The Meaning of Exodus 5:14 Explained

Exodus 5:14

KJV: And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

YLT: And the authorities of the sons of Israel, whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them, are beaten, saying, 'Wherefore have ye not completed your portion in making brick as heretofore, both yesterday and to-day?'

Darby: And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and it was said, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?

ASV: And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the officers  of the children  of Israel,  which Pharaoh's  taskmasters  had set  over them, were beaten,  [and] demanded,  Wherefore have ye not fulfilled  your task  in making brick  both yesterday  and to day,  as heretofore? 

What does Exodus 5:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 5:1-14 - The Request To Worship Jehovah Answered By Oppression
The bondage of Israel in Egypt is an apt type of our bondage to sin. See John 8:34-36; Romans 7:23-25. The weary tyranny of our besetting sins; the imperious demands of Satan; the absence of all reward to our hopeless toils-these are striking points of analogy. Though we weep and struggle, there is no help for us but in God. No straw! No lessening of the tale of bricks! The charge of idleness! Cruel beatings! Deliverance apparently more distant than ever! But the darkest hour precedes dawn.
The hue and cry is always raised when a prisoner is escaping. The tyrant, who has so long held his prey, is not minded to surrender it without a struggle. The devil convulsed the child, as he was about to depart. Moreover, Israel must be taught to look beyond Moses or Aaron to the Eternal Jehovah. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 5

1  Pharaoh chides Moses and Aaron for their message
6  He increases the Israelites' task
16  He ignores their complaints
19  They cry out to Moses and Aaron
22  Moses complains to God

What do the individual words in Exodus 5:14 mean?

And were beaten the officers of the sons of Israel whom had set over them taskmasters of Pharaoh [and] were asked why not have you fulfilled your task in making brick as before both yesterday and today
וַיֻּכּ֗וּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־ שָׂ֣מוּ עֲלֵהֶ֔ם נֹגְשֵׂ֥י פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֡וּעַ לֹא֩ כִלִּיתֶ֨ם חָקְכֶ֤ם לִלְבֹּן֙ כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּם־ תְּמ֖וֹל גַּם־ ؟ הַיּֽוֹם

וַיֻּכּ֗וּ  And  were  beaten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙  the  officers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁטַר  
Sense: (Qal) official, officer.
בְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׂ֣מוּ  had  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
עֲלֵהֶ֔ם  over  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
נֹגְשֵׂ֥י  taskmasters 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: נָגַשׂ  
Sense: to press, drive, oppress, exact, exert demanding pressure.
פַרְעֹ֖ה  of  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  [and]  were  asked 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מַדּ֡וּעַ  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
כִלִּיתֶ֨ם  have  you  fulfilled 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
חָקְכֶ֤ם  your  task 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
לִלְבֹּן֙  in  making  brick 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָבַן 
Sense: to be white.
שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם  before 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שִׁלְשֹׁום  
Sense: day before yesterday, three days ago.
גַּם־  both 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
תְּמ֖וֹל  yesterday 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תְּמֹול  
Sense: before, before that time, beforetime, heretofore, of late, of old, these days, time(s) past, yesterday, day before yesterday, recently, formerly.
؟ הַיּֽוֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.

What are the major concepts related to Exodus 5:14?

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