Exodus 5:16, commentary and pictures

The Hebrew foremen set under the Egyptian taskmasters were beaten when the full daily number of bricks was not met, and believing the cruelty came from the overseers rather than the king, they appealed to Pharaoh that no straw was supplied yet brick was demanded and they were punished, with the blame resting on his own people. Straw was mixed into sun-dried brick to bind it, and when it was withheld the laborers had to scatter to gather stubble, making the required work impossible to complete. Pharaoh hardened his heart against their distress and mocked them as idle for wanting to worship, sending them back to work with no straw provided while still exacting the full quota. Seeing themselves in an evil case, they charged their suffering upon Moses and Aaron for making them hated and putting a sword in Pharaoh's hand, revealing little faith and an expectation of deliverance without trial and patient suffering. The verse thus stands for an unjust and impossible burden imposed without the means to fulfill it, which rebukes withholding resources from God's workers, missionaries, youth, and publishing laborers while still demanding results.

Officers' Failed Appeal to Pharaoh

Sun-dried bricks were bound with straw mixed into the earth, and when straw was withheld the workers had to search for scattered stubble, which made the usual labor impossible. The officers were Hebrews placed under Egyptian taskmasters and held responsible for enforcing the people's work, and they were beaten by the taskmasters when the full daily tale of bricks was not accomplished because they had not compelled the people to perform it. They thought the oppression came from the taskmasters and Egyptian supervisors rather than from the king himself, not knowing that Pharaoh had ordered it.

So they laid their grievances and cruel treatment before Pharaoh, asking why he dealt so with his servants and saying no straw was given yet brick was demanded and they were beaten, with the fault lying in his own Egyptian people. Pharaoh's heart was hardened against their distress, and with hatred he derided and mocked their complaints. He called them idle and lazy for wanting to go sacrifice to the LORD and sent them back to work with no straw supplied while still demanding the full daily quota of bricks.

After the failed appeal the officers saw they were in an evil case. They charged their suffering upon Moses and Aaron, saying they had made them hated in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants and had put a sword in their hand to kill them. This reveals an expectation of deliverance without trial of faith or suffering, with but little faith. It shows unwillingness to patiently suffer and perseveringly endure affliction until a glorious deliverance is worked.

Demanding Work Without Means

The verse depicts an unjust and impossible burden imposed without the means to carry it out, requiring bricks while withholding straw so that failure comes from the lack that was given. To demand the full task while denying the material needed for the work is injustice, because workers are held accountable for an outcome they cannot produce without supply and help. The complaint is not only that the work is hard but that the shortfall is caused by what was withheld, and beating follows failure to meet the demand.

The same impossible burden is imposed when missionaries are sent to foreign fields without the facilities and means needed for their work. When God's work is expected to advance without the means needed to carry it forward, those who have abundant resources are responsible when their neglect leaves workers handicapped. The same failure occurs when leaders send young people into missionary work but leave them without adequate facilities, support, means and help. Working in the mission field with inadequate support is like being still required to make bricks without straw and being beaten for failing to meet the demand.

The image also depicts being required to do demanding work without the materials needed to do it, such as having much work to do while lacking the money to carry it out. It illustrates the injustice of leaders who impose unreasonable demands on fellow workers and fail to treat them with care and fairness. It pictures being required to produce books without the money and resources needed to pay the workers, demanding results while withholding what is needed to accomplish the work. Being deprived of the resources needed to carry on necessary work is like having no straw with which to make brick, yet the work must nevertheless continue even if money has to be borrowed to advance it.