In Exodus 5 (Parshat Shemot in the Torah), after Moses and Aaron meet with Pharoah and deliver God's message, "Let my people go", Pharoah not only refuses but punishes the Israelites by telling his overseers, "Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves", but still requiring the same daily output of bricks as before. The Israelites complain to Moses and Aaron that they have now made things worse for them, and Moses in turn complains to God that every time he has gone to Pharoah on behalf of the Israelites, things have gotten worse for them. God replies to Moses that the time will come when Pharoah himself will actually drive the Israelites out of Egypt; and that on behalf of His covenant with the Patriarchs, God will redeem the Israelites "With a strong hand and an outstretched arm", so that they will know Him. Exodus is the second book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) and also the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible), and the Christian Old Testament. ... Shemot or Shemoth (שמות – Hebrew for “names,” the second word – and first distinctive word – of the parshah) is the thirteenth weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the first in the book of Exodus. ... Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. It is the central and most important document of Judaism revered by Jews through the ages. ... Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى Mūsa, Geez ሙሴ Musse) was a son of Amram and his wife, Jochebed, a Levite. ... Aaron (אַהֲרֹן, a word meaning bearer of martyrs in Hebrew (perhaps also, or instead, related to the Egyptian Aha Rw, Warrior Lion), Standard Hebrew Aharon, Tiberian Hebrew ʾAhărōn), was one of two brothers who play a unique part in the history of the Hebrew people. ... This article refers to the historical Pharaoh. ... Image:Http://www. ... The Twelve Tribes redirects here; for other uses, see The Twelve Tribes (disambiguation). ... Rob Overseer (who publishes his music under just his last name) is a British DJ/producer, born in Leeds probably most well known from his works for soundtracks like Animatrix, Snatch or Any Given Sunday, or video games like Need for Speed: Underground or Stuntman. ... Covenant, in its most general sense, is a word for a solemn promise or similar undertaking. ... Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. ...

The scripture gives no evidence of Moses or Aaron replying directly to the Israelites regarding their complaint, but only of Moses' discussing it with God, and God's reply, which Moses conveys to the Israelites.

In popular parlance, the phrase bricks without straw has come to mean being required to do a task without the appropriate prerequisites.

The ancient brick-making process can still be seen on tomb paintings in Egypt. Ancient Egyptian art is five thousand years old. ...