Exodus 5 Footnotes

5:1 When Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt to “hold a festival” in the wilderness, they were not lying. The proper worship of the Lord had been denied the Israelites in Egypt, yet it was more fundamental to their calling as the people of God than freedom from slavery. Pharaoh had the opportunity to accommodate Israel’s desire, but his denial of the request made it clear that the only way Israel could worship the Lord as he required was to leave Egypt for good (6:11).

5:7 Archaeology reveals that bricks made with straw were a common building material in Egypt during the OT era. Such evidence from archaeology gives the biblical narrative greater credibility.