be idle; therefore they cry - Let us go and sacrifice - Thus their desire to worship the true God in a proper manner was attributed to their unwillingness to work; a reflection which the Egyptians (in principle) of the present day cast on these who, while they are fervent in spirit serving the Lord, are not slothful in business. See Clarke below…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. 88. tale--an appointed number of bricks. The materials of their labor were to be no longer supplied, and yet, as the same amount of produce was exacted daily, it is impossible to imagine more aggravated cruelty--a perfect specimen of Oriental despotism.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 5:8

• Art
• Brick
• Cruelty
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Cover
• Demand
• Straw
• Tale
• Task
• Brick
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis

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