Exodus 5 7

Exodus 5:7 kjv

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exodus 5:7 nkjv

"You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exodus 5:7 niv

"You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw.

Exodus 5:7 esv

"You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exodus 5:7 nlt

"Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves!

Exodus 5 verses

Exodus 5 7 meaning

Exodus 5:7 records Pharaoh's new decree following Moses and Aaron's demand for Israel's freedom. He commands his taskmasters and foremen to cease providing the Israelite slaves with straw for brick-making. Instead, the Israelites must now find and gather the straw themselves, while still being required to meet the same brick quota. This measure was a deliberate act of increased oppression, intended to crush the people's spirit, keep them too busy to entertain thoughts of freedom, and demonstrate Pharaoh's supreme authority over them and over the God of Israel.

Exodus 5 7 Context

Exodus Chapter 5 opens with Moses and Aaron appearing before Pharaoh, delivering God's demand for the release of His people so they might worship Him in the wilderness. Pharaoh, filled with pride and ignorance of Yahweh, arrogantly dismisses their request, retorting, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice...?" Instead of conceding, he questions Moses and Aaron's motives, accusing them of distracting the people from their work. This verse, Exodus 5:7, is Pharaoh's immediate, hostile, and punitive response to Moses's appeal. He does not merely refuse but actively escalates the suffering of the Israelites, aiming to intensify their labor to such an extent that any thought of worship or freedom becomes impossible or too costly. Historically, ancient Egyptian construction, especially of large public works like store cities (Exo 1:11), heavily relied on sun-dried mudbricks. Straw was a crucial ingredient mixed with clay and water to bind the bricks, providing tensile strength and preventing cracking as they dried. By withholding straw, Pharaoh not only removed a supplied resource but also forced the slaves to perform a vital collection task previously unassigned to them, increasing their burden while maintaining the same, impossible quotas.

Exodus 5 7 Word analysis

• You shall no longer give: A direct, emphatic command from Pharaoh. It signifies a cessation of provision, highlighting his absolute authority over both his taskmasters and the Israelite slaves. This change is abrupt and without warning or justification, designed to impose immediate hardship.
• the people: Refers specifically to the Israelites, identifying them as the direct subjects of this cruel decree and Pharaoh's targeted oppression. They are dehumanized as mere labor units.
• straw: Hebrew: tebhen (תֶּבֶן). This term refers to chopped or crushed straw, essential for ancient mudbrick construction. It served as a binding agent, providing structural integrity to the sun-dried bricks by preventing cracking and disintegration. Withholding it compromises the quality of the bricks and significantly increases the effort required to make the same number, as more mud would be needed to compensate for the lack of binding.
• to make bricks: Hebrew: leleven (לְלָבֵן), from the root lavan, meaning "to make bricks" or "to be white" (as bricks often dried to a light color). This was the primary and demanding work assigned to the Israelite slaves, symbolizing their state of forced labor and servitude under the Egyptian regime.
• as before: This phrase indicates a change from the established practice or prior routine. Before this decree, straw was routinely supplied to the brickmakers, simplifying their process. The alteration marks an escalation in oppression, moving from severe but structured labor to even more punitive and unfeasible conditions.
• let them go and gather straw for themselves: This is the new, additional, and uncompensated burden. Instead of being provided a necessary raw material, the slaves are now commanded to procure it independently. This drastically increases their workload—first gathering, then brick-making—without reducing their quotas, designed to ensure they are overwhelmed, exhausted, and devoid of time or energy for anything else, especially for listening to Moses's message of freedom. This shows Pharaoh's complete disregard for their well-being.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "You shall no longer give... as before": This phrase highlights Pharaoh's authoritative command to cease a standard practice, marking an abrupt and detrimental change. It demonstrates Pharaoh's total control and his willingness to make the conditions harsher for punitive reasons. This is a direct reversal of a basic provision.
  • "let them go and gather straw for themselves": This command layers an entirely new, unremunerated, and time-consuming task on the Israelite laborers. It transforms a logistical supply issue into an additional personal burden, demonstrating Pharaoh's strategy to intensify their servitude and deny them any moment of rest or reflection, aiming to crush their hope.

Exodus 5 7 Bonus section

Pharaoh's command about straw directly foreshadows God's later instruction for Israel to go out of Egypt "not by might, nor by power" but by His Spirit. The physical act of having to "go and gather" the straw highlights their complete lack of agency and their enslavement not only to a quota but also to the very provision of their building materials. This scenario deepens the understanding of "the burdens of the Egyptians" mentioned by God (Exo 6:6), underscoring how comprehensive and crushing their servitude had become. This escalated cruelty also served to differentiate God's work clearly: human effort led to more burden, while God's intervention would lead to genuine, cost-free freedom.

Exodus 5 7 Commentary

Exodus 5:7 reveals Pharaoh's immediate and ruthless response to God's demand for His people's freedom: not concession, but increased oppression. Pharaoh's decree to withhold straw, while still demanding the same brick quota, was a masterstroke of psychological and physical torment. By removing a critical provided resource and forcing the slaves to spend their limited time and energy on collecting it themselves, he multiplied their workload without reducing their expected output. This ensured relentless, soul-crushing labor designed to quash any emerging hope for freedom.

This act was deeply calculated. First, it asserted Pharaoh's absolute power and contempt for the God of Israel. He openly defied Yahweh's request by punishing His people even more severely. Second, it was a deliberate strategy to break the spirit of the Israelites and discrediting Moses and Aaron in their eyes. If the very message of deliverance led only to intensified suffering, their hope in Yahweh's power and their leaders would surely falter, rendering them compliant slaves once more. Third, from God's perspective, Pharaoh's escalating cruelty, ironically, served the divine purpose. It created an utterly impossible human situation, ensuring that when deliverance finally came, it would be undeniably by the mighty hand of God alone, not by any human effort or political negotiation. The Israelites' plight worsened to the point where they could only look to their divine Deliverer. This sets the stage for God's demonstrative plagues and ultimate redemption, revealing His glory and sovereignty over even the most powerful human tyrants. The straw, once a simple building material, became a symbol of unbearable servitude and the futility of human striving against divine will, paving the way for God to act powerfully.