Exodus 5:17
“But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’”
What does Exodus 5:17 mean?
Pharaoh is accusing the Hebrew slaves of being lazy when they ask for time to worship their God. His logic is twisted: he assumes that any request for a break from work must come from idleness rather than genuine religious need. This reveals how power often dismisses the needs of those beneath it, reframing requests for basic humanity as excuses or complaints. When people in positions of authority refuse to listen or take concerns seriously, they typically blame the people asking rather than examining their own resistance.