on the same day Pharaoh gave a command to the officers of the people and the overseers, saying: (Pharaoh’s command).
7 from now on, do not give the people straw for making bricks, as yesterday and the third day, let them go and collect straw for themselves, (Collecting straw for bricks means adobe bricks consisting of clay with the addition of cut straw, since ancient times common in treeless areas).
8 but put the same number of bricks on them as they did yesterday and the day before, and do not reduce them; they are idle, therefore they shout: let’s go, let’s sacrifice to our God; (That’s how to argue with the authorities!).
9 give them more work, so that they work and do not engage in empty speeches. (The boss is always right, if the boss is wrong, see the beginning of the phrase).
10 And the officers of the people and their overseers went out and said to the people: Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you straw; (The bailiffs and overseers carry out Pharaoh’s order).
11 Go yourself, take straw for yourself wherever you find it, but nothing is reduced from your work. (Initiative is punishable!).
12 And the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. (Stubble or stubble is the lower part of the stems of grain crops that remains on the root after harvesting).
13 But the bailiffs urged, saying, «Do your work every day, just as when you had straw.» (Using stubble instead of straw).
14 But the overseers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s officers had set over them, were beaten, saying, «Why do you not make a fixed number of bricks yesterday and today, as it has been until now? (Use as overseers and Jews).
15 And the overseers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you do this to your servants? (The Jewish overseers are outraged).
16 They do not give straw to your servants, but they tell us to make bricks. And behold, your servants are being beaten; it is a sin for your people. (Pre-revolutionary state).
17 But he said, «You are idle, idle, therefore you say, Let’s go and sacrifice to the LORD.» (However, Pharaoh believes that Jews are idlers).
18 Go and work; they will not give you straw, but give you the required number of bricks. (First of all, work, from the Pharaoh’s point of view).
19 And the overseers of the children of Israel saw their trouble in the words: do not decrease the number of bricks, which is [laid] for every day. (It is necessary to fulfill the norm for every day – that’s the workday).
20 And when they went out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing waiting for them (Here are the troublemakers!).
21 And they said to them, May the LORD see and judge you, because you have made us hateful in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, and have given them a sword in their hands to kill us. (That is, Moses and Aaron actually became instigators).
22 And Moses turned to the LORD and said, Lord! why did You subject this people to such a calamity, why did You send me? (The need to receive new instructions, they have become, without instructions from «above», virtually completely powerless).
23 For from the time that I came to Pharaoh and began to speak in your name, he began to do worse to this people; but to deliver, you have not delivered your people. (Criticism of the Lord-God).
Chapter 6
1 And the LORD said to Moses, Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh; by the action of a strong hand he will let them go; by the action of a strong hand he will even drive them out of his land. (Confirmation by the Lord God of his intentions to Moses).
2 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: I am the Lord. (That is, sir, and you have to serve me).
3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with [the name] «God Almighty,» but with [my] name «the Lord» I did not reveal myself to them; (The new name of God).
4 And I have made my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojourn, in which they have sojourned. (That is, Canaan is a place where Jews used to wander).
5 And I heard the lamentation of the children of Israel that the Egyptians held them in bondage, and I remembered my covenant. (Now the situation has changed and important trade routes pass through this territory, which should be seized and established their dominance in order to receive good commissions for the transportation of goods).
6 So say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will save you with an outstretched arm and great judgments; (The Israelites must become «cannon fodder» in order to seize the most profitable trade routes).
7 And I will receive you into my people, and I will be your God, and you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of Egypt; (For this I will deliver you from the Egyptian captivity, but you will fall into my captivity).
8 And I will bring you into the land of which I lifted up my hand and swore to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as an inheritance. I am the Lord. (Your job is to perform, not to reason. Talion’s rule: you to me, I to you).
9 Moses told this to the children of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses because of their cowardice and the severity of the work. (Naturally, none of the Israelis aspired to become «cannon fodder»).
10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (The priest does not back down, wealth and control over profitable caravan lands are at stake).
11 Go in and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land. (Incites disobedience to Pharaoh).
12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel do not listen to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me? And I’m not verbal. (Moses refuses, stating that he cannot speak well).
13 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them commands to the children of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. (Connects Aaron).
14 These are the heads of their generations: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Fallu, Hezron and Harmi: these are the Reuben families. (The ancestors of Moses and Aaron).
15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ogad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Saul, the son of the Canaanite woman: these are the families of Simeon. (The ancestors of the Jews).
16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their families: Gershon, and Kaath, and Merari. And the years of Levi’s life were one hundred and thirty-seven. (The ancestors of the Jews. The chronology of the Jews from ancient times was conducted according to the time of the reign of the kings, important political events. The calendar was introduced from the «creation of the world», the annual count of months and days was twofold: the spring month of Nisan (modern March – April) was considered the beginning of the «sacred» year, the beginning of the civil year was the autumn month of tishri (September – October), ascending to the worship of the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes. Thus, most likely, Levi lived 68.5 years, which is quite logical, that is, modern (in our understanding) the year was actually divided in two).
17 The sons of Gershon: Livni and Shimei with their families. (The ancestors of the Jews).
18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Ishgar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of Kaaf’s life were one hundred and thirty-three years. (The ancestors of the Jews. Kafa lived 66.5 years).
19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their genera. (The ancestors of the Jews).
20 Amram took his aunt Jochebed to be