Exodus 5:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go."

NIV: Pharaoh 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."

NASB: But Pharaoh said, 'Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.'

CSB: But Pharaoh responded, "Who is the Lord that I should obey him by letting Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go."

NLT: Is that so?' retorted Pharaoh. 'And who is the Lord? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.'

KJV: And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

NKJV: And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”

The very first request about freedom for Israel (Exodus 3:18; 5:1) was explicitly given as a command from "the Lord, the God of Israel." This is not merely a favor; it is an order from a particular deity. Though the eventual goal is Israel's liberation (Exodus 3:20), the first request is for time to go into the wilderness to worship. The only consequences threatened are against the Hebrews themselves (Exodus 5:3). But as expected (Exodus 3:19), Pharaoh refuses. He goes even further, showing disrespect to God. His question, "who is the Lord?" is not an appeal for more information. It's a rhetorical way of saying, "this 'Lord' is nothing to me."

Pharaoh has no belief in the God of Israel, nor any desire to obey Him. In many ways, his response makes sense. He worships Egyptian gods and knows nothing about the deity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has no incentive to release slave labor. Further, he has enough common sense to know that if the entire Hebrew population leaves, there is no guarantee they will come back.

Yet this is not simple skepticism; Pharaoh will repeatedly refuse to release the people despite miracles and catastrophes (Exodus 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7). Eventually, God will begin amplifying the king's stubbornness as a form of judgment (Exodus 4:21; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10). Pharaoh's immediate response reveals a petty, vindictive nature (Exodus 5:6–9).

Exodus 5:1–14 describes the first encounter between Moses and Egypt's ruler, Pharaoh (Exodus 4:21–23). When Moses asks that Israel be released for a period of worship (Exodus 3:18), Pharaoh flatly refuses. In fact, he retaliates against the Hebrews by forcing them to make the same quota of bricks (Exodus 1:13–14) without being provided the usual raw materials. This is impossible; the cruel punishments which follow are exactly what Pharaoh intended with his spiteful command.

Moses and Aaron have their first meeting with Egypt's king, the pharaoh. Though they are there to free Israel entirely (Exodus 3:10), they begin with a much less dramatic request: three days to worship their God in the wilderness (Exodus 3:18). Pharaoh refuses. Instead, he spitefully cuts off supply of raw materials—straw—while demanding the same output from the Hebrew slaves. This increases the peoples' burden and gives Pharaoh's taskmasters excuse to abuse them. When the Israelites turn against Moses, he expresses confusion to God.

Moses encountered the Lord (Exodus 3:4–6) during his exile (Exodus 2:15). God commanded Moses to return to Egypt and demand the freedom of the nation of Israel (Exodus 4:21–23). The people had come into Egypt in the days of Joseph (Exodus 1:1–7). Later, they fell into slavery and oppression (Exodus 1:13–14). The first request, in this chapter, is not received well. God will soon bring disasters on Egypt and its stubborn ruler (Exodus 3:10) until His peo-ple are finally released (Exodus 12:41).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.