Exodus 5:21

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 must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks.” 20When they went out from Pharaoh, they encountered Moses and Aaron standing there to meet them, and they said to them, “May the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the opinion of Pharaoh and his servants, so that you have given them an excuse to kill us!” 22Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why did you ever send me? 23From the time I went to speak to Pharaoh in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have certainly not rescued them!”

Exodus 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 4:31and the people believed. When they heard that the Lord had attended to the Israelites and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed down close to the ground.
• Exodus 6:9Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor.
• Genesis 16:5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, but when she realized that she was pregnant, she despised me. May the Lord judge between you and me!”
• Ecclesiastes 10:1One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench, so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom.
• Joel 2:20I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” Indeed, the Lord has accomplished great things.
• 2 Corinthians 2:15For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing –
• Genesis 34:30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin on me by making me a foul odor among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!”
• 1 Samuel 13:4All Israel heard this message, “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel is repulsive to the Philistines!” So the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
• 1 Samuel 27:12So Achish trusted David, thinking to himself, “He is really hated among his own people in Israel! From now on he will be my servant.”
• 2 Samuel 10:6When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, they sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah, in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob.
• 1 Chronicles 19:6When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers 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

• Aaron
• Evil for Good
• Moses
• Murmuring
• Uncharitableness

In the dictionaries

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

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