Exodus 5:9

Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Pharaoh addresses his taskmasters and foremen, ordering them to increase the Israelite men’s labor quota to keep them occupied and stop them from listening to Moses and Aaron.

The words — The Hebrew תִּכְבַּד עֲבֹדָה (tikhbad avodah) literally commands "let the work be heavy," directing intensified labor to occupy the men and prevent them from paying attention to deceptive speech.

The thread — This directive to dismiss harmful speech aligns with other biblical warnings against heeding empty or false words, as seen in 2 Kings 18:20, Job 16:3, and Jeremiah 43:2.

Why it lands — The verse requires a reader to see how political power uses enforced exhaustion to silence dissent and force compliance with falsehoods.

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

תִּכְבַּ֧דtikh.Badlet it be heavy הָעֲבֹדָ֛הha./'a.vo.Dahthe/ labor עַל־'al-on הָאֲנָשִׁ֖יםha./'a.na.Shimthe/ men וְיַעֲשׂוּ־ve./ya.'a.su-so/ they may workבָ֑הּVa/hin <the>/ itוְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may not יִשְׁע֖וּyish.'Uthem pay attention בְּדִבְרֵי־be./div.rei-to/ words of שָֽׁקֶר׃Sha.kerfalsehood

King James Version

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Cross-references

2 Kings 18:20 You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?
Job 16:3 Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?
Jeremiah 43:2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to reside there.’
Zechariah 1:6 But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”
Malachi 3:14 You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?
Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.