Exodus 14:5 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

When the king of Egypt was told that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials had a change of heart about the people. They said, 'What have we done? Why did we let Israel go free from serving us?'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Pharaoh and his officials immediately regretted letting the Israelites go free and began questioning their decision to release them from slavery.

📚 Historical Context

This occurs shortly after the tenth plague (death of the firstborn) when Pharaoh had finally agreed to let the Israelites leave Egypt. The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for about 400 years, providing forced labor for massive building projects. Once Pharaoh realized the economic impact of losing this enormous workforce, he began to have second thoughts about his decision.

Explore Similar Verses

Exodus 5:16

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.

Exodus 5:10

So the slave drivers and their assistants went out to the people and said, 'This is what Pharaoh says: I will not give you straw anymore.'

Exodus 5:21

And they said to them, 'May the LORD see what you have done and judge you for it! You have made Pharaoh and his officials hate us so much that you've given them reason to kill us.'

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