New International Version
Exodus 14:5
5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!”
Exodus 14:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
- English Standard Version (ESV)When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked.
Context of Exodus 14:5
3Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
Read all of Exodus 14Exodus 14:5 word by word
וַיֻּגַּד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח הָעָ֑ם וַ֠יֵּהָפֵךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמרוּ֙ מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעָבְדֵֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it was toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- that the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- fledבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
- and the heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- of Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- and of his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- was turnedהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- and they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Why have we doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- this, that we have let Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
- from servingעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
Cross-references for Exodus 14:5
- Exodus 12:33The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”
- Psalms 105:25whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.
- Jeremiah 34:10So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free.
- Luke 11:24“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’
- 2 Peter 2:20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
Commentaries on Exodus 14:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And it was told the king - that the people fled - Of their departure he could not be ignorant, because himself had given them liberty to depart: but the word fled here may be understood as implying that they had utterly left Egypt without any intention to return, which is probably what he did not expect, for he had only given them permission to go three days' journey into the wilderness, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah; but from the circumstances of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5The people fled - This was a natural inference from the change of direction, which indicated a determination to escape from Egypt. Up to the time when that information reached Pharaoh both he and his people understood that the Israelites would return after keeping a festival in the district adjoining Etham. From Etham the intelligence would be forwarded by the commander of the garrison to Rameses in less than a day, and the cavalry, a highly-disciplined…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-14Pharaoh and his officials did not truly repent. Once the immediate fear faded, they focused on their own interests and they determined to recapture their slave labor.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, &c.--Alas, how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king reappears! He had been convinced, but not converted--overawed, but not sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honor of his kingdom, and the interests of his subjects, all prompted him to recall his permission to reclaim those…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 14:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 14
- 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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