Exodus 5:2

2 at ille respondit quis est Dominus ut audiam vocem eius et dimittam Israhel nescio Dominum et Israhel non dimittam

Exodus 5:2 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:2

And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord
Jehovah, they made mention of, which, whether he took it for the name of a deity, or of a king, whose ambassadors they declared themselves to be, was a name he had never heard of before; and this being expressed and pronounced, shows that this name is not ineffable, or unlawful to be pronounced, as say the Jews:

that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go?
he knew of no superior monarch to him, whose orders he was obliged to obey in any respect, and particularly in this, the dismission of the people of Israel out of his land, though it was but for a short time:

I know not the Lord;
who this Jehovah is, that made this demand, and required Israel's dismission. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,

``I have not found the name of Jehovah written in the book of angels, I am not afraid of him.''

An Egyptian book, in which, the paraphrast supposes, were written the names of gods and of angels; and no such name being there, he was the more bold and insolent:

neither will I let Israel go;
determining he would pay no regard to such an unknown Deity, or King, be he who he would.

Exodus 5:2 In-Context

1 post haec ingressi sunt Moses et Aaron et dixerunt Pharaoni haec dicit Dominus Deus Israhel dimitte populum meum ut sacrificet mihi in deserto

2 at ille respondit quis est Dominus ut audiam vocem eius et dimittam Israhel nescio Dominum et Israhel non dimittam

3 dixerunt Deus Hebraeorum vocavit nos ut eamus viam trium dierum in solitudinem et sacrificemus Domino Deo nostro ne forte accidat nobis pestis aut gladius

4 ait ad eos rex Aegypti quare Moses et Aaron sollicitatis populum ab operibus suis ite ad onera vestra

5 dixitque Pharao multus est populus terrae videtis quod turba succreverit quanto magis si dederitis eis requiem ab operibus