Exodus 5:17
New International Version
Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

New Living Translation
But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.’

English Standard Version
But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

Berean Standard Bible
“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

King James Bible
But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

New King James Version
But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

New American Standard Bible
But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; for that reason you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

NASB 1995
But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

NASB 1977
But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

Legacy Standard Bible
But he said, “You are lazy—lazy! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’

Amplified Bible
But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy, very lazy and idle! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

Christian Standard Bible
But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.’

American Standard Version
But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
The king replied, "You are lazy--nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your LORD.

English Revised Version
But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"You're lazy! [Just plain] lazy!" Pharaoh answered. "That's why you keep saying, 'Let us go offer sacrifices to the LORD.'

Good News Translation
The king answered, "You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.

International Standard Version
Then Pharaoh said, "You are lazy, lazy! That's why you're saying, 'Let's go offer sacrifices to the LORD.'

Majority Standard Bible
“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

NET Bible
But Pharaoh replied, "You are slackers! Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.'

New Heart English Bible
But he said, "You are idle. You are idle. Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to God.'

Webster's Bible Translation
But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go, and do sacrifice to the LORD.

World English Bible
But Pharaoh said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he says, “Remiss—you are remiss, therefore you are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to YHWH;

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'Remiss -- ye are remiss, therefore ye are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, Ye are idle, ye are idle: for this ye said, We will go to sacrifice to Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said: “You are idle. And for this reason you say, ‘We shall go and sacrifice to the Lord.’

New American Bible
He answered, “Lazy! You are lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to the LORD.’

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But Pharaoh said to them, You are surely idle; therefore you say, Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Pharaoh said to them, “Idle, you are idle, because of this you are saying, ‘Let us go, we will sacrifice to LORD JEHOVAH.’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But he said: 'Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye say: Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said to them, Ye are idle, ye are idlers: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to our God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Cry of the Israelites
16No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.” 17“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”…

Cross References
Exodus 1:11-14
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. / But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. / They worked the Israelites ruthlessly ...

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 6:6-9
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. / And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!’” ...

Exodus 14:11-12
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? / Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Numbers 20:4-5
Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? / Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

Deuteronomy 26:6-7
But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. / So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers; and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression.

Nehemiah 9:9-10
You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. / You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.

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

Isaiah 30:12-14
Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit, / this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse will come suddenly—in an instant! / It will break in pieces like a potter’s jar, shattered so that no fragment can be found. Not a shard will be found in the dust large enough to scoop the coals from a hearth or to skim the water from a cistern.”

Jeremiah 34:13-14
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying: / Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.

Acts 7:34
I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’

Acts 13:17
The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land.

Romans 9:17-18
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” / Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. / They all ate the same spiritual food ...

Hebrews 3:7-9
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.


Treasury of Scripture

But he said, You are idle, you are idle: therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

Matthew 26:8
But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?

John 6:27
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

2 Thessalonians 3:10,11
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat…

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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.














You are slackers
This phrase is a direct accusation from Pharaoh towards the Israelites. The Hebrew word used here is "נִרְפִּים" (nirpim), which can be translated as "idle" or "lazy." In the context of ancient Egypt, labor was a crucial part of society, especially for slaves. Pharaoh's accusation reflects his perception of the Israelites as not fulfilling their expected duties. This highlights the oppressive nature of their bondage and the dismissive attitude of Pharaoh towards their plight. The term "slackers" is not just a comment on their work ethic but a dehumanizing label that denies their suffering and cries for freedom.

Pharaoh replied
The mention of Pharaoh replying indicates a direct confrontation between him and the representatives of the Israelites. Pharaoh, as the ruler of Egypt, held absolute power and was often seen as a god-like figure. His response is not just a personal retort but an official stance of the Egyptian state. This interaction sets the stage for the ensuing conflict between God's will and Pharaoh's hardened heart. Historically, Pharaohs were known for their authoritative rule, and this reply underscores the challenge Moses and Aaron faced in advocating for their people.

If you are slackers
The repetition of the accusation emphasizes Pharaoh's disbelief and scorn towards the Israelites' request for relief. The Hebrew language often uses repetition for emphasis, and here it serves to underline Pharaoh's stubbornness and the severity of the Israelites' situation. This phrase also reflects a common tactic of oppressors to blame the oppressed for their own suffering, a theme that resonates throughout history.

then you will not be given any straw
Straw was an essential component in brick-making, which was a primary task for the Israelite slaves. By withholding straw, Pharaoh was increasing their workload and making their task nearly impossible. This decision was a strategic move to break their spirit and force them into submission. Archaeological findings have confirmed the use of straw in ancient Egyptian brick-making, providing historical context to this biblical narrative. The withholding of straw symbolizes the intensification of oppression and the lengths to which Pharaoh would go to maintain control.

Go and get your own straw
This command further illustrates Pharaoh's harshness and the impossible demands placed on the Israelites. It reflects a common practice in oppressive regimes where the burden of production is placed entirely on the laborers without providing the necessary resources. This phrase also highlights the systemic injustice faced by the Israelites, as they were expected to meet quotas without the means to do so. It serves as a reminder of the cruelty of their bondage and the urgent need for divine intervention.

(17) Ye are idle.--Idleness was regarded by the Egyptians as one of the worst sins. It had to be specially disclaimed in the final judgment before Osiris (Birch, in Bunsen's Egypt, vol. v. p. 254). Men sometimes disclaimed it in the epitaphs which they placed upon their tombs (Records of the Past, vol. vi. p. 137). Pharaoh had already made the charge, by implication, against Moses and Aaron (Exodus 5:4). No doubt, among the Egyptians themselves, a good deal of idleness resulted from the frequent attendance upon religious festivals (Herod. ii. 59-64). Hence the charge might seem plausible.

Verse 17. - Ye are idle, etc. Compare ver. 8. Pharaoh is evidently pleased with his "happy thought." It seems to him clever, witty, humorous, to tax overworked people with idleness; and equally clever to say to religious people - "Your religion is a mere pretence. You do not want to worship. You want a holiday." We may remark further that idleness and hypocrisy were two sins of the deepest dye, according to Egyptian notions.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“You
אַתֶּ֖ם (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are slackers,”
נִרְפִּ֥ים (nir·pîm)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7503: Sink, relax

Pharaoh replied.
וַיֹּ֛אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Slackers!
נִרְפִּ֑ים (nir·pîm)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7503: Sink, relax

That is why
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

you
אַתֶּ֣ם (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

keep saying,
אֹֽמְרִ֔ים (’ō·mə·rîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Let us go
נֵלְכָ֖ה (nê·lə·ḵāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

and sacrifice
נִזְבְּחָ֥ה (niz·bə·ḥāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

to the LORD.’
לַֽיהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Law: Exodus 5:17 But he said You are idle! (Exo. Ex)
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