Exodus 5 · Verse 21

Exodus 5:21

And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
Exodus 5:21, King James Version

Exodus 5:21 in other translations

BSB“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”
WEBThey said to them, “May the LORD look at you and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”
ASVand they said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
YLTand say unto them, ‘Jehovah look upon you, and judge, because ye have caused our fragrance to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants--to give a sword into their hand to slay us.'
DARBYAnd they said to them, Jehovah look upon you and judge, that ye have made our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his bondmen, putting a sword into their hand to kill us!
BBEAnd they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.
WebsterAnd they said to them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to slay us.

What does Exodus 5:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 5:20-21

20-21. they met Moses ... The Lord look upon you, and judge--Thus the deliverer of Israel found that this patriotic interference did, in the first instance, only aggravate the evil he wished to remove, and that instead of receiving the gratitude, he was loaded with the reproaches of his countrymen. But as the greatest darkness is immediately before the dawn, so the people of God are often plunged into the deepest…

Read the full comment on Exodus 5:20-21 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 The Lord look upon you, and judge - These were hasty and unkind expressions; but the afflicted must be allowed the privilege of complaining; it is all the solace that such sorrow can find; and if in such distress words are spoken which should not be justified, yet the considerate and benevolent will hear them with indulgence. God is merciful; and the stroke of this people was heavier even than their groaning. Put a sword in their hand - Given them a pretense which they had not before, to oppress us even unto death.

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 5:21 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אֲלֵהֶ֔ם'a.le.Hemto themH413
יֵ֧רֶאYe.re'may he lookH7200
יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahwehH3068
עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם'a.lei.Khemon youH5921
וְיִשְׁפֹּ֑טve.yish.Potand may he judgeH8199
אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.SherthatH834
הִבְאַשְׁתֶּ֣םhiv.'ash.Temyou have made stinkH887
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
רֵיחֵ֗נוּrei.Che.nuodor ourH7381
בְּעֵינֵ֤יbe.'ei.Neiin [the] eyes ofH5869
פַרְעֹה֙far.'OhPharaohH6547
וּבְעֵינֵ֣יu.ve.'ei.Neiand in [the] eyes ofH5869
עֲבָדָ֔יו'a.va.Davservants hisH5650
לָֽתֶת\־la.tet-to putH5414
חֶ֥רֶבChe.reva swordH2719
בְּיָדָ֖םbe.ya.Damin hand theirH3027
לְהָרְגֵֽנוּ\׃le.ha.re.Ge.nuto kill usH2026

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

Cross references for Exodus 5:21

  • Genesis 34:30

    And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

  • 2 Samuel 10:6

    And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth–rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ish–tob twelve thousand men.

  • Exodus 6:9

    And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

  • Genesis 16:5

    And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.

  • 1 Samuel 27:12

    And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

  • 1 Samuel 13:4

    And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

  • 1 Chronicles 19:6

    And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria–maachah, and out of Zobah.

  • 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

    For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

  • Exodus 14:11

    And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

  • Ecclesiastes 10:1

    Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

  • Joel 2:20

    But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

  • Exodus 4:31

    And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Lord.
4:31; 6:9; Ge 16:5
our savour.
Ec 10:1; Joe 2:20; 2Co 2:15,16
to be abhorred. Heb. to stink.
Ge 34:30; 1Sa 13:4; 27:12; 2Sa 10:6; 1Ch 19:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 5:20

    And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

  • Exodus 5:21

    And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

  • Exodus 5:22

    And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

Read all of Exodus 5

Exodus 5:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Dijéronles: Mire Jehová sobre vosotros, y juzgue; pues habéis hecho heder nuestro olor delante de Faraón y de sus siervos, dándoles el cuchillo en las manos para que nos maten.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et ils leur dirent: Que l’ Éternel vous regarde, et qu’il juge; car vous nous avez mis en mauvaise odeur auprès du Pharaon et auprès de ses serviteurs, de manière à leur mettre une épée à la main pour nous tuer.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie sprachen zu ihnen: Jehova sehe auf euch und richte, daß ihr unseren Geruch stinkend gemacht habt vor dem Pharao und vor seinen Knechten, so daß ihr ihnen das Schwert in die Hand gegeben habt, uns zu töten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et dixerunt ad eos: Videat Dominus et judicet, quoniam fœtere fecistis odorem nostrum coram Pharaone et servis ejus, et præbuistis ei gladium, ut occideret nos.