So Pharaoh says that from now on, they must continue to meet their quota of bricks, but will not be given any straw with which to make them. They will have to go and collect the stubble from the fields.
Needless to say, the Hebrews are not thrilled with this development.
Then Moses turned again to the LORD and said, “O LORD, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people.” (NRSV Ex 5.22-23)
How's that for chutzpah?! YOU have done nothing, to deliver YOUR people. I like Moses. He's not always too keen, but he manages to be obedient, after negotiating terms with the God of the Universe.
Couple of cool things -- some denominative verbs. These are verbs that are formed from nouns. And you get them both in a verse: לקשׁשׁ קשׁ, lekoshesh kash, in v. 12, means "to gather stubble". Kash means "stubble" and kashash means "to gather stubble". But they give you both the words.
I ran into the same thing with grain or wheat in the Joseph story in Genesis with the words for "grain" (שׁבר) shever, and "to buy grain" (שׁבר) shavar.
One funny translation: in verse Ex 5:17, Pharaoh tells the Israelite foremen, "You are lazy, lazy!" The Hebrew word is נרפים, nirpim, the Nifal form of the verb, "to grow slack". So the translation, "You are slackers, slackers!" would be completely legitimate.
:)
