Exodus 5:1-7

Pharaoh Rejects Yahweh’s Authority and Makes Israel’s Troubles Worse

1 And afterward, Moses and Aaron went, and they said to Pharaoh, "Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel, 'Release my people so that they may hold a festival for me in the desert.'"
2 And Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh that I should listen to his voice to release Israel? I do not know Yahweh, and also I will not release Israel."
3 And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go [on] a three-day journey into the desert, and let us sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he strike us with plague or with sword."
4 And the king of Egypt said, "Why, Moses and Aaron, do you take the people from their work? Go to your {forced labor}!"
5 And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land [are] now many, and you want to stop them from their {forced labor}."
6 And on that day Pharaoh commanded the slave drivers over the people and his foremen, saying,
7 "You must no longer give straw to the people to make the bricks like {before}. 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.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Or "let loose," "let run wild" (compare 32:25)
  • [b]. Literally "burdens" or "burdensome labor"
  • [c]. Literally "burdens" or "burdensome labor"
  • [d]. Literally "yesterday three days ago"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.