Origen, on Exod 1:14

“And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.”

“When the children of Israel were in Egypt, they were afflicted with mortar and brick for the works of Pharaoh the king until they cried out in their groaning to the Lord. And he heard their cry and sent his word to them by Moses and led them out of Egypt. When we were also in Egypt, I mean in the errors of this world and in the darkness of ignorance, we then did the works of the devil in lusts and desires of the flesh. But the Lord had pity on our affliction and sent the Word, his only begotten Son, to deliver us from ignorance of our error and to lead us to the light of divine law.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.