Definition: Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from Exodus 5:15. It’s a really important part of understanding how God started to handle a difficult situation in Israel's history. Here’s the explanation in plain language: Basically, it’s asking why Pharaoh is treating his slaves unfairly. “Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh…” – This means that a group of leaders from Israel (the Israelites) were sending a message to Pharaoh, who was the ruler of Egypt. “…saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?” – This is the core of the verse. They’re asking why he's treating his slaves in this way. “Wherefore” means "why" - they want to know the reason behind Pharaoh’s actions. What does it mean? It suggests that Pharaoh is exploiting or mistreating his slaves. He's giving them unfair treatment, and the Israelites are upset about it. Why was this a problem? This situation was a big issue because: It created hardship for the Israelites: Slaves were forced to work incredibly hard under harsh conditions. It was a violation of God's laws (in some ways): The Bible says that God commanded Pharaoh to treat people fairly and justly, and this behavior contradicted that. In short, it’s a starting point for the story of God's intervention – He’s setting things in motion to challenge Pharaoh’s actions and ultimately free the Israelites. --- Do you want me to: Explain another verse? Give you some context about why this event was significant in biblical history? Answer a specific question about this verse?