The Meaning of Exodus 5:8 Explained

Exodus 5:8

KJV: 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.

YLT: and the proper quantity of the bricks which they are making heretofore ye do put on them, ye do not diminish from it, for they are remiss, therefore they are crying, saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God;

Darby: And the number of the bricks they have made heretofore shall ye lay upon them: ye shall not diminish any of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

ASV: And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 5:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 5:1-14 - The Request To Worship Jehovah Answered By Oppression
The bondage of Israel in Egypt is an apt type of our bondage to sin. See John 8:34-36; Romans 7:23-25. The weary tyranny of our besetting sins; the imperious demands of Satan; the absence of all reward to our hopeless toils-these are striking points of analogy. Though we weep and struggle, there is no help for us but in God. No straw! No lessening of the tale of bricks! The charge of idleness! Cruel beatings! Deliverance apparently more distant than ever! But the darkest hour precedes dawn.
The hue and cry is always raised when a prisoner is escaping. The tyrant, who has so long held his prey, is not minded to surrender it without a struggle. The devil convulsed the child, as he was about to depart. Moreover, Israel must be taught to look beyond Moses or Aaron to the Eternal Jehovah. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 5

1  Pharaoh chides Moses and Aaron for their message
6  He increases the Israelites' task
16  He ignores their complaints
19  They cry out to Moses and Aaron
22  Moses complains to God

What do the individual words in Exodus 5:8 mean?

And the quota of bricks which they made before previously you shall lay on them Not you shall reduce it for are idle they Upon thus they cry out saying let us go [and] sacrifice to our God
וְאֶת־ מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת הַלְּבֵנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵם֩ עֹשִׂ֨ים תְּמ֤וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם֙ תָּשִׂ֣ימוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־ נִרְפִּ֣ים הֵ֔ם עַל־ כֵּ֗ן הֵ֤ם צֹֽעֲקִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר נֵלְכָ֖ה נִזְבְּחָ֥ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ

מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת  the  quota 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַתְכֹּנֶת  
Sense: measurement, proportion, tale.
הַלְּבֵנִ֜ים  of  bricks 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: לְבֵנָה  
Sense: tile, brick.
עֹשִׂ֨ים  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
תְּמ֤וֹל  before 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תְּמֹול  
Sense: before, before that time, beforetime, heretofore, of late, of old, these days, time(s) past, yesterday, day before yesterday, recently, formerly.
שִׁלְשֹׁם֙  previously 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שִׁלְשֹׁום  
Sense: day before yesterday, three days ago.
תָּשִׂ֣ימוּ  you  shall  lay 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
תִגְרְע֖וּ  you  shall  reduce 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: גָּרַע 
Sense: to diminish, restrain, withdraw, abate, keep back, do away, take from, clip.
נִרְפִּ֣ים  are  idle 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
עַל־  Upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֗ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
צֹֽעֲקִים֙  cry  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נֵלְכָ֖ה  let  us  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נִזְבְּחָ֥ה  [and]  sacrifice 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ  to  our  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).

What are the major concepts related to Exodus 5:8?

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