6862. 'And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me' means compassion on those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cry' as a calling for help, dealt with in 6801, and consequently when it says that the cry came to Jehovah or the Lord, much the same is implied by it as by 'hearing' ('hearing' means bringing the help of His mercy, or having compassion, see 6852); and from the meaning of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6637.

6852. 'And have heard their cry from before their taskmasters' means the help of that mercy in opposition to those who wished to compel them to serve. This is clear from the meaning of 'cry' as a calling for help, dealt with in 6801; from the meaning of 'hearing' as obeying and discerning, dealt with in 5017, though when used in reference to Jehovah or the Lord 'hearing' is bringing the help of His mercy to the one calling out for it (the situation with 'hearing' is the same as that above in 6851 with 'seeing', in that the Lord hears everyone and so brings help to everyone, but each according to his needs. Those who cry out to Him and call for help solely in support of themselves, and so in opposition to others, as the evil are accustomed to do, are also heard by the Lord, but He does not bring them help; and when He does not bring help it is said that He does not hear); and from the meaning of 'taskmasters' as those who wish to compel people to serve. The fact that 'a taskmaster' is one who compels another to serve is evident in Isaiah,

The peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and they will have dominion over their taskmasters. It will happen on the day on which Jehovah will give you rest, both from your turmoil and from your hard service in which you were made to serve, that you will declare this parable about the king of Babel, How the task master has ceased! Isaiah 14:2-4.

And in Zechariah,

I will pitch camp by My house with an army because of him who is leaving and returning, so that the taskmaster passes over them no more. Zechariah 9:8.

'Taskmasters' is used in 2 Kings 23:35; Deuteronomy 15:3, to describe those who demanded tribute. They are also those who compelled people to do work required by the imposition of tributes; in Exodus 1:11 they are called 'princes of tributes'. And for the fact that they are those who compel people to serve, see 6659.