Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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difference: they must share in the common slavery of their nation. Persecutors have always taken a particular pleasure in putting contempt and hardship upon the ministers of the churches.
(2.) The usual tale of bricks must be exacted, without the usual allowance of straw to mix with the clay, or to burn the bricks with, that thus more work might be laid upon the men, which if they performed, they would be broken with labour; and, if not, they would be exposed to punishment.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the
people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore:
let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall
lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor
therein; and let them not regard vain words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and
they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
Pharaoh's orders are here put in execution; straw is denied, and yet the work not diminished. 1 The Egyptian task-masters were very severe. Pharaoh having decreed unrighteous decrees, the task-masters were ready to write the grievousness that he had prescribed, Isa 10:1. Cruel princes will never want cruel instruments to be employed under them, who will justify them in that which is most unreasonable. These task-masters insisted upon the daily tasks, as when there was straw, Ex 5:13. See what need we have to pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, 2Th 3:2 The enmity of the serpent's seed against the seed of the woman is such as breaks through all the laws of reason, honour, humanity, and common justice.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not aught of your
work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of