Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 5:9
Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words.
9. Let them be fully occupied with their work, and have no time to regard ‘lying words,’ as if God had really demanded a pilgrimage of them.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The words of Moses and Aaron, which are vain or false, i.e. which they falsely pretend to come from God, when it is only an ill design of their own to advance themselves by raising sedition.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Let there more work be laid upon the men,…. Instead of lessening it, let it be increased, or “be heavy” k upon them, that it may oppress and afflict them and keep them down, and weaken their strength and their spirits, and diminish them:
that they may labour therein; and have no leisure time to spend in idleness and sloth:
and let them not regard vain words; or “words of falsehood” l and lies, such as were spoken by Moses and Aaron, promising them liberty and deliverance from their bondage, which he was determined never to grant, and so eventually make such words to appear to be vain and empty, falsehood and lies.
k “aggravetur”, Pagninus, Montanus, &c. l “in verbis mendacii”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. “Verbis falsis”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“ Let the work be heavy (press heavily) upon the people, and they shall make with it (i.e., stick to their work), and not look at lying words.” By “lying words” the king meant the words of Moses, that the God of Israel had appeared to him, and demanded a sacrificial festival from His people. In Exo 5:11 special emphasis is laid upon “ ye: ” “ Go, ye yourselves, fetch your straw, ” not others for you as heretofore; “ for nothing is taken (diminished) from your work.” The word for has been correctly explained by Kimchi as supposing a parenthetical thought, et quidem alacriter vobis eundum est .
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
9. Let there more work be laid upon the men. Although Pharaoh knew that he was cruelly entreating the unhappy Israelites, who ought, as strangers, to be hospitably and kindly received, yet he says that they were abusing their idleness, and were revolting because he indulged them too much. Thus, when tyranny has lost all regard for justice, there are no bounds to its harshness; and so far from being moved to pity by complaints, they only aggravate its cruelty. And these are the means by which its flatterers inflame it more, viz., that its subjects will never be quiet unless they faint under the weight of their burdens; that this is the best receipt for governing them, so to oppress them that they dare not open their mouths; if they cry, or murmur, that they should be oppressed the more, (69) till they grow hardened, and, as it were, callous to their bondage. They, therefore, relax not their contumelies and cruelties until the wretched people have altogether succumbed. Pharaoh insults them still more wantonly, when he says that he imposes heavier burdens upon them, that “they may not regard vain words.” But what are these, except that they ask permission to worship God? His impiety, therefore, bursts forth in the midst of his tyrannical insolence; nor does he only mean to utter a blasphemy against God, but he is instigated by the wiles of Satan to undermine the faith of the Church. By a similar impulse, Rabshakeh proclaimed that Hezekiah deceived the people by “vain words,” when he bade them trust in the living God. (Isa 36:5.) Nor does Satan cease to employ the same machination against the faithful, as if all that God promises was deceit and vanity.
(69) The original here is, “ut obdurescant ad servitutem, quasi contracto collo;” which the French translates “pour l’endurcir a servitude, comme si on le trainoit par le col.” The Geneva edition of 1617, as well as that of Amsterdam of 1671, however, have substituted “callo,” which certainly seems to make the sense clearer.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Let them not regard vain words.Or, false words. The reference is to the promises of deliverance wherewith Moses and Aaron had raised the peoples hopes (Exo. 4:30). Pharaoh supposed these to be vain words, as Sennacherib did those spoken by Hezekiah (2Ki. 18:20).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
Ver. 9. And not regard vain words. ] Vain lying words. So this profane prince calleth and counteth the word of God. “What is truth?” saith Pilate, scoffingly.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
vain words. Man’s estimate of Divine revelation.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Let there more work be laid upon the men: Heb. Let the work be heavy upon the men
vain words: 2Ki 18:20, Job 16:3, Jer 43:2, Zec 1:6, Mal 3:14, Eph 5:6
Reciprocal: Exo 2:11 – burdens Deu 26:6 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 5:9. Vain words Those of Moses and Aaron, which he said were vain, or false; that is, that they falsely pretended that their God had commanded them to go and worship, when it was only a crafty design of their own to advance themselves by raising sedition.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
5:9 {e} Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard {f} vain words.
(e) The more cruelly the tyranny rages, the nearer is God’s help.
(f) Of Moses and Aaron.