Exodus5
New International Version
1Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”
2Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!”
5Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
6That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people:
7“You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw.
8But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
9Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw.
11Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’”
12So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw.
13The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.”
14And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way?
16Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’
18Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.”
20When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them,
21and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me?
23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Pharaoh's displeasure, He increases the tasks of the Israelites. (1–9). The sufferings of the Israelites, Moses' complaint to God. (10–23).
vv1-9
God will own his people, though poor and despised, and will find a time to plead their cause. Pharaoh treated all he had heard with contempt. He had no knowledge of Jehovah, no fear of him, no love to him, and therefore refused to obey him. Thus Pharaoh's pride, ambition, covetousness, and political knowledge, hardened him to his own destruction. What Moses and Aaron ask is very reasonable, only to go three days' journey into the desert, and that on a good errand. We will sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Pharaoh was very unreasonable, in saying that the people were idle, and therefore talked of going to sacrifice. He thus misrepresents them, that he might have a pretence to add to their burdens. To this day we find many who are more disposed to find fault with their neighbours, for spending in the service of God a few hours spared from their wordly business, than to blame others, who give twice the time to sinful pleasures. Pharaoh's command was barbarous. Moses and Aaron themselves must get to the burdens. Persecutors take pleasure in putting contempt and hardship upon ministers. The usual tale of bricks must be made, without the usual allowance of straw to mix with the clay. Thus more work was to be laid upon the men, which, if they performed, they would be broken with labour; and if not, they would be punished.
vv10-23
The Egyptian task-masters were very severe. See what need we have to pray that we may be delivered from wicked men. The head-workmen justly complained to Pharaoh: but he taunted them. The malice of Satan has often represented the service and worship of God, as fit employment only for those who have nothing else to do, and the business only of the idle; whereas, it is the duty of those who are most busy in the world. Those who are diligent in doing sacrifice to the Lord, will, before God, escape the doom of the slothful servant, though with men they do not. The Israelites should have humbled themselves before God, and have taken to themselves the shame of their sin; but instead of that, they quarrel with those who were to be their deliverers. Moses returned to the Lord. He knew that what he had said and done, was by God's direction; and therefore appeals to him. When we find ourselves at any time perplexed in the way of our duty, we ought to go to God, and lay open our case before him by fervent prayer. Disappointments in our work must not drive us from our God, but still we must ponder why they are sent.
Key Words
אַחַר: properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
פַּרְעֹה: Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
שָׁלַח: to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
Cross References
Exodus 5Fulfills the exact instructions given by God to ask Pharaoh for a three days' journey.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels Pharaoh's defiant attitude of 'Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Repetition of the demand to hold a feast and sacrifice to Jehovah in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct fulfillment of God's warning that the king of Egypt would not let them go.
Supported by John Calvin
Connects back to the original taskmasters and burdens laid on Israel by Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Same idiom used by Jacob regarding his reputation being made to stink among the inhabitants.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Pharaoh fears the massive population of Hebrews and seeks to control them by labor.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Elaborates on the bitter bondage of making brick and mortar under harsh conditions.
Supported by JFB
Shows the immediate consequence of this discouragement; the people refuse to listen to Moses.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Shows a pattern of Moses returning to cry out to God under extreme distress.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the warning to not harden necks, but yield to Jehovah lest His anger fall.
Supported by Matthew Henry
If a ruler listens to lies, all his servants become wicked taskmasters.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Pharaoh abuses the principle of laziness, falsely accusing those who want to worship God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Similar emotional appeal calling on the Lord to judge between two parties in conflict.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels Jeremiah's similar complaint of being deceived or poorly treated by God's commission.
Supported by Matthew Henry