Exodus

Exodus 5:15–18

¹⁵So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way? ¹⁶No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

¹⁷“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ ¹⁸Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”

Read all of Exodus 5

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 5:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So the Israelite	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
foremen	שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙	šō·ṭə·rê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H7860 official, officer
went	וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ	way·yā·ḇō·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and appealed	וַיִּצְעֲק֥וּ	way·yiṣ·‘ă·qū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6817 cry, cry out, call
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Pharaoh	פַּרְעֹ֖ה	par·‘ōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh
Why	לָ֧מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
are you treating	תַעֲשֶׂ֦ה	ṯa·‘ă·śeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
your servants	לַעֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃	la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
this way	כֹ֖ה	ḵōh	Adverb	H3541 thus, here

Exodus 5:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
No	אֵ֤ין	’ên	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
straw	תֶּ֗בֶן	te·ḇen	Noun - masculine singular	H8401 straw
has been given	נִתָּן֙	nit·tān	Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
to your servants	לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ	la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
yet we are told	אֹמְרִ֥ים	’ō·mə·rîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H559 utter, say
Make	עֲשׂ֑וּ	‘ă·śū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H6213 do, make
bricks	וּלְבֵנִ֛ים	ū·lə·ḇê·nîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural	H3843 brick, tile
Look	וְהִנֵּ֧ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
your servants	עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ	‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
are being beaten	מֻכִּ֖ים	muk·kîm	Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine plural	H5221 smite
but the fault	וְחָטָ֥את	wə·ḥā·ṭāṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H2398 miss
with your own people	עַמֶּֽךָ׃	‘am·me·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5971 people

Exodus 5:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You	אַתֶּ֖ם	’at·tem	Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
are slackers	נִרְפִּ֥ים	nir·pîm	Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural	H7503 sink, relax
Pharaoh replied	וַיֹּ֛אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Slackers	נִרְפִּ֑ים	nir·pîm	Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural	H7503 sink, relax
That is why	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
you	אַתֶּ֣ם	’at·tem	Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
keep saying	אֹֽמְרִ֔ים	’ō·mə·rîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H559 utter, say
Let us go	נֵלְכָ֖ה	nê·lə·ḵāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H1980 go, come, walk
and sacrifice	נִזְבְּחָ֥ה	niz·bə·ḥāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H2076 slaughter for sacrifice
to the LORD	לַֽיהוָֽה׃	Yah·weh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh

Exodus 5:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now	וְעַתָּה֙	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
get to	לְכ֣וּ	lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
work	עִבְד֔וּ	‘iḇ·ḏū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H5647 work, serve
You	לָכֶ֑ם	lā·ḵem	Preposition; second person masculine plural
will be given	יִנָּתֵ֣ן	yin·nā·ṯên	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
no	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
straw	וְתֶ֖בֶן	wə·ṯe·ḇen	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H8401 straw
yet you must deliver	תִּתֵּֽנּוּ׃	tit·tên·nū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H5414 give, put, set
the full quota	וְתֹ֥כֶן	wə·ṯō·ḵen	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8506 measurement
of bricks	לְבֵנִ֖ים	lə·ḇê·nîm	Noun - feminine plural	H3843 brick, tile

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.