Exodus 5:14

ויכו שטרי בני ישראל AND THE BAILIFFS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL … WERE SMITTEN — These bailiffs were Israelites and they spared their fellow-Israelites, not urging them on to their work. When they handed over the bricks to the taskmasters who were Egyptians and something was deficient in the total they used to beat them because they had not urged on the Israelitish workmen. On this account these bailiffs were privileged to become members of the Sanhedrin later on, and there was taken some of the prophetical spirit that was upon Moses and it was placed upon them, as it is said, (Numbers 11:16) “Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel [whom thou knowest]” — of those about whom thou knowest the kindly acts which they did in Egypt, “for they are the real elders of the people having been their bailiffs” (Exodus Rabbah 5:20). ויכו שטרי בני ישראל אשר שמו נגשי פרעה THEN WERE SMITTEN THE BAILIFFS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WHOM PHARAOH’S TASKMASTERS HAD PUT as bailiffs עליהם OVER THEM (i. e. over the Israelites) לאמר מדוע וגו׳ SAYING, WHEREFORE etc. — Why were they beaten? because they (the taskmasters) said to them (the bailiffs) WHEREFORE DID YE NOT FINISH (גם תמול גם היום) BOTH YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY THE TASK SET FOR YOU (חקכם) IN MAKING BRICKS as ye did yesterday-in-the-third-degree (כתמול שלשם) — which means the day before yesterday — which was the time when straw was given to them. Heb. וַיֻכּוּ They were the object of an action. [The word is in the “hoph’al” conjugation, the recipient of the “hiph’il.”] They were beaten by others; the taskmasters beat them.

וַיֻּכּ֗וּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣מוּ עֲלֵהֶ֔ם נֹגְשֵׂ֥י פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֡וּעַ לֹא֩ כִלִּיתֶ֨ם חׇקְכֶ֤ם לִלְבֹּן֙ כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּם־תְּמ֖וֹל גַּם־הַיּֽוֹם׃

And the officers of the children of Yisra᾽el, whom Par῾o’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying, Wherefore have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as heretofore?