Exodus 5:1-7

Making Bricks Without Straw

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold 1a feast to me in the wilderness.'"
2 But Pharaoh said, 2"Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, 3I will not let Israel go."
3 Then they said, "The 4God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."
4 But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your 5burdens."
5 And Pharaoh said, "Behold, 6the people of the land are now many,[a] and you make them rest from their burdens!"
6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the 7taskmasters of the people and their 8foremen,
7 "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exodus 5:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 5

Moses and Aaron go in to Pharaoh, and desire leave for the children of Israel to go into the wilderness three days' journey, to sacrifice to the Lord, and are answered in a very churlish and atheistical manner, and are charged with making the people idle, the consequence of which was, the taskmasters had orders, to make their work more heavy and toilsome, Ex 5:1-9 which orders were executed with severity by them, Ex 5:10-13, upon which the officers of the children of Israel complained to Pharaoh, but to no purpose, Ex 5:14-19, and meeting with Moses and Aaron, lay the blame upon them, Ex 5:20,21, which sends Moses to the Lord to expostulate with him about it, Ex 5:22,23.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Exodus 10:9
  • 2. [2 Kings 18:35; Job 21:15]
  • 3. Exodus 3:19
  • 4. Exodus 3:18; Exodus 7:16; Exodus 9:1, 13
  • 5. Exodus 1:11
  • 6. Exodus 1:7, 9
  • 7. Exodus 3:7
  • 8. ver. 14, 15, 19

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Samaritan they are now more numerous than the people of the land
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.