Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as you have done before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
Pharaoh is making the Israelites' work harder by forcing them to find their own straw while still meeting the same brick quota.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt and forced to produce bricks for Pharaoh's massive building projects, with the Egyptians providing the necessary materials like straw. When Moses, sent by God, demanded that Pharaoh release the people to worship in the wilderness, Pharaoh responded with cruelty by withdrawing the straw supply while still requiring the same brick quotas. This escalation of oppression highlighted Pharaoh's defiance against God and his intent to break the spirits of the Israelites.
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