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EXODUS 5. 4-5
THE MEANING OF pKH Dtt
By Samuel Daiches, Jews' College, London.
Judge Sulzberger has, in his essay 'The Am
Ha-Aretz ', established the theory, in my opinion, beyond
doubt, that pKH DJ? in the Bible means ' representatives
of the people ', ' Parliament '. A careful examination
of all the Biblical passages in which pNH Dy occurs has
strengthened me in my conviction that the meaning of
' representatives of the people ', ' Parliament ', for pxn ay
is still more extensive than Judge Sulzberger ventured
to presume. It seems to me that this is the ordinary
meaning of fixn Dy in the Bible. ' Representatives of the
people ', ' Parliament ', fits everywhere, not only historically
but also exegetically. Exodus 5. 4-5 is, I think, a good
instance.
I suggest that in Exodus 5. 5 (a passage not considered
by Judge Sulzberger) y-\xn D]> has the meaning of ' repre-
sentatives of the people '. And by accepting that meaning
we get rid of the difficulty which the commentators find
in Exodus 5. 4-5. 5. 5 appears to be a repetition of 5. 4,
and therefore the two verses are ascribed to different
sources (see commentaries). ' Representatives of the people ',
however, makes the meaning of the two verses perfectly
clear.
In 5. 4 Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron that they should
not disturb 'the people', the ordinary workmen, in their
VOL. XII. 33 D
34 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
work. In 5. 5 Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron that by
their conduct they would influence 'the representatives
of the people', and make them rest from their burdens.
The difference is great. It is not accidental that in 5. 4
the word WJflOD is used, and in 5. 5 the word Drtaoo.
ncyo is the ordinary work done by the manual labourers.
?3D is, I take it, the ' burden ', the office of supervising
the work of the labourers. The ordinary people (Dyn) did
the manual labour, and Moses and Aaron and the other
representatives of the people (pKH Dy) supervised the work
of the labourers. Hence the distinction also in 5. 4 between
fiBWD and ?3D. To Moses and Aaron Pharaoh says
MWaD? 13? 'go unto your burdens', go unto your posts
of overseers. That ?3D has the meaning of ' burden (office)
of overseer' is also clear from Exodus 1. 11. injy refers
to the people of Israel ; Dn?aD3 refers to the Egyptian
taskmasters. That there were Hebrew overseers we see
from Exodus 5. 14, 1 9. The meaning of vers. 4-5 is now
quite clear. The following would be the translation of the
two verses :
(4) And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore
do ye, Moses and Aaron, cause the people to break loose
from their work? Get you unto your burdens (posts of
overseers). (5) And Pharaoh said : Behold, the repre-
sentatives of the people are now many, and ye will make
them rest from their burdens (posts of overseers).
Thus there is no repetition in these two verses. Both
verses are required. Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron that
as a result of their activities the labourers will stop their
work, and the representatives of the people will cease
fulfilling their duties as overseers.
