John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 5:14
And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them ,.... This makes it clear, not only that the taskmasters and officers were different persons, but that the one were Egyptians appointed by Pharaoh, and the other were Israelites, of the better sort of them, who were set over the poorer sort by the taskmasters, to look after them, and take an account of their work, and the tale of their bricks, and give it in to the taskmasters; now these were beaten ... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 5:13
And the taskmasters hasted them , Kept them tight and close to their work, and were urgent on them to make quick dispatch of it: saying, fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw ; they insisted upon it, that they did the same business at the brickkilns, made the same number of bricks every day, as they used to do when they had straw at hand. See Exodus 5:11 . read more