Bible Strands

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.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Pharaoh commands his taskmasters to maintain the exact daily brick quota while removing the Israelites' straw supply. He issues this order immediately after the Israelites first request permission to leave Egypt to worship their God.

The words — מַתְכֹּנֶת (matkonet) denotes the fixed measurement or quota of work, and תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם (temol shilshom) literally means "yesterday and three days ago," emphasizing the unchanging prior standard.

The thread — The theme of oppressive labor quotas and foreign domination reappears in Psalms 106:41, where God delivers the people into the hands of nations that rule over them.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that oppressive systems weaponize work to suppress spiritual freedom, requiring readers to identify how modern structures might similarly distract from divine calling.

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

וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>מַתְכֹּ֨נֶתmat.Ko.net[the] measurement ofהַלְּבֵנִ֜יםha./le.ve.Nimthe/ bricksאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhichהֵם֩hemtheyעֹשִׂ֨ים'o.Sim[were] makingתְּמ֤וֹלte.Molyesterdayשִׁלְשֹׁם֙shil.Shomthree days agoתָּשִׂ֣ימוּta.Si.muyou will placeעֲלֵיהֶ֔ם'a.lei./Hemon/ themלֹ֥אlo'notתִגְרְע֖וּtig.re.'Uyou will diminishמִמֶּ֑נּוּmi.Me./nufrom/ itכִּֽי־ki-forנִרְפִּ֣יםnir.Pim[are] idleהֵ֔םHemtheyעַל־'al-there-כֵּ֗ןKen-foreהֵ֤םhemtheyצֹֽעֲקִים֙tzo.'a.Kim[are] crying outלֵאמֹ֔רle./Mor<to>/ sayingנֵלְכָ֖הne.le.Khahlet us goנִזְבְּחָ֥הniz.be.Chahlet us sacrificeלֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃le./lo.Hei./nuto/ God/ our

King James Version

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.

Cross-references