And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
But you must still require them to make the same number of bricks as before, don't reduce the quota at all. They are lazy, and that's why they're crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'
Pharaoh is demanding the Israelites maintain their impossible brick production while falsely claiming their desire to worship God comes from laziness.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, forced to make bricks for Pharaoh's building projects as part of their harsh labor under oppression. When Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh to request that the people be allowed to go and worship God, he accused them of idleness and responded by increasing their burdens, demanding the same quota of bricks without providing necessary materials like straw. This verse highlights the escalating conflict between Pharaoh's tyrannical rule and God's call for His people's freedom.
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