Exodus 5:6
New International Version
That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people:

New Living Translation
That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen:

English Standard Version
The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen,

Berean Standard Bible
That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:

King James Bible
And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

New King James Version
So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

New American Standard Bible
So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying,

NASB 1995
So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying,

NASB 1977
So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
So on that day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying,

Amplified Bible
The very same day Pharaoh gave orders to the [Egyptian] taskmasters in charge of the people and their [Hebrew] foremen, saying,

Christian Standard Bible
That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen: “

American Standard Version
And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Pharaoh commanded the Rulers of the people and their Scribes on that day, and he said to them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Pharao gave orders to the task-masters of the people and the accountants, saying,

Contemporary English Version
That same day the king gave orders to his Egyptian slave bosses and to the Israelite men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:

English Revised Version
And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
That same day Pharaoh gave these orders to the slave drivers and foremen:

Good News Translation
That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen:

International Standard Version
That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials,

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying:

Literal Standard Version
And on that day Pharaoh commands the exactors among the people and its authorities, saying,

Majority Standard Bible
That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:

New American Bible
That very day Pharaoh gave the taskmasters of the people and their foremen this order:

NET Bible
That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people:

New Revised Standard Version
That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors,

New Heart English Bible
The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And Pharaoh commanded the same day the task-masters of the people, and their officers, saying,

World English Bible
The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

Young's Literal Translation
And Pharaoh commandeth, on that day, the exactors among the people and its authorities, saying,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Bricks and Straw
6That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen: 7“You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.…

Cross References
Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Exodus 3:7
The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.

Exodus 5:7
"You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.

Exodus 5:10
So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I am no longer giving you straw.

Exodus 5:13
The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, "Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided."

Exodus 5:14
Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, "Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?"


Treasury of Scripture

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

taskmasters.

Exodus 5:10,13,14,15,19
And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw…

Exodus 1:11
Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

officers.

Exodus 2:14
And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

Jump to Previous
Authorities Charge Commanded Commandeth Drivers Exactors Foremen Officers Order Orders Overseers Pharaoh Responsible Slave Taskmasters Task-Masters Work
Jump to Next
Authorities Charge Commanded Commandeth Drivers Exactors Foremen Officers Order Orders Overseers Pharaoh Responsible Slave Taskmasters Task-Masters Work
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.














(6) Taskmasters . . . officers.--Three grades of officials are mentioned as employed in superintending the forced labours of the Hebrews--(1) "lords of service" (sarey massim), in Exodus 1:11; (2) "taskmasters" (nogeshim), here and in Exodus 5:10; Exodus 5:13-14; and (3) "officers"--literally, scribes (shoterim), here and in Exodus 5:11-21. The "lords of service" were probably a small body who exercised a general superintendence, and determined the works in which the Hebrews should be employed. They were, no doubt, native Egyptians. The nogeshim, or "taskmasters," were their subordinates--Egyptians like themselves--comparatively numerous, and serving as intermediaries between the "lords" and the "officers." These last were Hebrews, and engaged mainly in keeping the tale of the bricks, and seeing that the proper number was reached. Such an organisation is consonant with all that we know of the Egyptian governmental system, which was bureaucratic and complex, involving in every department the employment of several grades of officials.

Verses 6-9. - Rulers are not always content simply to refuse inconvenient demands. Sometimes they set to work with much ingenuity and worldly wisdom to prevent their repetition. This is especially the case where they entertain a fear of their petitioners. The Spartans removed Helots, who had earned their freedom, by the Crypteia. The massacre of St. Bartholomew was caused by the Huguenot demand for freedom of worship and the difficulty of repressing it. The Pharaoh now is not content to let things take their course, but devises a plan by which he hopes to crush altogether the aspirations of the Hebrew people, and secure himself against the recurrence of any such appeal as that which had been made to him by Moses and Aaron. The Israelites had recently been employed chiefly in brickmaking. They had had to dig the clay and temper it, to mix it with straw, and mould it into the form of bricks; but the straw had been supplied to them. The king determined that this should be no longer done; the Israelites should find the straw for themselves. It has been estimated that by this change their labour was "more than doubled." (Canon Cook.) It was a not unreasonable expectation that under this system popular meetings would cease (ver. 9); and that Moses and Aaron, not being backed up by the voice of the people, would discontinue their agitation. Verse 6. - The same day. Pharaoh lost no time. Having conceived his idea, he issued his order at once-on the very day of the interview with the two leaders. It would be well if the children of light were as "wise" and as energetic on all occasions as the children of darkness. Taskmasters and officers. The word translated "taskmaster" here is not the same as the expression similarly rendered in Exodus 1:11; and it is thought not to designate the same class. The sarey massim of the former passage are thought to be general superintendents of works, few in number and of high rank, the nogeshim of the present place to be subordinates, numerous and inferior in position. Both of these classes were probably Egyptians. The "officers" (shoterim) were undoubtedly Hebrews. They were especially employed in keeping the tale of the bricks, and seeing that they reached the proper amount. Literally, the word shoterim means "scribes," and is so rendered in most passages.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
That same
הַה֑וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֖ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

commanded
וַיְצַ֥ו (way·ṣaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

the taskmasters
הַנֹּגְשִׂ֣ים (han·nō·ḡə·śîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5065: To drive, to tax, harass, tyrannize

of the people
בָּעָ֔ם (bā·‘ām)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and their foremen:
שֹׁטְרָ֖יו (šō·ṭə·rāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7860: A scribe, an official superintendent, magistrate


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OT Law: Exodus 5:6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 5:5
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