And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Moses told all this to the Israelites, but they wouldn't listen to him because their spirits were crushed and they were suffering under harsh slavery.
The Israelites were so beaten down by their brutal slavery that they couldn't even receive hope when Moses brought them God's promises of freedom.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after Moses returned to Egypt with God's promise to deliver Israel from slavery. The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years, and Pharaoh had recently made their working conditions even more brutal by forcing them to make bricks without providing straw. Their spirits were so crushed by generations of oppression that they couldn't believe liberation was possible.
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