Exodus 5:21 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Exodus 5:21 kjv
And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor 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.
Exodus 5:21 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."
Exodus 5:21 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."
Exodus 5:21 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."
Exodus 5:21 nlt
The foremen said to them, "May the LORD judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!"
Exodus 5 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 34:30 | Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me odious (בָּאֵשׁ) to the inhabitants of the land..." | "Stench" used as a metaphor for being detestable or hated by a people. |
| Ex 6:1-8 | Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh... I am the LORD." | God's direct reassurance to Moses after the foremen's complaint, reaffirming His promise. |
| Ex 8:26 | But Moses said, "It would not be right... for the sacrifices... would be an abomination to the Egyptians..." | Similar concept of making something offensive or detestable to a group. |
| Ex 16:2-3 | And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness... "Would that we had died..." | An early instance of Israel murmuring against leadership when faced with adversity. |
| Num 14:1-2 | ...All the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron... "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!" | Severe complaint during wilderness wanderings, wishing for death over perceived hardship. |
| Num 16:41 | But on the next day all the congregation... grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD." | Another intense accusation against Moses and Aaron for perceived harm. |
| Deut 4:20 | But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own possession... | Egypt depicted as an "iron furnace," symbolizing extreme oppression and the necessity of escape. |
| Ps 7:8 | The LORD judges the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness... | A prayer appealing to God's ultimate role as judge and arbiter of justice. |
| Ps 43:1 | Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! | A plea for divine vindication and deliverance from oppressors. |
| Ps 106:16 | When people in the camp became jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD, | Historical recounting of Israel's recurring rebellion and opposition to God's chosen leaders. |
| Prov 16:7 | When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. | Implies a reversal here; lack of divine favor leading to increased enmity. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. | God's divine plan and methods are often beyond human comprehension. |
| Jer 20:12 | O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees (רֹאֶה) the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them... | "Sees" used in context of God observing and acting in judgment. |
| Ezek 20:8 | But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me; none of them cast away the detestable things of their eyes... | Israel's persistent pattern of rebellion despite divine guidance. |
| Hos 9:10 | ...their detestable (תּוֹעֵבָה) things became as detestable as their lovers. | Further usage of a word meaning "detestable" or "abominable." |
| Zech 1:6 | ...'As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and our deeds, so has he dealt with us.' | Principle of divine consequences and ultimate fulfillment of God's word. |
| Matt 10:22 | and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. | Theme of facing hostility for God's work, but requiring endurance. |
| Acts 7:34 | I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning... | Stephen's summary affirming God's awareness and response to His people's suffering. |
| Rom 9:28 | For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay. | The certainty of God's divine judgment and His unwavering resolve. |
| 1 Cor 1:25 | For the foolishness of God is wiser than men's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than men's strength. | Human inability to fully grasp divine strategy, which often defies worldly logic. |
| Heb 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards. | The foundational importance of faith, even when circumstances are challenging. |
Exodus 5 verses
Exodus 5 21 meaning
The Israelite foremen accuse Moses and Aaron of exacerbating their suffering under Pharaoh, asserting that Moses' intervention has made them abhorrent to the Egyptians and placed them in imminent mortal danger. They appeal to the LORD to observe and pronounce judgment upon Moses and Aaron for these dire consequences, expressing profound disillusionment and a feeling of betrayal.
Exodus 5 21 Context
Exodus chapter 5 records Moses and Aaron's initial confrontation with Pharaoh, delivering God's demand for Israel's release. Pharaoh's response is defiant; he denies the LORD's authority and intensifies the Israelites' labor, ordering them to gather their own straw yet meet the same brick quotas. This impossible task leads to the Israelite foremen, who were held accountable by Egyptian taskmasters, being beaten for not meeting their targets. Verse 21 directly captures the foremen's despair and bitter accusation hurled at Moses and Aaron, believing that Moses' divine commission has only worsened their harsh servitude and made them utterly vulnerable. Historically, this escalating oppression underscores the absolute authority of the Egyptian pharaoh and sets the stage for God's powerful, sovereign intervention against a formidable earthly empire.
Exodus 5 21 Word analysis
- And they said to them: Refers to the Israelite foremen (שׁוֹטְרִים, shôṭrîm), the Israelite overseers who were directly subjected to abuse by the Egyptian taskmasters (Exo 5:14). They directly confront Moses and Aaron, voicing the people's immediate suffering.
- The LORD: יְהוָה (Yahweh), the personal, covenant name of God. Even in their complaint and imprecation, the foremen still acknowledge and appeal to the God of their ancestors, implying an expectation of justice from Him.
- look on you: יֵרֶא בָכֶם (yērə’ bāḵem). More than mere observation, this phrase means "to see" or "to observe intently" with the implication of intervening or taking action, usually with a judgmental purpose. It is a plea for divine assessment and condemnation.
- and judge!: וְיִשְׁפֹּט (wəyišpōṭ). An emphatic petition for divine adjudication. The foremen desire God to render a verdict against Moses and Aaron for the severe plight they have allegedly brought upon the Israelites. This verb also carries the nuance of vindication, meaning they seek for God to prove them right by judging Moses and Aaron as wrong.
- Because you have made us: A direct attribution of blame and causality. The foremen hold Moses and Aaron fully responsible for their deteriorating circumstances.
- a stench: לְהַבְאִישׁ (ləhab’îš), derived from בָּאֵשׁ (bā’ēš). It means to cause to stink, become foul, or be detestable/odious. This potent metaphor conveys their absolute degradation and repulsion in the eyes of the Egyptians, moving beyond mere slaves to a loathsome status that warrants harsher treatment or extermination.
- to Pharaoh and his servants: The agents of oppression and the powerful authorities whose disdain and ill-will directly affect the Israelites' existence. The foremen's plight is worsened by their alienation from these figures.
- and have put a sword in their hand: וְלָתֵת חֶרֶב בְּיָדָם (wəlāṯēṯ ḥereḇ bəyāḏām). A vivid idiom signifying providing the means and justification for lethal violence. In the foremen's perspective, Moses' actions have directly enabled the Egyptians to carry out extreme, fatal measures against them.
- to kill us: לְהָרְגֵנוּ (ləhārəgēnû). The ultimate and most terrifying consequence. This expresses their belief that their lives are now directly imperiled, fearing death rather than foreseeing deliverance.
- Word group: "The LORD look on you and judge!": This powerful phrase functions as an imprecation or a curse, signifying a direct appeal to Yahweh for retribution upon Moses and Aaron. It illustrates the foremen's immediate, limited human perspective, which sees their chosen leaders as authors of disaster rather than instruments of God's greater plan. Their call for judgment reveals a profound failure of faith and an inability to perceive the divine wisdom in suffering.
- Word group: "made us a stench to Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.": This sequence vividly encapsulates the foremen's perception of their immediate and catastrophic decline. Their previous suffering as slaves has escalated from mere harshness to being socially reviled and mortally endangered. This underscores the intense fear and despair that gripped the Israelites after the initial, seemingly unsuccessful, confrontation with Pharaoh, presenting a real-world obstacle to God's plan.
Exodus 5 21 Bonus section
- This lament directly precedes Moses' own moment of deep discouragement and complaint to the LORD (Exo 5:22-23), illustrating that even the chosen leader could be profoundly affected by the immediate, seemingly disastrous outcome of divine assignments.
- The escalating pressure and immediate suffering (often referred to as the "worse before better" principle in salvation history) serve to make God's eventual, miraculous deliverance unmistakable, highlighting His sole authorship of Israel's freedom rather than any human ingenuity or effort.
- The complaint in 5:21 sets a significant narrative precedent for the pervasive murmuring and lack of faith that would plague Israel throughout their wilderness journey, providing a lens through which to understand their ongoing struggles with trust and obedience.
Exodus 5 21 Commentary
Exodus 5:21 profoundly illustrates the painful, confusing stage in God's redemptive work where initial promises lead to increased suffering, before the full manifestation of deliverance. The Israelite foremen, weary from heightened oppression and deeply discouraged, unleash a bitter complaint against Moses and Aaron. Their plea for the LORD to "look on you and judge" reveals a tragic misunderstanding: instead of trusting God's chosen leaders as agents of freedom, they perceive them as architects of their escalated peril. The vivid imagery of being made "a stench" and given a "sword... to kill us" underscores their complete loss of hope, sensing utter ruin and impending death rather than the salvation God promised. This raw, human response is critical to the Exodus narrative, as it highlights the test of faith during divine timing and prepares the ground for God's more powerful self-revelation (Exo 6:1-8). It serves as a perennial reminder that God's ways are often counter-intuitive to human logic, working through intensified trials to magnify His eventual victory and demonstrate His unrivaled power over all earthly authority.