Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

EXODUS 5:7KJV
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Exodus 5:7 (KJV)

What does Exodus 5:7 mean?

Exodus 5:7 records Pharaoh’s command that the Israelites would no longer be given straw to make bricks, as they had been before; instead, they would have to gather the straw themselves. This change made their work much harder, increasing their burden while still expecting the same results.

Pharaoh is speaking to his Egyptian overseers and taskmasters, ordering them to stop providing straw for the Israelites’ brickmaking. In ancient Egypt, straw was mixed with clay to strengthen bricks. By forcing the Israelites to collect their own straw, Pharaoh was responding harshly to Moses and Aaron’s request to let the people go, making their daily labor even more difficult.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 5:7

  • "Straw" (תֶּבֶן, teven) refers to the chopped stalks mixed with clay to make bricks stronger and more durable. The specific mention of this material highlights how essential it was to the Israelites’ work and how removing it would dramatically slow production.
  • "Gather" (קָשַׁשׁ, qashash) means to collect or gather up scattered items. Pharaoh’s order meant the Israelites had to search for and collect straw themselves, adding a new layer of difficulty and time to their work.
  • "Heretofore" (תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם, temol shilshom) literally means “yesterday and the day before,” an idiom for “as before” or “previously.” This phrase stresses that Pharaoh was changing a long-standing practice, not just making a one-time adjustment.

Why Exodus 5:7 matters

  • This verse shows Pharaoh’s deliberate attempt to break the Israelites’ spirit by making their work nearly impossible, setting the stage for the conflict between Pharaoh and Moses.
  • Understanding the role of straw in brickmaking helps modern readers grasp just how much harder the Israelites’ daily life became under this new rule.
  • The shift from providing straw to forcing the Israelites to gather it themselves marks a turning point in the narrative, highlighting Pharaoh’s increasing oppression and the deepening crisis that leads to the Exodus.