Exodus 5:15

15 And the sovereigns of the children of Israel came (And the taskmasters of the Israelites came), and cried to Pharaoh, and said, Why doest thou so against thy servants?

Exodus 5:15 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:15

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried
unto Pharaoh
Made their complaints to him, perhaps with tears in their eyes, being used so very ill. They little thought it was by Pharaoh's orders; they supposed he knew nothing of it, and therefore hoped to have their grievances redressed by him, but were mistaken:

saying, wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
so they call themselves, they living in his country, and being under his jurisdiction, though not properly his subjects; however, he had made them his slaves, and so indeed even bondservants.

Exodus 5:15 In-Context

13 And the masters of the works were busy, and said, Fulfill ye your work each day, as ye were wont to do (before), when the straw was given to you.

14 And they, that were (the) masters of the works of the sons of Israel, were beaten of the rent gatherers of Pharaoh, that said, Why fulfilled ye not the measure of tilestones, as ye did before, neither yesterday, neither today? (And they, who were the taskmasters of the Israelites, were beaten by Pharaoh's rent gatherers, who said to them, Why have ye not made the same number of bricks as ye did before, not yesterday, nor today?)

15 And the sovereigns of the children of Israel came (And the taskmasters of the Israelites came), and cried to Pharaoh, and said, Why doest thou so against thy servants?

16 Straw is not given to us, and tilestones be commanded in like manner (Straw is not given to us, but yet the same number of bricks be required from us as before). Lo! we thy servants be beaten with scourges, and it is done unjustly against thy people.

17 (But) Pharaoh said, Ye give attention to idleness, and therefore ye say, Go we, and make we sacrifice(s) to the Lord;