Exodus 5:13

Study note

Setting — The Egyptian taskmasters address the Israelite laborers immediately after the royal straw supply is revoked, demanding they maintain their daily brick quotas. This occurs at the moment the workers are forced to scatter across Egypt to gather stubble for themselves.

The words — The Hebrew verb אָצִים ('atzim) translates to "were pressing," conveying relentless administrative or physical force. The phrase מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ (ma'asekhem yom be-yomo) literally means "your work a day in its day," emphasizing unbroken daily production.

The thread — The supplied context ties this demand to Exodus 5:12, where the people gather stubble, and Exodus 5:14, where foremen are beaten for missing the same quota. No additional scriptural references are provided in the text.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to note that labor demands remain fixed even as personal survival costs multiply. It presents authority as indifferent to the workers' circumstances, demanding consistent output regardless of the means required to produce it.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.