שמות, פרק ה׳, פסוק י׳

The new, harsh decree of slavery is put into action without a moment of delay. Government officials rush directly from the royal palace to the workers in the field to deliver the new instructions [אבן עזרא, ביאור יש״ר, קאסוטו].

When the officials announce the decree, they open with a standard phrase used by messengers to present the words of their sender. However, its use in this setting stems from deep pride. It creates an intentional parallel to the earlier declaration made by Moses and Aaron in the name of God. Because Pharaoh is considered a deity in Egypt, he demands that his commands be announced using the exact same phrasing used to declare the words of God [קאסוטו].

It may seem surprising that the officers cooperate so readily with these worsening conditions. Their willingness is rooted in a misunderstanding of the king's command. The officers assume Pharaoh intends to allow the people to take cut, ready-to-use straw directly from the homes of the Egyptians themselves. In their view, since this is royal work, it is only fitting that there be no shortage of raw materials. They believe the workers have simply been granted official permission to take straw from wherever they can find it, with no one allowed to stop them [מלבי״ם].

The specific material now withheld from the workers is straw. To understand exactly what is being denied, it is helpful to note the distinction between different parts of the harvest. Straw refers to the upper part of the crop that is cut along with the grain itself. This is entirely different from stubble, which is the lower part of the stalk left rooted in the soil of the field [בית הלוי].