Exodus 5:17

“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Pharaoh addresses the Israelite foremen immediately after they report the increased brick quotas and the removal of straw. He speaks to them in the heat of their labor dispute, directly rejecting their petition to leave and worship.

The words — The Hebrew נִרְפִּים (nirpîm) literally means "idle" or "slack," repeated twice by Pharaoh for emphasis. He couples this label with אֹמְרִים (ʾōmerîm), "saying," to frame their religious request as the direct cause of their supposed idleness.

The thread — Pharaoh uses this identical accusation in Exodus 5:8 to justify his policy of withholding straw while maintaining the full brick quota. The supplied references note thematic parallels in John 6:27 regarding purposeful labor and Matthew 26:8 regarding indignant responses to perceived waste, though the immediate scriptural thread is Pharaoh's political weaponization of work quotas.

Why it lands — The text states that those in power will label religious obedience as laziness when it threatens their economic control. It asks the reader to recognize when authority figures conflate spiritual devotion with idleness to suppress dissent.

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.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּ֛אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said נִרְפִּ֥יםnir.Pim[are] idle אַתֶּ֖ם'a.Temyou נִרְפִּ֑יםnir.Pimidle עַל־'al-there-כֵּן֙ken-fore אַתֶּ֣ם'a.Temyou אֹֽמְרִ֔ים'o.me.Rim[are] saying נֵלְכָ֖הne.le.Khahlet us go נִזְבְּחָ֥הniz.be.Chahlet us sacrifice לַֽיהוָֽה׃la./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh

King James Version

But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.

Cross-references

Exodus 5:8 But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
Matthew 26:8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste?
John 6:27 Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”