Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

EXODUS 5:15KJV
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Exodus 5:15 (KJV)

What does Exodus 5:15 mean?

Exodus 5:15 describes how the Israelite overseers went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him, asking why he was treating his servants so harshly. The verse shows the officers directly appealing to Pharaoh for relief from the burdens placed on them and their people.

The officers mentioned here were Israelites appointed to manage their fellow Hebrews under Egyptian rule. After Pharaoh increased their workload by demanding bricks without providing straw, these officers, feeling the pressure and punishment from Egyptian taskmasters, approached Pharaoh himself. Their question, "Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?" reveals their desperation and confusion about the harsh treatment, highlighting the growing tension between the Israelites and Pharaoh.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 5:15

  • "officers" (שֹׁטֵרִים, shoterim): This word refers to the Israelite foremen or overseers set over the people by the Egyptians. Their role was to enforce the labor demands, making their appeal to Pharaoh especially significant since they were caught between Egyptian authority and their own people.
  • "cried" (צָעַק, tsa‘aq): This verb often means to cry out in distress or protest, not just to speak. It conveys the urgency and emotional weight of the officers' plea to Pharaoh.
  • "servants" (עֶבֶד, ‘eved): The officers call themselves Pharaoh's "servants," a term that shows their subordinate position and their attempt to appeal respectfully, even as they protest the injustice.

Why Exodus 5:15 matters

  • This verse highlights the difficult position of the Israelite officers, who were pressured by both the Egyptians and their own people, making their plea to Pharaoh a moment of vulnerability and conflict.
  • The officers' respectful but desperate language shows how powerless the Israelites were under Pharaoh's rule, setting the stage for the escalation of Moses' confrontation with Pharaoh.
  • Understanding the roles and emotions in this verse helps clarify the growing oppression in Egypt and the reasons for the Israelites' longing for deliverance.

Where else these words appear

“officers” Hebrew H7860 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
  • Deuteronomy 20:8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.
  • Joshua 24:1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

“cried” Hebrew H6817 · used in 53 verses

  • Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
  • Joshua 24:7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
  • 2 Kings 8:5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.