Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.
Exodus 5:1-9
Moshe (Moses) goes in to see Pharaoh as we start chapter 5 this week. He then speaks the words of The Creator to the most powerful ruler in the land, "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness."
Pharaoh, as predicted by God when speaking to Moshe, responded negatively asking Moshe, "Who is YHVH that I should obey his voice?" and he flatly refused the command. Then Moshe and Aharon (Aaron) countered with a respectful request including the word 'na' (please). They were petitioning the leader and letting him know that it would be a good idea to permit them to leave or pestilence and the sword may befall the country.
Pharaoh was upset that they had caused the people to stop their work and he theorized that the Hebrews must have tpo much time on their hands, therefore they will need to have more work to busy them. Then he told the taskmasters that they are to give the people no straw to make their bricks. They now have to go find their own straw and still make the same amount of bricks.
The strategy was to keep them from using all their free time to think about going out in the wilderness to worship.
The conversation somehow veered from the main topic that there was a powerful God that had stepped in to counter a powerful human leader. Distracting the slaves so that they cannot rise up is a tactic that is still used to keep people down even when there is not a God commanding the negotiators to do one thing or the other. Sad.
Today's reading
English
Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”
Hebrew
Next week continues with no straw...
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