Exodus Chapter 5 — Moses Confronts Pharaoh
Moses and Aaron deliver God's message to Pharaoh, but he responds by increasing the Israelites' labor, requiring them to gather their own straw while maintaining the same brick quota.
1Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ ”
2Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”
3They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”
4The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!”
5Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.”
6The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,
7“You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8You shall require from them the number of the bricks which they made before. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to our God.’
9Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it. Don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”
10The taskmasters of the people went out with their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.
11Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’ ”
12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!”
14The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?
16No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”
17But Pharaoh said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to the LORD.’
18Go therefore now, and work; for no straw shall be given to you; yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”
19The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”
20They met Moses and Aaron, who stood along the way, as they came out from Pharaoh.
21They said to them, “May the LORD look at you and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”
22Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?
23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people. You have not rescued your people at all!”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Exodus 5:2
“Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.””
This verse establishes the central conflict between the God of Israel and the king of Egypt.
Exodus 5:17
“But Pharaoh said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to the LORD.’””
Pharaoh interprets the people's desire to worship as a result of laziness rather than a religious mandate.
Exodus 5:23
“For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people. You have not rescued your people at all!”
This verse records Moses' honest frustration and questioning of God's timing and methods.
Chapter Summary
Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh for the first time, demanding that he let the Israelites go into the wilderness to hold a feast to the LORD. Pharaoh rejects the demand, stating he does not know the LORD and will not release the people. He accuses Moses and Aaron of distracting the workers and calls the Israelites idle. To punish their request for rest, Pharaoh orders his taskmasters to stop providing straw for brick-making. The Israelites are forced to gather their own stubble while being required to produce the same daily quota of bricks. When the quotas are not met, the Hebrew officers are beaten. They appeal to Pharaoh for relief, but he dismisses them as lazy. Discouraged, the officers blame Moses and Aaron for making their situation worse. The chapter ends with Moses returning to God in prayer, questioning why his mission has caused more suffering and why the promised rescue has not yet occurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
They requested that Pharaoh let the Israelites go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to hold a feast and sacrifice to the LORD. They explained that this was a command from the God of the Hebrews to prevent pestilence or violence.
Pharaoh believed that the people were only asking for time to worship because they were idle. By forcing them to gather their own straw while maintaining the same brick quota, he intended to increase their workload so they would ignore what he called 'lying words.'
After being beaten for failing to meet quotas and being rebuffed by Pharaoh, the officers confronted Moses and Aaron. They accused them of making the Israelites a 'stench' to Pharaoh and putting a sword in the hands of the Egyptians to kill them.
Moses returned to the LORD and asked why He had brought trouble on the people and why He had sent Moses at all. He expressed deep discouragement because the situation had worsened since he spoke in God's name.
Study Note
The use of straw in Egyptian brick-making served as a binding agent that increased the structural integrity of the sun-dried mud bricks.
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