There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
No straw is being given to your servants, yet they tell us, 'Make bricks!' And look—your servants are being beaten, but the problem is with your own people.
The Israelite foremen are telling Pharaoh that his officials aren't providing the materials needed for brick-making, yet they're still demanding the same production and punishing the workers when they can't meet impossible quotas.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes during the period when Moses had asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites go worship God, but Pharaoh responded by making their work conditions even harsher. The Israelites were forced to make bricks for Egyptian construction projects, and straw was essential for binding the clay and making strong bricks. When Pharaoh ordered that no straw be provided while maintaining the same brick quotas, it created an impossible situation for the Israelite workers.
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