Exodus 5 8

Exodus 5:8 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.

Exodus 5:8 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.'

Exodus 5:8 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.'

Exodus 5:8 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.'

Exodus 5:8 nlt

But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don't reduce the quota. They are lazy. That's why they are crying out, 'Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.'

Exodus 5 verses

Exodus 5 8 meaning

Exodus 5:8 reveals Pharaoh’s oppressive command following Moses’ initial request to release Israel for worship. He mandates that the Israelites must continue to produce the same fixed number of bricks as before, despite no longer being provided with straw. Pharaoh’s reasoning is that their desire to sacrifice to God stems from idleness, not genuine spiritual need. This command reflects his deep resistance to God's authority and his determination to keep Israel enslaved by increasing their hardship, effectively trying to break their will to serve the true God.

Exodus 5 8 Context

Exodus chapter 5 records the first direct confrontation between Moses, Aaron, and Pharaoh, as commanded by God. Moses and Aaron delivered God's message: "Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness." Pharaoh, in a display of his proud and defiant nature, retorts by denying knowledge of the LORD and refusing the demand. He immediately dismisses the Israelites' desire to worship their God as an excuse to neglect their forced labor. To crush any hope of release and increase his control, Pharaoh intensifies their burden by removing the provision of straw, which was essential for brick-making, while maintaining the same quota. Verse 8 articulates this intensified oppression, revealing Pharaoh's hardened heart and his theological accusation of "idleness" as the root cause of their desire to worship. This interaction sets the stage for the escalating conflict between God's power and Pharaoh's obstinacy.

Exodus 5 8 Word analysis

• "And the number of the bricks": Refers to a specific, non-negotiable quota. This highlights the dehumanizing nature of the forced labor, where quantity overrides well-being.
• "which they did make heretofore": ʿāśû ʾetmôl (עָשׂוּ אֶתְמֹול). Literally "which they made yesterday" or "previously." This emphasizes Pharaoh's insistence on maintaining an impossible standard based on past output, disregarding the change in resource provision.
• "ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof": Lōʾ ṯigraʿū dāḇār (לֹא תִגְרְעוּ דָּבָר). A strict prohibition against any reduction. It signifies Pharaoh's inflexible will and his absolute control over their lives and labor, aiming to extract maximum forced work.
• "for they be idle": Nirpahim (נִרְפִּים). This Hebrew word can mean "slack," "lazy," "feeble," or "careless." In this context, Pharaoh labels their desire for religious observance as a sign of spiritual and physical laziness, a ploy to avoid work. This accusation is a significant polemic; Pharaoh equates devotion to God with unproductive idleness, opposing it to their "true" purpose of serving him.
• "therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God": Pharaoh perceives their legitimate religious desire and obedience to God’s command as merely a pretense. He dismisses their worship as an escape from labor, failing to recognize it as a divine imperative and a foundational aspect of their identity as God's people. This highlights his spiritual blindness and hostility towards Yahweh.
• "Let us go and sacrifice": This phrase encapsulates the core demand Moses and Aaron delivered from God, emphasizing worship as the reason for release, not escape from labor. Pharaoh perverts this spiritual longing into a justification for increasing their bondage.

Exodus 5 8 Bonus section

Pharaoh's policy here exemplifies a tactic used by oppressors throughout history, even in subtle ways against believers today. When spiritual aspirations and pursuits of obedience to God arise, the world often counters by increasing burdens, fabricating distractions, or making everyday life so demanding that seeking God seems like an unaffordable luxury or an "idle" waste of time. This verse underscores the fundamental tension between serving God and serving earthly masters who demand absolute allegiance. Pharaoh’s accusation of "idleness" mirrors the world's common misjudgment of true spiritual labor, dismissing prayer, worship, and faithful devotion as unproductive or unnecessary.

Exodus 5 8 Commentary

Pharaoh's edict in Exodus 5:8 is more than a simple increase of labor; it is a calculated psychological and spiritual assault designed to crush the Israelites' spirit and extinguish their nascent hope of deliverance. By demanding the same brick quota without supplying straw, he imposed an impossible task, forcing them to disperse for gathering stubble, thereby wasting time and energy while still holding them to a previous standard of output. This act illustrates Pharaoh's deep-seated antagonism towards Yahweh. His accusation of "idleness" for desiring to sacrifice to their God is a pivotal moment, framing worship as unproductive and trivial. Pharaoh's worldview prioritizes state servitude above all else, seeing devotion to God as an inconvenient distraction or a subversive act against his own "divine" authority. This policy directly opposed God's command for His people to worship Him, revealing the profound spiritual conflict at play. Pharaoh intended for their impossible toil to dissipate any spiritual ambition, making the thought of serving God seem burdensome and unrealistic, thus making them incapable of receiving or acting on God's call to freedom.