Exodus 5:12
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So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
ק לקשׁשׁ: "to gather stubble for straw;" not "stubble for, in the sense of instead of straw," for ל is not equivalent to תּחת but to gather the stubble left in the fields for the chopped straw required for the bricks.
Open source ↗Moses and Aaron are here dealing with Pharaoh, to get leave of him to go and worship in the wilderness. I. They demand leave in the name of God (Exo 5:1), and he answers their demand with a defiance of God (Exo 5:2). II. They beg leave in the name of Israel (Exo 5:3), and he answers their request with further orders to oppress Israel (Exo 5:4-9). These cruel orders were, 1. Executed by the task-masters (Exo 5:10-14). 2. Complained of to Pharaoh, but in vain (Exo 5:15-19). 3. Complained of by the people to Moses (Exo 5:20, Exo 5:21), and by him to God (Exo 5:22, Exo 5:23).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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You overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty. You unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble.
Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.
Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
For they will be entangled as with thorns and consumed like the drink of a drunkard— like stubble that is fully dry.
With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire, and the house of Joseph a burning flame; but the house of Esau will be stubble— Jacob will set it ablaze and consume it. Therefore no survivor will remain from the house of Esau.” For the LORD has spoken.