Verse
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Exodus 5:10
ESV So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw.
NIV Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw.
NASB So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, 'This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not going to give you any straw.
CSB So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, "This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not giving you straw.
NLT So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people: 'This is what Pharaoh says: I will not provide any more straw for you.
KJV And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
NKJV And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw.

What does Exodus 5:10 mean?

"Taskmasters" are the Egyptian slave drivers put in control over the enslaved Israelites. Jewish men assigned to supervise their fellow slaves are referred to as "foremen," or "officers." These men were informed (Exodus 5:6–8) that Egypt would no longer provide straw for the slaves to use in making their required quota of bricks (Exodus 1:13–14). This is Pharaoh's punishment for Moses' request that the Hebrews be allowed to leave for a time of worship (Exodus 5:1–4).

Now these men act as messengers, delivering cruel news to the Israelite people. They will have to find stalks from harvested crops on their own—and these are not plentiful in Egypt. And they are not to reduce production (Exodus 5:11). This forces them into a desperate scramble to find enough straw (Exodus 5:12). Of course, they cannot, which is just what Pharaoh expected. This is his ploy to beat down the Israelite slaves and make them hate Moses and Aaron (Exodus 5:20–21).

Pharaoh's plan initially works. The Jews turned against Moses and Aaron instead of standing with them to request time to leave Egypt. However, God was not done with Moses and Aaron or the people of Israel. Moses questions God about this turn of events (Exodus 5:22–23). God responds with a reminder that He is not done working just yet (Exodus 6:1).
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