Exodus

Exodus 5:16–21

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.”

19The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

21“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”

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 5:16

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Noאֵ֤ין’ênAdverbH369 nothing, nought
strawתֶּ֗בֶןte·ḇenNoun - masculine singularH8401 straw
has been givenנִתָּן֙nit·tānVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
to your servantsלַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָla·‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵāPreposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
yet we are toldאֹמְרִ֥ים’ō·mə·rîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH559 utter, say
Makeעֲשׂ֑וּ‘ă·śūVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH6213 do, make
bricksוּלְבֵנִ֛יםū·lə·ḇê·nîmConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine pluralH3843 brick, tile
Lookוְהִנֵּ֧הwə·hin·nêhConjunctive waw; InterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
your servantsעֲבָדֶ֛יךָ‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
are being beatenמֻכִּ֖יםmuk·kîmVerb - Hofal - Participle - masculine pluralH5221 smite
but the faultוְחָטָ֥אתwə·ḥā·ṭāṯConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularH2398 miss
with your own peopleעַמֶּֽךָ׃‘am·me·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH5971 people

Exodus 5:17

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Youאַתֶּ֖ם’at·temPronoun - second person masculine pluralH859 thou
are slackersנִרְפִּ֥יםnir·pîmVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralH7503 sink, relax
Pharaoh repliedוַיֹּ֛אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Slackersנִרְפִּ֑יםnir·pîmVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralH7503 sink, relax
That is whyעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
youאַתֶּ֣ם’at·temPronoun - second person masculine pluralH859 thou
keep sayingאֹֽמְרִ֔ים’ō·mə·rîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH559 utter, say
Let us goנֵלְכָ֖הnê·lə·ḵāhVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH1980 go, come, walk
and sacrificeנִזְבְּחָ֥הniz·bə·ḥāhVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH2076 slaughter for sacrifice
to the LORDלַֽיהוָֽה׃Yah·wehPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh

Exodus 5:18

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Nowוְעַתָּה֙wə·‘at·tāhConjunctive waw; AdverbH6258 now
get toלְכ֣וּlə·ḵūVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH1980 go, come, walk
workעִבְד֔וּ‘iḇ·ḏūVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH5647 work, serve
Youלָכֶ֑םlā·ḵemPreposition; second person masculine plural
will be givenיִנָּתֵ֣ןyin·nā·ṯênVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
noלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
strawוְתֶ֖בֶןwə·ṯe·ḇenConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH8401 straw
yet you must deliverתִּתֵּֽנּוּ׃tit·tên·nūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
the full quotaוְתֹ֥כֶןwə·ṯō·ḵenConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH8506 measurement
of bricksלְבֵנִ֖יםlə·ḇê·nîmNoun - feminine pluralH3843 brick, tile

Exodus 5:19

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
The Israeliteבְנֵֽי־ḇə·nê-Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
foremenשֹֽׁטְרֵ֧יšō·ṭə·rêNoun - masculine plural constructH7860 official, officer
realizedוַיִּרְא֞וּway·yir·’ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH7200 see
they were in troubleבְּרָ֣עbə·rā‘Preposition-b; Adjective - masculine singularH7451 bad, evil
when they were toldלֵאמֹ֑רlê·mōrPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH559 utter, say
You must notלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
reduceתִגְרְע֥וּṯiḡ·rə·‘ūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH1639 diminish, restrain, withdraw
your dailyי֥וֹםyō·wmNoun - masculine singularH3117 day
quotaדְּבַר־də·ḇar-Noun - masculine singular constructH1697 speech, word
of bricksמִלִּבְנֵיכֶ֖םmil·liḇ·nê·ḵemPreposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct; second person masculine pluralH3843 brick, tile

Exodus 5:20

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When they leftבְּצֵאתָ֖םbə·ṣê·ṯāmPreposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine pluralH3318 go or come out
Pharaohפַּרְעֹֽה׃par·‘ōhNoun - proper - masculine singularH6547 Pharaoh
they confrontedוַֽיִּפְגְּעוּ֙way·yip̄·gə·‘ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH6293 meet, encounter, reach
Mosesמֹשֶׁ֣הmō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
and Aaronאַהֲרֹ֔ן’a·hă·rōnNoun - proper - masculine singularH175 Aaron
who stoodנִצָּבִ֖יםniṣ·ṣā·ḇîmVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralH5324 take one's stand, stand
waiting to meet themלִקְרָאתָ֑םliq·rā·ṯāmPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine pluralH7122 encounter, befall

Exodus 5:21

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
May the LORDיְהוָ֛הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
look upon youיֵ֧רֶאyê·reVerb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH7200 see
and judge youוְיִשְׁפֹּ֑טwə·yiš·pōṭConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singularH8199 judge, govern
saidוַיֹּאמְר֣וּway·yō·mə·rūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH559 utter, say
forאֲשֶׁ֧ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
you have made us a stenchהִבְאַשְׁתֶּ֣םhiḇ·’aš·temVerb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine pluralH887 be evil, bad
beforeבְּעֵינֵ֤יbə·‘ê·nêPreposition-b; Noun - cdcH5869 eye
Pharaohפַרְעֹה֙p̄ar·‘ōhNoun - proper - masculine singularH6547 Pharaoh
and his officialsעֲבָדָ֔יו‘ă·ḇā·ḏāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
you have placedלָֽתֶת־lā·ṯeṯ-Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH5414 give, put, set
in their handבְּיָדָ֖םbə·yā·ḏāmPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH3027 hand
a swordחֶ֥רֶבḥe·reḇNoun - feminine singularH2719 sword
to kill usלְהָרְגֵֽנוּ׃lə·hā·rə·ḡê·nūPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common pluralH2026 kill, slay

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Exodus 5:21 Genesis 34:30 · 1 Samuel 13:4 · Genesis 16:5 · 1 Samuel 27:12 · 1 Chronicles 19:6 · 2 Samuel 10:6 · Exodus 6:9

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.