Exodus 5 · Verse 14

Exodus 5:14

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?
Exodus 5:14, King James Version

Exodus 5:14 in other translations

BSBThen 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?”
WEBThe officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
ASVAnd 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?
YLTAnd 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?'
DARBYAnd 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?
BBEAnd the responsible men of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's overseers had put over them, were given blows, and they said to them, Why have you not done your regular work, in making bricks as before?
WebsterAnd the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's task-masters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?

What does Exodus 5:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 5:13-19

13-19. And the taskmasters hasted them ... officers ... beaten--As the nearest fields were bared and the people had to go farther for stubble, it was impossible for them to meet the demand by the usual tale of bricks. "The beating of the officers is just what might have been expected from an Eastern tyrant, especially in the valley of the Nile, as it appears from the monuments, that ancient Egypt, like modern China…

Read the full comment on Exodus 5:13-19 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 And the officers - were beaten - Probably bastinadoed; for this is the common punishment in Egypt to the present day for minor offenses. The manner of it is this: the culprit lies on his belly, his legs being turned up behind erect, and the executioner gives him so many blows on the soles of the feet with a stick. This is a very severe punishment, the sufferer not being able to walk for many weeks after, and some are lamed by it through the whole of their lives.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 5:10-23

The Egyptian task-masters were very severe. See what need we have to pray that we may be delivered from wicked men. The head-workmen justly complained to Pharaoh: but he taunted them. The malice of Satan has often represented the service and worship of God, as fit employment only for those who have nothing else to do, and the business only of the idle; whereas, it is the duty of those who are most busy in the world…

Read the full comment on Exodus 5:10-23 →

Exodus 5:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֻּכּ֗וּvai.yu.Kuand they were struckH5221
שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙sho.te.Rei[the] foremen ofH7860
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whomH834
שָׂ֣מוּSa.muthey had appointedH7760
עֲלֵהֶ֔ם'a.le.Hemover themH5921
נֹגְשֵׂ֥יno.ge.Sei[the] taskmasters ofH5065
פַרְעֹ֖הfar.'OhPharaohH6547
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
מַדּ֡וּעַma.Du.a'why?H4069
לֹא֩lo'notH3808
כִלִּיתֶ֨םkhi.li.Temhave you completedH3615
חָקְכֶ֤םcha.ke.Chemprescribed portion yourH2706
לִלְבֹּן֙lil.Bonby making bricksH3835
כִּתְמ֣וֹלkit.Molas yesterdayH8543
שִׁלְשֹׁ֔םshil.Shomthree days agoH8032
גַּם\־gam-neitherH1571
תְּמ֖וֹלte.MolyesterdayH8543
גַּם\־gam-norH1571
הַיּֽוֹם\׃hai.Yomthis dayH3117

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 5:14

  • Isaiah 10:24

    Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Context

  • Exodus 5:13

    And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

  • Exodus 5:14

    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?

  • Exodus 5:15

    Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

Read all of Exodus 5

Exodus 5:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y azotaban á los capataces de los hijos de Israel, que los cuadrilleros de Faraón habían puesto sobre ellos, diciendo: ¿Por qué no habéis cumplido vuestra tarea de ladrillo ni ayer ni hoy, como antes?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et les commissaires des fils d’Israël, qu’avaient établis sur eux les exacteurs du Pharaon, furent battus, et il leur fut dit: Pourquoi n’avez-vous pas achevé votre tâche en faisant des briques, hier et aujourd’hui, comme auparavant?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Vorsteher der Kinder Israel, welche die Treiber des Pharao über sie gesetzt hatten, wurden geschlagen, indem man sagte: Warum habt ihr euren Satz Ziegel, sowohl gestern als heute, nicht vollendet wie früher?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Flagellatique sunt qui præerant operibus filiorum Israël, ab exactoribus Pharaonis, dicentibus: Quare non impletis mensuram laterum sicut prius, nec heri, nec hodie?