Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?” New Living Translation Then they whipped the Israelite foremen they had put in charge of the work crews. “Why haven’t you met your quotas either yesterday or today?” they demanded. English Standard Version And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?” Berean Standard Bible 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?” Berean Literal Bible And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them, were beaten saying, “Why have you⁺ not fulfilled your⁺ quota for making bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday, both yesterday and today?” King James Bible 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? New King James Version Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?” New American Standard Bible Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not completed your required task of making bricks either yesterday or today, as before?” NASB 1995 Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?” NASB 1977 Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?” Legacy Standard Bible Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?” Amplified Bible And the Hebrew foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your required quota of making bricks yesterday and today, as before?” Berean Annotated Bible Then the Israelite (he wrestles with God) foremen, whom Pharaoh’s (great house) 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? Christian Standard Bible Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s slave drivers had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why haven’t you finished making your prescribed number of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before? ” Holman Christian Standard Bible Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s slave drivers had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why haven’t you finished making your prescribed number of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?” American Standard Version 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? Contemporary English Version The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, "Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?" English Revised Version 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 both yesterday and today, in making brick as heretofore? GOD'S WORD® Translation Pharaoh's slave drivers had placed Israelite foremen in charge of the people. The slave drivers beat the foremen and said, "You didn't finish all the bricks you were ordered to make yesterday or today. Why didn't you make as many as you used to?" Good News Translation The Egyptian slave drivers beat the Israelite foremen, whom they had put in charge of the work. They demanded, "Why aren't you people making the same number of bricks that you made before?" International Standard Version The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told, "Why didn't you, both yesterday and today, fulfill your quota for making bricks as before?" NET Bible The Israelite foremen whom Pharaoh's slave masters had set over them were beaten and were asked, "Why did you not complete your requirement for brickmaking as in the past--both yesterday and today?" New Heart English Bible The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?" Webster's Bible Translation And 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? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThen 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?” World English Bible The 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?” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd the authorities of the sons of Israel, whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them, are beaten, saying, “Why have you not completed your portion in making brick as before, both yesterday and today?” Berean Literal Bible And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them, were beaten saying, “Why have you⁺ not fulfilled your⁺ quota for making bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday, both yesterday and today?” Young's Literal Translation 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?' Smith's Literal Translation And the scribes of the sons of Israel will be beaten, which Pharaoh's urgers on set over them, saying, Wherefore did ye not complete your allowance of brick as yesterday and the third day, also yesterday, also this day? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao's taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and to day as before? Catholic Public Domain Version And those who were first in the works of the sons of Israel were scourged by Pharaoh’s taskmasters, saying: “Why have you not filled the quota of bricks, neither yesterday, nor today, just as before?” New American Bible The Israelite foremen, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had placed over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why have you not completed your prescribed amount of bricks yesterday and today, as before?” New Revised Standard Version And the supervisors of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why did you not finish the required quantity of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before?” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd the scribes of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have you not completed your quota of bricks both yesterday and today, as heretofore? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And the Scribes of the children of Israel were chastised, whom the Rulers of Pharaoh had set over them, and they were saying, “Why have you not handed over the number of bricks as they were completed and as were being completed even yesterday and today?” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying: 'Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your appointed task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore?' Brenton Septuagint Translation And the accountants of the race of the children of Israel, who were set over them by the masters of Pharao, were scourged, and questioned, men saying, Why have ye not fulfilled your rates of brick-work as yesterday and the third day, to-day also? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Bricks and Straw…13The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.” 14Then 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?” Cross References Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, 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 1:13-14 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly / 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. Deuteronomy 26:6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. were beaten and asked, Exodus 2:11-13 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. / After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. / The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?” Deuteronomy 25:2-3 If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime warrants. / He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight. Isaiah 50:6 I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle. “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, Genesis 11:3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. 2 Samuel 12:31 David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. Psalm 81:6-7 “I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. / You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah as you did before?” 1 Kings 5:13-14 Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. / He sent them to Lebanon in monthly shifts of 10,000 men, so that they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home. And Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. 2 Chronicles 2:17-18 Solomon numbered all the foreign men in the land of Israel following the census his father David had conducted, and there were found to be 153,600 in all. / Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors. 1 Kings 9:15 This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. Exodus 2:23-25 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. / So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. / God saw the Israelites and took notice. Exodus 3:7-9 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. / I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. / And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them. Exodus 6:5-9 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant. / Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. / I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. … 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. Treasury of Scripture And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? no reference Jump to Previous Amount Appointed Beaten Brick Children Completed Demanded Either Fulfilled Heretofore Hitherto Israel Making Moreover Officers Pharaoh's Previously Quota Required Task Taskmasters Task-Masters Today Wherefore YesterdayJump to Next Amount Appointed Beaten Brick Children Completed Demanded Either Fulfilled Heretofore Hitherto Israel Making Moreover Officers Pharaoh's Previously Quota Required Task Taskmasters Task-Masters Today Wherefore YesterdayExodus 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. Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, In the context of ancient Egypt, the Israelites were enslaved and forced into hard labor. The foremen were Israelites themselves, appointed by Egyptian taskmasters to oversee their fellow Hebrews. This hierarchical structure was common in ancient labor systems, where local leaders were used to enforce the will of the ruling power. This situation reflects the oppressive conditions under which the Israelites lived, highlighting their need for deliverance. were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?” Persons / Places / Events 1. Israelite ForemenThese were Hebrew overseers appointed by Pharaoh's taskmasters to manage the labor of the Israelites. They were caught in a difficult position, being responsible for meeting the demands of the Egyptians while also being part of the oppressed community. 2. Pharaoh's Taskmasters Egyptian officials responsible for enforcing labor demands on the Israelites. They were the enforcers of Pharaoh's harsh policies and were directly involved in the oppression of the Hebrew people. 3. Pharaoh The ruler of Egypt who refused to let the Israelites go, increasing their burdens instead. His heart was hardened against the pleas of Moses and Aaron. 4. Egypt The land where the Israelites were enslaved. It represents a place of bondage and oppression for God's people. 5. Bricks The product that the Israelites were forced to produce in large quantities. The demand for bricks symbolizes the harsh and unreasonable expectations placed upon the Israelites. Teaching Points Understanding OppressionThe plight of the Israelite foremen illustrates the harsh realities of oppression. As believers, we are called to recognize and stand against injustice in our world today. Faith in Adversity Despite the increased burdens, the Israelites were part of God's unfolding plan of deliverance. We are reminded to trust in God's sovereignty, even when circumstances seem overwhelming. Leadership Challenges The Israelite foremen faced the difficult task of leading under oppressive conditions. This teaches us about the complexities of leadership and the importance of seeking God's wisdom in challenging situations. The Cost of Disobedience Pharaoh's refusal to heed God's command through Moses led to increased suffering for the Israelites. This serves as a warning about the consequences of hardening one's heart against God's will. Hope in God's Promises Despite the immediate suffering, God's promise of deliverance was sure. Believers can find hope in God's faithfulness to His promises, even when fulfillment seems distant. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Exodus 5:14?2. How does Exodus 5:14 illustrate the consequences of disobedience to God's commands? 3. What can we learn about leadership from the foremen's response in Exodus 5:14? 4. How does Exodus 5:14 connect to God's promise of deliverance in Exodus 3:7-8? 5. In what ways can we trust God amidst unjust treatment, as seen in Exodus 5:14? 6. How can Exodus 5:14 inspire perseverance in faith during challenging circumstances today? 7. Why were the Israelite foremen beaten in Exodus 5:14? 8. How does Exodus 5:14 reflect on God's justice? 9. What does Exodus 5:14 reveal about Pharaoh's leadership? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 5? 11. What events occur in the biblical book of Exodus? 12. Why do archaeological findings contradict the biblical Exodus story? 13. Exodus 5:20–21: Would enslaved leaders realistically have such direct access to Pharaoh and survive speaking against him? 14. How does Moses praise God for His deliverance? What Does Exodus 5:14 Mean Then the Israelite foremen– These foremen were Hebrews elevated to supervisory roles, a strategy Pharaoh used to control the workforce (Exodus 1:11). – Scripture records this as a literal historical detail, showing how oppression can sometimes come through fellow countrymen (compare Exodus 2:13–14, where Hebrew brothers strive). – God had already declared, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people” (Exodus 3:7), assuring us He was fully aware of their plight. whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people – Egyptian taskmasters remained in ultimate authority, placing Hebrew foremen between themselves and the laborers. – This echoes earlier patterns of forced labor under pagan kings (1 Kings 9:22), underlining the world’s tendency to exploit God’s people. – By assigning Hebrews to supervise Hebrews, Pharaoh hoped to shift blame downward and deflect any anger away from himself. were beaten – The beating is literal and brutal, illustrating how sin-driven systems resort to violence when production falters (Exodus 2:11 shows an earlier beating Moses witnessed). – Proverbs 22:16 warns, “Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself... leads only to poverty,” hinting at the spiritual bankruptcy behind Pharaoh’s cruelty. – God’s law later prohibits just such oppression (Leviticus 25:43), highlighting the stark contrast between Egypt’s tyranny and the Lord’s heart. and asked – The interrogation compounds the pain with humiliation. – Pharaoh’s men act as though the shortfall is a moral failure of the slaves, not the result of impossible demands (Exodus 5:10–13). – This mirrors Satan’s tactic of accusation (Revelation 12:10) against God’s people, piling guilt atop suffering. “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?” – The quota had not changed, but the supply of straw had been removed (Exodus 5:7–8): same output, fewer resources. – Verses 5:18–19 show the foremen realizing the impossibility of the task, pushing them to appeal to Pharaoh—and ultimately to Moses and Aaron. – God allows the pressure to mount so Israel will long for deliverance (Acts 7:34), setting the stage for the exodus and demonstrating that human bondage cannot be broken by human effort alone. summary Exodus 5:14 paints a vivid, literal snapshot of Israel’s oppression: Hebrew foremen caught between Egyptian masters and exhausted laborers, beaten for failing to meet impossible quotas. The verse exposes the cruelty of sin-ruled systems, the futility of self-salvation, and the necessity of divine intervention. By detailing Pharaoh’s escalating tyranny, Scripture prepares our hearts to marvel at the LORD’s mighty rescue that soon follows. (14) The officers . . . were beaten.--This is the usual practice in the East. When any requisition is made on a town or a village, or any body of persons, the procuring of it is left to the "head men," who are alone responsible to the Government, and are punished in case they fail to exact the full amount.And demanded.--Rather, and asked, or (as Kalisch renders it) "with the words." Hebrew Then the Israeliteבְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 1121: A son foremen, שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ (šō·ṭə·rê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 7860: A scribe, an official superintendent, magistrate whom אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that Pharaoh’s פַרְעֹ֖ה (p̄ar·‘ōh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings taskmasters נֹגְשֵׂ֥י (nō·ḡə·śê) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Strong's 5065: To drive, to tax, harass, tyrannize had set שָׂ֣מוּ (śā·mū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set over the people, עֲלֵהֶ֔ם (‘ă·lê·hem) Preposition | third person masculine plural Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against were beaten וַיֻּכּ֗וּ (way·yuk·kū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 5221: To strike and asked, לֵאמֹ֑ר (lê·mōr) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 559: To utter, say “Why מַדּ֡וּעַ (mad·dū·a‘) Interrogative Strong's 4069: Why? for what reason? have you not לֹא֩ (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no fulfilled כִלִּיתֶ֨ם (ḵil·lî·ṯem) Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent your quota חָקְכֶ֤ם (ḥā·qə·ḵem) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 2706: Something prescribed or owed, a statute of bricks לִלְבֹּן֙ (lil·bōn) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 3835: To be, white, to make bricks yesterday כִּתְמ֣וֹל (kiṯ·mō·wl) Preposition-k | Adverb Strong's 8543: Ago, a, time since, yesterday, day before yesterday or today, גַּם־ (gam-) Conjunction Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and as you did before?” תְּמ֖וֹל (tə·mō·wl) Adverb Strong's 8543: Ago, a, time since, yesterday, day before yesterday Links Exodus 5:14 NIVExodus 5:14 NLT Exodus 5:14 ESV Exodus 5:14 NASB Exodus 5:14 KJV Exodus 5:14 BibleApps.com Exodus 5:14 Biblia Paralela Exodus 5:14 Chinese Bible Exodus 5:14 French Bible Exodus 5:14 Catholic Bible OT Law: Exodus 5:14 The officers of the children of Israel (Exo. 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