John Calvin Commentary Exodus 5:12

"So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw." — Exodus 5:12 (ASV)

So the people were scattered abroad. This circumstance proves how bitterly they were afflicted and what labor beyond their strength was imposed on them. To make bricks, they should have, at least, remained in a particular spot. However, straw was not supplied to them for this purpose. Therefore, they were obliged to disperse here and there and to gather stubble instead of straw in distant parts of Egypt.

They could not do both. This was, in fact, merely to create a false pretext that Pharaoh could seize upon as grounds for their condemnation. Similarly, we often see the enemies of Christ inventing the most unbearable torments by which the afflicted Church may be driven to deny the faith.

For Pharaoh's design was to drive Moses and Aaron far away, so that they might no longer advocate for the people's departure. If he had achieved this, he would undoubtedly have lessened some part of his abominable cruelty. But because they persisted, he aimed to wring from the people, through bitter sufferings, a decision to send Moses and Aaron away themselves, or to refuse even to listen to God's commands.

For Pharaoh must have been perfectly aware that there was no reason to accuse the people of idleness. He knew that the quota of bricks was not delivered because these poor wretches, who previously had barely been able to perform half their labor, were now, despite their utmost exertion, incapable of bearing their burdens. Indeed, he saw that they were completely overwhelmed by them. Yet he still reproached them with reveling in idleness, so that they might turn away from Moses and renounce and abandon the hope presented to them from God.

And, because he could only torment them more by killing them outright, he commanded their officers to be beaten, so that by their punishment the whole people might live in greater dread. Finally, those whom he saw standing too firm, he determined to drive, at last, to despair. He was deaf to every excuse from the officers. For once he had made up his mind to crush the people until he had destroyed in them all memory of God, there was no more feeling or pity in him than in a stone.