Exodus 5:12
New International Version
So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw.

New Living Translation
So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw.

English Standard Version
So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Berean Standard Bible
So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

King James Bible
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

New King James Version
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

New American Standard Bible
So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

NASB 1995
So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

NASB 1977
So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Legacy Standard Bible
So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Amplified Bible
So the people were scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw.

Christian Standard Bible
So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

American Standard Version
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Contemporary English Version
The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw.

English Revised Version
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Good News Translation
So the people went all over Egypt looking for straw.

International Standard Version
So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble for straw.

Majority Standard Bible
So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

NET Bible
So the people spread out through all the land of Egypt to collect stubble for straw.

New Heart English Bible
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather dry stalks for straw.

Webster's Bible Translation
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble instead of straw.

World English Bible
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the people are scattered over all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw,

Young's Literal Translation
And the people is scattered over all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the people will be dispersed in all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the people were dispersed through all the land of Egypt, in order to gather straw.

New American Bible
The people, then, scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw,

New Revised Standard Version
So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather the stubble.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the people were scattered in all the land of Egypt to collect dry grass of straw.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So the people were dispersed in all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Bricks and Straw
11Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’ ” 12So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”…

Cross References
Exodus 1:14
and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

Exodus 2:23
After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.

Exodus 6:9
Moses relayed this message to the Israelites, but on account of their broken spirit and cruel bondage, they did not listen to him.

Exodus 7:3-4
But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, / Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 8:15
When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

Exodus 9:7
Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.

Exodus 10:3
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

Exodus 11:9
The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 12:33
And in order to send them out of the land quickly, the Egyptians urged the people on. “For otherwise,” they said, “we are all going to die!”

Exodus 14:5
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”

Exodus 15:9
The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’

Exodus 18:8
Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

Exodus 23:9
Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 34:21
Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in the seasons of plowing and harvesting, you must rest.

Deuteronomy 4:20
Yet the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of His inheritance, as you are today.


Treasury of Scripture

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

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Abroad Directions Dry Egypt Gather Grass Instead Scattered Stems Straw Stubble Throughout Use
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Abroad Directions Dry Egypt Gather Grass Instead Scattered Stems Straw Stubble Throughout Use
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.














So the people scattered
The phrase "so the people scattered" indicates a forced dispersion of the Israelites throughout Egypt. This scattering was not voluntary but a result of Pharaoh's oppressive decree. The Hebrew root for "scattered" is "פוץ" (pootz), which conveys a sense of being dispersed or spread out. Historically, this reflects the increasing burden placed upon the Israelites, as they were driven to search for resources far and wide. This scattering can be seen as a metaphor for the trials and tribulations that often precede deliverance, reminding believers that God’s plans often unfold through adversity.

throughout the land of Egypt
The phrase "throughout the land of Egypt" emphasizes the vastness of the area the Israelites had to cover. Egypt, known in Hebrew as "מצרים" (Mitzrayim), was a powerful and expansive nation. This phrase highlights the extent of the Israelites' suffering, as they were forced to traverse the entire land to meet Pharaoh's demands. It serves as a reminder of the oppressive environment in which they lived, yet also foreshadows the mighty acts of God that would soon be displayed across this very land.

to gather stubble
"To gather stubble" refers to the Israelites' task of collecting leftover straw to make bricks. The Hebrew word for "stubble" is "קש" (kash), which denotes the dry, brittle remnants of harvested grain. This task was labor-intensive and degrading, symbolizing the harshness of their bondage. In a spiritual sense, gathering stubble can represent the futility of human efforts without divine intervention. It underscores the need for reliance on God, who alone can transform our meager resources into something of eternal value.

for straw
The phrase "for straw" indicates the specific material needed for brick-making. Straw was essential for binding the clay, and its absence made the task nearly impossible. The Hebrew word "תבן" (teven) for straw signifies something that is both necessary and foundational. This reflects the Israelites' dire situation, as they were expected to produce the same output with fewer resources. Spiritually, it serves as a reminder that God often allows us to face impossible situations to demonstrate His power and provision, teaching us to trust in His sufficiency rather than our own strength.

(12) Stubble instead of straw.--Heb., stubble for the straw. Reaping in Egypt was effected by cutting off the ears only from the stalks, and thus a very tall stubble was left in the fields. This appears not to have been valued by the cultivators, and whoever wished was allowed to collect it. After collecting it, and bringing it to the brick-fields in bundles, they would have to chop it small before it would be fit for use.

Verse 12. - The people were mattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt. The expression used is hyperbolical, and not to be understood literally. A tolerably wide dispersion over the central and eastern portions of the Delta is probably intended. Stubble instead of straw. Rather, "stubble for the straw." Teben, the word translated straw, seems to he properly "chopped straw" (stramenta minutim concisa, Cook). The Israelites, who had been accustomed to have this provided for them, gathered now long stalks of stubble in the fields, which they had subsequently to make into teben by chopping it into short bits.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the people
הָעָ֖ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

scattered
וַיָּ֥פֶץ (way·yā·p̄eṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6327: To be dispersed or scattered

all over
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the land
אֶ֣רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Egypt
מִצְרָ֑יִם (miṣ·rā·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

to gather
לְקֹשֵׁ֥שׁ (lə·qō·šêš)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7197: To forage for, straw, stubble, wood, to assemble

stubble
קַ֖שׁ (qaš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7179: Stubble, chaff

for straw.
לַתֶּֽבֶן׃ (lat·te·ḇen)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8401: Material, refuse haum, stalks of grain


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OT Law: Exodus 5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 5:11
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