The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 142

EXPOSITION. Vers. fl-9.-Rulers are not always content keeping the tale of the bricks, and seeing that •imply to refuse inconvenient demands. Some- they reached the proper amount. Literally, times they set to work with mnch ingenuity the word shoterim means " scribes," o.nd is so rendered in most passages. and worldly wisdom to prevent their repeti- Ver. 7.-Straw to make brick. Straw we.a tion. This is especially the case where they used in Egypt to bind together the clay, or entertain a fear of their petitioners. The mnd, which was, of cow-se, the mnin mate- Spartans removed Helots, who had earned their rial of the bricks. (See Wilkinson, in the freedom, by the Crn>teia. The massac.re of author's 'Herodotus,' vol. ii. p. 213.) It iii St. Bartholomew was caused by the Huguenot usually chopped into small pieces. Let them go and gather str&w. This would involve the demand for freedom of worship and the diffi- leaving of the brickfields, n.nd the scattering culty of repressing it. The Pharaoh now i~ of 1:he people over the harve11t-grounds, where not content to let things t.a.ke their course, but alone they wonld be a.hie to find str&w in any devises a plan by which he hopes to crush qaantity. There are so many harvests in altogether the aspirations of the Hebrew Egyp_t, that straw wonld perhaps be obtainable somewhere dnring the greater part of the year. people, and secnre himself aga.inst the recnr- Ver. 8.-The tale of the brickB-i.e. the rence of any snch appeal as that which had number of the bricks. Exactly as many wetd been made to him by Moses and Aaron. The to be required of each batch of workmen wider Israelites had recently been employed cruelly the new regnlation as previously. The demand in brickma.k.ing. They had had to dig the was one with whlch, as the king well knew, it wonld be impos.sible to comply. Por clay and temper it, to mix it with straw, and they be idle. There was so much ground for mould it into the form of bricks ; but the the charge as this-that hltherto their forced straw had been supplied to them. The king labotlIB had not occupied the whole of their determined that this should be no longer done ; time. They had been able, apparently, t.o the Israelites shonld find the straw for them- cultivate their own plots of ground (Dent. xi. 10), to raise crops of cucumbers, melons, leeks, selves. It has been estimated that by this onions, and garlic ~um. xi. 5), to catch fillh change their labonr was "more than doubled." (ibid.), and attend public meetings (Ex. iv (Canon Cook.) It was a not unreasonable ex- 30, 31). They had, in fact, had time whlch pectation that under this system popnlar they conld call their own. Now this was to meetings wonld cease (ver. 9); and that Moses be so no more. The Pharaoh, however, mis- represents and' exaggerates, speaking as if and Aaron, not being backed up by the voice of their forced labotlIB had been a mere nothing, the people, would discontinue their agitation. and mere want of occupation had ·led them to Ver. 6.-The same day. Pharaoh lost no raise the cry-" Let us go and sacrifice." It lime. Having conceived his idea, he issned wonld have been far nearer the truth to say, his order at once-on the very day of the in- that the severity and continuousness of their terview with the two leaders. It wonld be well labours had made the notion of festival time, if the children of light WP.re as " wise " and during which they .would cease from their as energetic on all occasions as the children of toils, generally popnlar. . darkness. Tulcmuter1 and oflicera. The Ver. 9.-Let there niore work be laid word translated "taskmaster" here is not the upon the men. Rather, as in the margin, same as the expression similarly rendered in "Let the work be heavy upon the men." L~t eh. L 11 ; and it is thought not to designate the .tasks set them be such as to occupy all the same class. The sarey ma811im of the for- their time, and not leave them any spare mo- mer passage are thonght to be general superin- ments in which they may be tempted to listen tendents of works, few in number and of high to mischievous talkers, like Moses and Aaron) rank, the Mguhim of the present place t.o be who flatter them with vain (literally, lying, subordinates, numerous aud inferior in position. words. Pharaoh, no doubt, imagined that the Both of these classes were probably Egyptians. hopes raised bI_ the two brothers were vain The "officers" (shot.erim) were undoubtedly and illusive. ,He was utterly blind.as to the Hebrews. They were especwly employed in comse which events were about to take OJI, v. 6-9.) THE BdOK OF EXODUS. 12G