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Exodus Chapter Five

Exodus 5 Outlines

First Encounter with Pharaoh (v.1~21)

Israel’s Deliverance Assured (v.22~23)

New King James Version (NKJV)

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 5

Moses and Aaron go in to Pharaoh and desire leave for the children of Israel to go into the wilderness three days' journey to sacrifice to the Lord and are answered in a very churlish and atheistical manner and are charged with making the people idle the consequence of which was the taskmasters had orders to make their work more heavy and toilsome Exodus 5:1 which orders were executed with severity by them Exodus 5:10 upon which the officers of the children of Israel complained to Pharaoh but to no purpose Exodus 5:14 and meeting with Moses and Aaron lay the blame upon them Exodus 5:20 which sends Moses to the Lord to expostulate with him about it Exodus 5:22.

Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

YLT ¹And afterwards have Moses and Aaron entered and they say unto Pharaoh `Thus said Jehovah God of Israel Send My people away and they keep a feast to Me in the wilderness;'

And afterwards Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh .... Whose name some say was Cenchres others Amenophis according to Manetho and Chaeremon^F8Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 26. 32. ; See Gill on Exodus 3:10 went into Pharaoh's palace and being introduced by the proper officer at court for that purpose addressed him in the following manner:

thus saith the Lord God of Israel: as ambassadors of him who is King of kings and Lord of lords; and so Artapanus^F9Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27. p. 434. the Heathen says that the Egyptian king hearing that Moses was come sent for him to know wherefore he was come who told him that the Lord of the world commanded him to let the Jews go as it follows here:

let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness; in the wilderness of Sinai or Arabia at Horeb there where they might keep it more freely and safely without being disturbed by the Egyptians and without giving any offence to them; and the demand is just; they were the people of God and therefore he claims them and service from them was due to him; and Pharaoh had no right to detain them and what is required was but their reasonable service they owed to their God. This feast was to be held not for themselves but to God which chiefly consisted in offering sacrifice as is after explained; the entire dismission of them is not at once demanded only to go a little while into the wilderness and keep a feast there to the Lord; though it was not intended they should return but it was put in this form to try Pharaoh and that he might be the more inexcusable in refusing to grant what was so reasonable.

Exodus 5:2 ² 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.”

YLT ²and Pharaoh saith `Who [is] Jehovah that I hearken to His voice to send Israel away? I have not known Jehovah and Israel also I do not send away.'

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 5:3 ³ So they said “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

YLT ³And they say `The God of the Hebrews hath met with us let us go we pray thee a journey of three days into the wilderness and we sacrifice to Jehovah our God lest He meet us with pestilence or with sword.'

And they said the God of the Hebrews hath met with us .... Perceiving that the name Jehovah was unknown to him and treated by him in a scornful manner they leave it out and only say "the God of the Hebrews": a people that dwelt in his country he well knew by this name and could not be ignorant that their God was different from his; and it was he that had met Moses and Aaron; they did not seek to him to be sent on this errand but he appeared to them as he did to Moses at Horeb and to Aaron in Egypt. Some render it "the God of the Hebrews is called upon us"^F6נקרא עלינו "est invocatus super nos" Montanus. So some in Vatablus Drusius. ; his name was called upon them or they were called by his name; they were his servants and worshippers and therefore under obligation to attend to what he enjoined them:

let us go we pray thee three days' journey into the desert: a request which was made in a very humble and modest manner and not at all extravagant nor anything dangerous and disadvantageous to him; for now they speak as of themselves and therefore humbly entreat him; they do not ask to be wholly and for ever set free only to go for three days; they do not propose to meet and have their rendezvous in any part of his country much less in his metropolis where he night fear they would rise in a body and seize upon his person and treasure only to go into the wilderness to Mount Sinai there. And hence it appears that the distance between Egypt and Mount Sinai was three days' journey to go the straightest way as Aben Ezra observes:

and sacrifice unto the Lord our God: which is what was meant by keeping a feast; some sacrifices the people as well as the priests feasted on; this was not a civil but a religious concern:

lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword: this they urge as a reason to have their request granted taken from the danger they should be exposed unto should they not be allowed to go and offer sacrifice to God; though by this they might suggest both loss and danger to Pharaoh in order to stir him up the more to listen to their request; for should they be smitten with pestilence or the sword he would lose the benefit of their bond service which would be a considerable decline in his revenues; and besides if God would be so displeased with the Israelites for not going and not sacrificing when they were detained how much more displeased would he be with Pharaoh and the Egyptians for hindering them?

Exodus 5:4 ⁴ Then the king of Egypt said to them “Moses and Aaron why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.”

YLT ⁴And the king of Egypt saith unto them `Why Moses and Aaron do ye free the people from its works? go to your burdens.'

And the king of Egypt said to them .... For he was not struck dumb as Artapanus^F7Ut supra. (Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27. p. 434.) afore cited writer says:

wherefore do ye Moses and Aaron let the people from their works? as they did when they gathered them together and wrought signs before them; which Pharaoh it seems had heard of and had got their names very readily:

get you unto your burdens; meaning not Moses and Aaron ordering them to go about their private and family business but the people they represented and on whose account they came; and it is highly probable the elders of the people at least some of them were with them to whom these words might be more particularly directed. See Exodus 3:18.

Exodus 5:5 ⁵ And Pharaoh said “Look the people of the land are many now and you make them rest from their labor!”

YLT ⁵Pharaoh also saith `Lo numerous now [is] the people of the land and ye have caused them to cease from their burdens!'

And Pharaoh said behold the people of the land now are many .... So that if some were taken off as suggested there were enough of them to do business and so he cared not; but if allowed to go they might mutiny and rebel and give a great deal of trouble to quell them; or it may be the sense is they were very numerous and too numerous already and if they were took off of their work and allowed to go a feasting they would be more so which agrees with the next clause:

and you make them rest from their burdens; which was the way to make them more numerous still and to frustrate the design of laying burdens upon them which was originally intended to hinder the multiplication of them Exodus 1:9.

Exodus 5:6 ⁶ So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers saying

YLT ⁶And Pharaoh commandeth on that day the exactors among the people and its authorities saying

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people .... Who were Egyptians and whom Pharaoh sent for the same day to give them orders to oppress them yet more and more so far was he from complying with their request:

and their officers; who were Israelites and were under the taskmasters and accountable to them for each man's work that they had the inspection and care of:

saying as follows.

Exodus 5:7 ⁷ “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

YLT ⁷`Ye do not add to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks as heretofore -- they go and have gathered straw for themselves;

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick .... Whether this was given and used to mix with the clay as is done in some places^F8Vide Vitruvium de Architectura l. 2. c. 3. p. 46. & Philander in ib. that the bricks made thereof might be firmer and stronger or to burn them with in the furnaces or to cover them from the heat of the sun that they might not dry too soon and crack is not easy to determine; though it is said that the unburnt bricks of Egypt formerly were and still are made of clay mixed with straw. The Egyptian pyramid of unburnt brick Dr. Pococke^F9Observations on Egypt p. 53. observes seems to be made of the earth brought by the Nile being of a sandy black earth with some pebbles and shells in it; it is mixed up with chopped straw in order to bind the clay together as they now make unburnt bricks in Egypt and many other eastern parts which they use very much in their buildings. He says he found some of these bricks (of the pyramid) thirteen inches and a half long six inches and a half broad and four inches thick; and others fifteen inches long seven broad and four inches three quarters thick. But be the straw for what use it will it had been dealt out to them by proper persons to be used in one way or another; but now it was forbidden to be given them:

as heretofore it had been done:

let them go and gather straw for themselves; out of the fields where it lay after the corn had been reaped and gathered in or in barns where it had been threshed; to do which must take up a good deal of their time and especially if the straw lay at any distance or was hard to be come at.

Exodus 5:8 ⁸ And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out saying ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

YLT ⁸and the proper quantity of the bricks which they are making heretofore ye do put on them ye do not diminish from it for they are remiss therefore they are crying saying Let us go let us sacrifice to our God;

And the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them .... Oblige them to make and bring in the same number of bricks they used to do when straw was brought to them and given them; by which it appears that their daily task was such a number of bricks:

you shall not diminish ought thereof; not make any abatement of the number of bricks in consideration of their loss of time and their labour in going to fetch straw from other places:

for they be idle; and want to be indulged in a lazy disposition which ought by no means to be connived at:

therefore they cry let us go and sacrifice to our God; suggesting that this request and cry of theirs did not proceed from a religious principle or the great veneration they had for their God but from the sloth and idleness they were addicted to.

Exodus 5:9 ⁹ Let more work be laid on the men that they may labor in it and let them not regard false words.”

YLT ⁹let the service be heavy on the men and let them work at it and not be dazzled by lying words.'

Let there more work be laid upon the men .... Instead of lessening it let it be increased or "be heavy"^F11תכבד "aggravetur" Pagninus Montanus &c. upon them that it may oppress and afflict them and keep them down and weaken their strength and their spirits and diminish them:

that they may labour therein; and have no leisure time to spend in idleness and sloth:

and let them not regard vain words; or "words of falsehood"^F12בדברי "in verbis mendacii" Pagninus Montanus Vatablus. "Verbis falsis" Junius & Tremellius Piscator. and lies such as were spoken by Moses and Aaron promising them liberty and deliverance from their bondage which he was determined never to grant and so eventually make such words to appear to be vain and empty falsehood and lies.

Exodus 5:10 ¹⁰ And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people saying “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw.

YLT ¹⁰And the exactors of the people and its authorities go out and speak unto the people saying `Thus said Pharaoh I do not give you straw

And the taskmasters of the people went out .... From the presence of Pharaoh out of his court to the respective places where they were set to see that the Israelites did their work:

and their officers; the officers of the Israelites who were under the taskmasters and answerable to them for the work of the people and their tale of bricks:

and they spake to the people saying thus saith Pharaoh I will not give you straw; that is any longer as he had used to do.

Exodus 5:11 ¹¹ Go get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’”

YLT ¹¹ye -- go ye take for yourselves straw where ye find [it] for there is nothing of your service diminished.'

Go ye get ye straw where you can find it .... Before it was provided by the king and brought to the brickkilns but now they are bid to go and fetch it themselves and get it where they could whether in fields or barns; and if they were obliged to pay for it out of their labour; it was a greater oppression still:

yet not ought of your work shall be diminished; they were to do the same work and make the same number of bricks as when straw was brought and given them; and no allowance made for waste of time in seeking or expenses in procuring straw which was very hard upon them.

Exodus 5:12 ¹² So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

YLT ¹²And the people is scattered over all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt .... That part of it where they dwelt:

to gather stubble instead of straw; straw not being easy to come at they were obliged to gather stubble that was left in the fields after the corn was gathered in. Ben Melech observes that the word signifies small straw or small sticks of wood and Kimchi^F13Sepher Shorash rad. קשש. and if so this must be to burn the bricks with in the furnaces.

Exodus 5:13 ¹³ And the taskmasters forced them to hurry saying “Fulfill your work your daily quota as when there was straw.”

YLT ¹³and the exactors are making haste saying `Complete your works the matter of a day in its day as when there is straw.'

And the taskmasters hasted them Kept them tight and close to their work and were urgent on them to make quick dispatch of it:

saying fulfil your works your daily tasks as when there was straw; they insisted upon it that they did the same business at the brickkilns made the same number of bricks every day as they used to do when they had straw at hand. See Exodus 5:11.

Exodus 5:14 ¹⁴ Also the officers of the children of Israel whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them were beaten and were asked “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today as before?”

YLT ¹⁴And the authorities of the sons of Israel whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them are beaten saying `Wherefore have ye not completed your portion in making brick as heretofore both yesterday and to-day?'

And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them .... This makes it clear not only that the taskmasters and officers were different persons but that the one were Egyptians appointed by Pharaoh and the other were Israelites of the better sort of them who were set over the poorer sort by the taskmasters to look after them and take an account of their work and the tale of their bricks and give it in to the taskmasters; now these

were beaten by the taskmasters either with a cane stick or cudgel or with whips and scourges because there was a deficiency in their accounts and the full tale of bricks was not given in:

and demanded wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore? the first day they were deficient they took no notice of it did not call them to an account for it but this being the case the second day they not only expostulated with them about it but beat them for it which was hard usage. They had no need to ask them the reason of it which they knew very well and must be sensible that the men could not do the same work and be obliged to spend part of their time in going about for straw or stubble; or the same number of men make the same tale of bricks when some of them were employed to get straw for the rest and to beat those officers for a deficiency through such means was cruel.

Exodus 5:15 ¹⁵ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh saying “Why are you dealing thus with your servants?

YLT ¹⁵And the authorities of the sons of Israel come in and cry unto Pharaoh saying `Why dost thou thus to thy servants?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh .... Made their complaints to him perhaps with tears in their eyes being used so very ill. They little thought it was by Pharaoh's orders; they supposed he knew nothing of it and therefore hoped to have their grievances redressed by him but were mistaken:

saying wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? so they call themselves they living in his country and being under his jurisdiction though not properly his subjects; however he had made them his slaves and so indeed even bondservants.

Exodus 5:16 ¹⁶ There is no straw given to your servants and they say to us ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten but the fault is in your own people.”

YLT ¹⁶Straw is not given to thy servants and they are saying to us Make bricks and lo thy servants are smitten -- and thy people hath sinned.'

There is no straw given unto thy servants .... As used to be which they supposed Pharaoh knew nothing of and by which it appears that the order given by Pharaoh Exodus 5:6 was not given in the hearing of the officers only to the taskmasters and by them to be made known to the officers though indeed both are there mentioned and both represent this to the people Exodus 5:10.

and they say to us make brick though they had no straw to make or burn it with:

and behold thy servants are beaten; because the same number of bricks is not made as heretofore but the fault is in thine own people; the taskmasters who sent the people abroad to get straw or stubble themselves and therefore could not make the same bricks as before; or "thy people sin"^F14וחטאת עמך "et peccat populus tuns" Montanus Drusius Cartwright. the guilt is theirs: or by thy people are meant the Israelites whom they call Pharaoh's people to gain favour with him; and then the sense is either "sin" is imputed "to thy people"^F15So Vatablus Piscator and some in Munster Pagninus. the blame is laid upon them or punishment is inflicted on them without cause sin being often put for punishment; they are wrongfully charged with a fault and wrongfully punished.

Exodus 5:17 ¹⁷ But he said “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’

YLT ¹⁷And he saith `Remiss -- ye are remiss therefore ye are saying Let us go let us sacrifice to Jehovah;

But he said ye are idle ye are idle .... Instead of expressing indignation at the taskmasters and relieving the officers and the people he insults them in a flouting sarcastic way charging them with sloth and idleness; and which for the certainty of it or however to show how strongly persuaded and fully assured he was of the truth of it repeats it and gives the following as a proof of it:

therefore ye say let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord; suggesting that it was not so much the service and honour of God they regarded as that they might have a leisure day from work and labour.

Exodus 5:18 ¹⁸ Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.”

YLT ¹⁸and now go serve; and straw is not given to you and the measure of bricks ye do give.'

Go therefore now and work .... Go about your business attend to your work even you officers as well as your people; work yourselves as well as see that your people do theirs and do not trouble me with such impertinent applications:

for there shall no straw be given you yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks; the usual number of bricks as the Vulgate Latin version has it; though in Exodus 5:8 it is rendered in that version the measure of bricks and so another word is translated by them Exodus 5:14 and perhaps both may be intended both number and measure; that is that it was expected and insisted on that they delivered the full number of bricks they used to make and these of full measure; for bricks were made of different measures as Vitruvius^F16Ut supra. (Vide Vitruvium de Architectura l. 2. c. 3. p. 46) observes; some among the bricks were of two hands' breadth others of four and a third sort of five. See Gill on Exodus 5:7.

Exodus 5:19 ¹⁹ And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.”

YLT ¹⁹And the authorities of the sons of Israel see them in affliction saying `Ye do not diminish from your bricks; the matter of a day in its day.'

And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case .... In a bad condition and circumstances and that there was no likelihood of their getting out of them since Pharaoh treated them after this manner; they saw not only that the common people were in a bad condition in great bondage misery and distress to be obliged to get straw to make brick and carry in their full tale as before; but that they themselves were in a bad situation since for the deficiency in their people they were like to be beaten for it from time to time:

after it was said ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task; after this had been said and confirmed by Pharaoh they had no hope of things being better with them but looked upon their unhappy lot as irretrievable.

Exodus 5:20 ²⁰ Then as they came out from Pharaoh they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them.

YLT ²⁰And they meet Moses and Aaron standing to meet them in their coming out from Pharaoh

And they met Moses and Aaron .... The officers of the children of Israel who had been with their complaints to Pharaoh:

who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh; they had placed themselves in a proper situation that they might meet them when they came out and know what success they had and which they were extremely desirous of hearing; by which they might judge in what temper Pharaoh was and what they might for the future expect from him in consequence of their embassy.

Exodus 5:21 ²¹ And they said to them “Let the Lord look on you and judge because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

YLT ²¹and say unto them `Jehovah look upon you and judge because ye have caused our fragrance to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants -- to give a sword into their hand to slay us.'

And they said unto them the Lord look upon you and judge .... Or "will look upon you and judge"^F17ירא־וישפוט "videbit" "et judicabit" Rivet. ; and so it is either a prediction of what would be done to them or an imprecation on them that God would take notice of their conduct and punish them or at least chastise them for acting the part they had if not wickedly yet imprudently:

because you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh; or to "stink"^F18הבאש־תאם "fecisti foetere" V. L. Pagninus Montanus Tigurine version Drusius. ; they were become vile abominable and hateful to him he could not bear the sight of them and treated them as the filth and offscouring of all things; they had lost their good name credit and reputation with him; for leave being asked for them to go three days' journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifice and keep a feast they were looked upon as a parcel of idle slothful fellows:

and in the eyes of his servants; not the taskmasters only but his nobles counsellors and courtiers:

to put a sword in their hands to slay us; a proverbial expression signifying that they by their conduct had exposed them to the utmost danger and had given their enemies an occasion against them and an opportunity of destroying their whole nation under a pretence of disobedience and disloyalty.

Exodus 5:22 ²² So Moses returned to the Lord and said “Lord why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?

YLT ²²And Moses turneth back unto Jehovah and saith `Lord why hast Thou done evil to this people? why [is] this? -- Thou hast sent me!

And Moses returned unto the Lord .... Bishop Patrick thinks that this not only intimates that the Lord had appeared to Moses since he came into Egypt but that there was some settled place where he appeared and where he might resort to him on all occasions and therefore is said to return to him; though it may signify no more than that instead of staying to give an answer to the officers which he might be at a loss to do he went to God to the throne of grace by prayer as he was wont to do in cases of difficulty:

and said Lord wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? or afflicted them and suffered them to be thus afflicted; which to ascribe to God was right whatever were the means or instruments; for all afflictions are of him and who has always wise reasons for what he does as he now had; to try the faith and patience of his people; to make the Egyptians more odious to them and so take them off from following their manners customs rites and superstitions and make them more desirous of departing from thence to the land of Canaan nor seek a return to Egypt again; and that his vengeance on the Egyptians for such cruelty and inhumanity might appear the more just and his power might be seen in the plagues he inflicted on them and in the deliverance of his people when reduced to the utmost extremity:

why is it that thou hast sent me? he seems to wish he had never been sent and could be glad to be recalled something of the same disposition still remaining in him as when first called; since no end was answered by his mission no deliverance wrought yea the people were more afflicted and oppressed than before; and therefore he was at a loss how to account for it that he should be sent at all seeing nothing came of it to the good of the people.

Exodus 5:23 ²³ For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

YLT ²³and since I have come unto Pharaoh to speak in Thy name he hath done evil to this people and Thou hast not at all delivered Thy people.'

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name .... Had he come in his own name it needed not be wondered at if he should not succeed but coming in the name of God it might have been expected he would and that Pharaoh would have been prevailed upon or obliged to use the people well and let them go; but instead of that:

he hath done evil to this people; afflicted and oppressed them more than ever: see Exodus 5:7 &c.

neither hast thou delivered thy people at all; there was not the least thing done towards their deliverance their affliction was not at all mitigated but increased: Moses expected that God would have made a beginning as soon as he had delivered his message to Pharaoh; that his mind would have been disposed in favour of the people and he would have made their bondage lighter and easier if he did not dismiss them at once; but instead of that more work was laid upon them and their burdens were heavier: now this was a stumbling and a temptation to Moses to wish he had never been sent; but if he had called to mind which he seems to have forgotten that Pharaoh would not let the people go at first until all the wonders were wrought he had given him power to do Exodus 4:2 it would have relieved him and removed his objections and put a stop to his expostulation with God who gives an answer to them in the following chapter without expressing any displeasure at them.

──《John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible》