Exodus 5 Study Notes
General
What new order does Pharaoh give his taskmasters the same day (5:6-8)?
Answer: Stop giving the Israelites straw, make them find their own, yet demand just as many bricks
On that very day Pharaoh commands the Egyptian slave drivers and the foremen to stop providing the straw used in brickmaking. The Israelites must now collect straw for themselves, but they must still produce an unchanged number of bricks (5:6-8). Straw helped hold mud bricks together, so this made the work far harder. Israel's slavery had already involved hard labor with brick and mortar (1:13-14), and now Pharaoh makes it crushing. God had already seen His people's suffering (3:7) and had warned Moses that Pharaoh would not let them go unless forced by God's mighty hand (3:19).
- Exodus 5:6-8 (BSB)“That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen: “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw. But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’”Pharaoh orders that straw no longer be supplied while the brick quota stays the same.
- Exodus 1:13-14 (BSB)“They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.”Israel's servitude already involved harsh labor in brick and mortar.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”God had already seen His people's affliction under their oppressors.
- Exodus 3:19 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.”God had told Moses in advance that the king would not let Israel go unless compelled by a mighty hand.
Theological
What policy does Pharaoh impose in 5:6-8?
Answer: Withholding straw while holding the brick quota constant
Pharaoh orders the Egyptian overseers and the foremen to stop supplying straw, forcing the Israelites to gather their own, while keeping the brick quota unchanged (5:6-8). The measure intensifies a servitude already defined by brick and mortar (1:13-14). It is a deliberate escalation meant to keep the people too occupied to heed Moses' message, which Pharaoh dismisses as lies (5:9). Yet it falls within what God foresaw: He had seen His people's affliction (3:7) and had forewarned that the king would not release them apart from a mighty hand (3:19).
- Exodus 5:6-8 (BSB)“That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen: “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw. But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’”Pharaoh orders that straw no longer be supplied while the brick quota stays the same.
- Exodus 1:13-14 (BSB)“They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.”Israel's servitude already involved harsh labor in brick and mortar.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”God had already seen His people's affliction under their oppressors.
- Exodus 3:19 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.”God had told Moses in advance that the king would not let Israel go unless compelled by a mighty hand.
General
Where does Moses turn after the foremen's accusation (5:22-23)?
Answer: He goes back to the LORD in prayer, asking why He has let His people be harmed and has not rescued them
Moses goes back to the LORD in prayer and pours out his confusion: why has God brought trouble on His people? Why did He send Moses at all? Ever since Moses spoke to Pharaoh in God's name, things have only gotten worse, and God has not rescued His people at all (5:22-23). Moses' words are bold, but he brings his complaint to God rather than running away from Him. The Bible invites God's people to pour out their hearts before Him (Psalm 62:8), and faithful believers like David and Habakkuk also asked God honest questions in their pain (Psalm 13:1-2; Habakkuk 1:2). God answers Moses in the very next verse (6:1).
- Exodus 5:22-23 (BSB)“So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.””Moses turns to the LORD and asks why He has brought trouble on His people and not delivered them.
- Psalm 62:8 (BSB)“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah”God's people are invited to pour out their hearts before Him.
- Psalm 13:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me?”David honestly asks God how long his suffering will last, a model of faithful lament.
- Habakkuk 1:2 (BSB)“How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?”The prophet asks why God does not yet save, another example of honest complaint addressed to God.
Theological
How does Moses respond to the crisis at the end of chapter 5 (5:22-23)?
Answer: He returns to the LORD in lament, asking why He has brought harm on His people and not delivered them
Moses returns to the LORD with a searching lament: why has He brought harm on this people, why was Moses sent, and why has deliverance not come, since Pharaoh has only worsened the oppression (5:22-23)? The complaint is raw, but it is directed to God, which is the mark of faithful lament rather than unbelieving withdrawal. Scripture invites the saints to pour out their hearts before God (Psalm 62:8), and the psalms and prophets model the same honest questioning (Psalm 13:1-2; Habakkuk 1:2). God responds immediately with renewed promise (6:1).
- Exodus 5:22-23 (BSB)“So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.””Moses turns to the LORD and asks why He has brought trouble on His people and not delivered them.
- Psalm 62:8 (BSB)“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah”God's people are invited to pour out their hearts before Him.
- Psalm 13:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me?”David honestly asks God how long his suffering will last, a model of faithful lament.
- Habakkuk 1:2 (BSB)“How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?”The prophet asks why God does not yet save, another example of honest complaint addressed to God.
General
True or False: Pharaoh claimed the Israelites wanted to offer sacrifices to their God because they were idle.
Answer: True
This is true. Pharaoh says the people are lazy, and that laziness is the reason they keep asking to offer sacrifices to their God (5:8). He orders heavier work to keep them too busy to pay attention to what he calls lies (5:9), and he repeats the charge of idleness to the foremen (5:17). In reality, the request came from God Himself, who had told Moses to request a journey out to the wilderness to offer sacrifices (3:18). Pharaoh treats the worship of God as laziness and the word of God as falsehood.
- Exodus 5:8-9 (BSB)“But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.””Pharaoh claims the Israelites are idle and orders heavier work so they will ignore the message.
- Exodus 5:17 (BSB)““You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’”Pharaoh repeats the charge of idleness to the foremen.
- Exodus 3:18 (BSB)“The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”The request to sacrifice came from God's own command, not from idleness.
- Exodus 8:25-27 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.””Moses explains that the sacrifices must be offered in the wilderness as God commands.
Theological
True or False: Pharaoh attributed Israel's desire to sacrifice to their God to idleness.
Answer: True
This is true. Pharaoh diagnoses the request as the product of idleness (5:8), orders heavier labor so that the people will disregard what he calls lies (5:9), and repeats the charge to the foremen (5:17). He thus reclassifies a divine command as laziness and the prophetic word as deception. The request originated in God's own instruction (3:18) and involved sacrifices that had to be offered outside Egypt as God commanded (8:25-27). Pharaoh's contempt is aimed ultimately not at the slaves but at the God who sent the message.
- Exodus 5:8-9 (BSB)“But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.””Pharaoh claims the Israelites are idle and orders heavier work so they will ignore the message.
- Exodus 5:17 (BSB)““You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’”Pharaoh repeats the charge of idleness to the foremen.
- Exodus 3:18 (BSB)“The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”The request to sacrifice came from God's own command, not from idleness.
- Exodus 8:25-27 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.””Moses explains that the sacrifices must be offered in the wilderness as God commands.
General
What is Pharaoh's answer to the foremen's complaint (5:17-19)?
Answer: He calls them idle, repeats that they will get no straw, and insists they still produce the full number of bricks
Pharaoh gives the foremen no relief. He calls them idle, says their idleness explains their repeated request to go and sacrifice, and orders them back to work: no straw will be given, but the full number of bricks must still be delivered (5:17-18). The foremen realize they are in serious trouble (5:19). Pharaoh's response shows the cruelty of a heart that will not bend (Proverbs 12:10; Exodus 7:14). God had told Moses beforehand that Pharaoh would refuse to release Israel unless he was forced (3:19).
- Exodus 5:17-19 (BSB)““You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.” The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.””Pharaoh repeats that they are idle and insists on the full brick count, and the foremen see they are in serious trouble.
- Proverbs 12:10 (BSB)“A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.”The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty, as Pharaoh's answer shows.
- Exodus 7:14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.”God describes Pharaoh's heart as unyielding and his refusal as fixed.
- Exodus 3:19 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.”God had foretold that the king would not release Israel unless compelled.
Theological
How does Pharaoh respond to the foremen in 5:17-19?
Answer: He repeats the charge of idleness and upholds both the straw ban and the full quota
Pharaoh repeats the accusation of idleness, ties it again to the request to sacrifice, and upholds both the withdrawal of straw and the full brick quota (5:17-18), leaving the foremen aware of their dire position (5:19). His answer displays the cruelty of the wicked (Proverbs 12:10) and the unyielding heart God describes (7:14). It unfolds exactly as God had forewarned: the king would not release Israel except under compulsion (3:19).
- Exodus 5:17-19 (BSB)““You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.” The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.””Pharaoh repeats that they are idle and insists on the full brick count, and the foremen see they are in serious trouble.
- Proverbs 12:10 (BSB)“A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.”The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty, as Pharaoh's answer shows.
- Exodus 7:14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.”God describes Pharaoh's heart as unyielding and his refusal as fixed.
- Exodus 3:19 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.”God had foretold that the king would not release Israel unless compelled.
General
How does Pharaoh first respond to the LORD's demand (5:2)?
Answer: He asks who the LORD is, says he does not recognize Him, and refuses to release Israel
Pharaoh answers with contempt, asking who this LORD is that Pharaoh should have to obey Him. He says he has no knowledge of the LORD and flatly refuses to release Israel (5:2). He treats the God of his Hebrew slaves as an unknown god with no claim on him. The rest of Exodus answers Pharaoh's question. God says that the Egyptians will come to know that He is the LORD when He acts against Egypt (7:5; 14:4). God even says He raised Pharaoh up so that His power and His name would be made known through the whole earth (9:16).
- Exodus 5:2 (BSB)“But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.””Pharaoh asks who the LORD is, claims not to know Him, and refuses to release Israel.
- Exodus 7:5 (BSB)“And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.””God declares that the Egyptians will come to know that He is the LORD when He acts against Egypt.
- Exodus 14:4 (BSB)“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.”God promises to gain glory over Pharaoh so that the Egyptians will know that He is the LORD.
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God raised Pharaoh up to display His power and make His name known throughout the earth.
Theological
What does Pharaoh's reply in 5:2 reveal, and how does the rest of Exodus answer it?
Answer: He denies knowing the LORD or owing Him obedience, and God resolves to make Himself known to Egypt by His mighty acts
Pharaoh's retort is a defiant denial of the LORD's authority: he asks who the LORD is that he should obey Him, professes not to know Him, and refuses to release Israel (5:2). His question sets the theme of the plague narrative. God answers it by acts of judgment through which Egypt will know that He is the LORD (7:5; 14:4), and He declares that He raised Pharaoh up precisely to display His power and to publish His name throughout the world (9:16), the text Paul cites in Romans 9. Pharaoh's professed ignorance will end in unwilling acknowledgment of the God he despised.
- Exodus 5:2 (BSB)“But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.””Pharaoh asks who the LORD is, claims not to know Him, and refuses to release Israel.
- Exodus 7:5 (BSB)“And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.””God declares that the Egyptians will come to know that He is the LORD when He acts against Egypt.
- Exodus 14:4 (BSB)“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.”God promises to gain glory over Pharaoh so that the Egyptians will know that He is the LORD.
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God raised Pharaoh up to display His power and make His name known throughout the earth.
General
What is Pharaoh's main concern in 5:4-5?
Answer: That the two brothers are keeping the large slave population from their labor
Pharaoh accuses Moses and Aaron of distracting the people from their work and orders them back to their own labor (5:4). He points out that the Israelite population is now very large and that the two brothers would be stopping all of them from working (5:5). To Pharaoh, Israel is simply a labor force. An earlier Pharaoh had feared Israel's growing numbers and forced them into hard labor (1:9-10; 1:13-14), and this king sees the request for worship only as lost work.
- Exodus 5:4-5 (BSB)“But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!” Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.””Pharaoh accuses Moses and Aaron of distracting the workers and orders them back to their labor.
- Exodus 1:9-10 (BSB)““Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.””An earlier Pharaoh feared Israel's growing numbers and resolved to deal shrewdly with them.
- Exodus 1:13-14 (BSB)“They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.”Israel had been forced into bitter labor, the same system Pharaoh now defends.
Theological
What drives Pharaoh's rebuke in 5:4-5?
Answer: His economic interest in Israel's large workforce, which he refuses to see idled
Pharaoh charges Moses and Aaron with pulling the people from their work and sends them back to their own burdens (5:4), stressing how numerous the people are and how much labor would be lost (5:5). His concern is the productivity of a subjugated population, continuous with the policy of the earlier Pharaoh who feared Israel's multiplication and imposed bitter servitude (1:9-10; 1:13-14). Pharaoh evaluates the worship of God purely in terms of lost labor.
- Exodus 5:4-5 (BSB)“But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!” Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.””Pharaoh accuses Moses and Aaron of distracting the workers and orders them back to their labor.
- Exodus 1:9-10 (BSB)““Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.””An earlier Pharaoh feared Israel's growing numbers and resolved to deal shrewdly with them.
- Exodus 1:13-14 (BSB)“They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.”Israel had been forced into bitter labor, the same system Pharaoh now defends.
General
True or False: In Exodus 5:3, Moses and Aaron warn Pharaoh that God might strike Egypt with plagues if he refuses.
Answer: False
This is false. Moses and Aaron ask to travel three days out to the wilderness to offer sacrifices, and they say that if Israel does not go, God may strike them, meaning Israel, with disease or by the sword (5:3). The danger they name is to Israel, not to Egypt. They are saying that they must obey their God, whatever Pharaoh thinks. The request follows exactly what God had told Moses to ask (3:18), and Moses will repeat it later (8:25-27). In the end, of course, it is Egypt that suffers the plagues because Pharaoh refuses.
- Exodus 5:3 (BSB)““The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.””Moses and Aaron ask for a three-day trip to sacrifice, warning that otherwise God may strike Israel with plague or sword.
- Exodus 3:18 (BSB)“The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”The request for a three-day trip to sacrifice follows God's own instructions at the bush.
- Exodus 8:25-27 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.””Moses later insists again that Israel must travel three days into the wilderness to sacrifice as God commands.
Theological
True or False: In their second appeal (5:3), Moses and Aaron threaten Egypt with divine plagues should Pharaoh refuse.
Answer: False
This is false. The danger named in 5:3 falls on Israel: unless they travel three days out to the wilderness and offer sacrifice, God may strike them with plague or sword. The appeal presents Israel's obligation to their God as non-negotiable, following God's own instructions (3:18), and it is later reiterated when Pharaoh proposes sacrifice within Egypt (8:25-27). The irony is that the plagues Moses and Aaron feared for Israel will fall on Egypt because of Pharaoh's refusal.
- Exodus 5:3 (BSB)““The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.””Moses and Aaron ask for a three-day trip to sacrifice, warning that otherwise God may strike Israel with plague or sword.
- Exodus 3:18 (BSB)“The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”The request for a three-day trip to sacrifice follows God's own instructions at the bush.
- Exodus 8:25-27 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.””Moses later insists again that Israel must travel three days into the wilderness to sacrifice as God commands.
General
According to Exodus 5:1, what reason did Moses and Aaron give Pharaoh for releasing Israel?
Answer: So that the people could celebrate a feast to the LORD in the wilderness
Moses and Aaron come to Pharaoh speaking in the name of Israel's God, the LORD. The LORD demands that Pharaoh release His people so they can celebrate a feast in His honor out in the wilderness (5:1). This follows what God had told Moses to ask for at the burning bush (3:18). God's purpose in rescuing Israel was not only to free them from slavery but to bring them to worship Him, just as He had said they would worship Him at His mountain (3:12). The same demand is repeated again and again through the plagues (7:16).
- Exodus 5:1 (BSB)“After that, 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 feast to Me in the wilderness.’””Moses and Aaron deliver the LORD's demand that Pharaoh release His people to celebrate a feast to Him in the wilderness.
- Exodus 3:18 (BSB)“The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”God had instructed Moses to ask for a journey into the wilderness to sacrifice, which Moses and Aaron now carry out.
- Exodus 7:16 (BSB)“Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.”The demand is repeated before the first plague, again naming worship as the purpose of release.
- Exodus 3:12 (BSB)““I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.””God had said the rescued people would worship Him at His mountain, showing that worship was the goal of the exodus.
Theological
What purpose for Israel's release is announced to Pharaoh in 5:1?
Answer: That Israel might hold a festival of worship to the LORD in the wilderness
Moses and Aaron speak as prophets, delivering the word of Israel's God, the LORD: Pharaoh must release God's people to celebrate a feast in His honor out in the wilderness (5:1). The request implements God's instruction at the bush (3:18), and it reveals the goal of redemption. God delivers His people from bondage so that they will worship Him, a goal already signaled in the promise that they would serve Him at His mountain (3:12) and repeated throughout the contest with Pharaoh (7:16).
- Exodus 5:1 (BSB)“After that, 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 feast to Me in the wilderness.’””Moses and Aaron deliver the LORD's demand that Pharaoh release His people to celebrate a feast to Him in the wilderness.
- Exodus 3:18 (BSB)“The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”God had instructed Moses to ask for a journey into the wilderness to sacrifice, which Moses and Aaron now carry out.
- Exodus 7:16 (BSB)“Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.”The demand is repeated before the first plague, again naming worship as the purpose of release.
- Exodus 3:12 (BSB)““I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.””God had said the rescued people would worship Him at His mountain, showing that worship was the goal of the exodus.
General
To whom do the Israelite foremen first take their complaint (5:15-16)?
Answer: To Pharaoh himself
The foremen go straight to Pharaoh and ask why he is treating them like this. No straw is given, yet they are ordered to make bricks and are beaten for failing, while the real fault lies with Pharaoh's own people (5:15-16). Their complaint is fair, but they are asking the very man who created the problem to fix it. Scripture warns against putting our hope in rulers who cannot save (Psalm 146:3), and it teaches that people may seek a ruler's favor, but real justice comes from the LORD (Proverbs 29:26).
- Exodus 5:15-16 (BSB)“So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way? No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.””The foremen go to Pharaoh, complaining that they receive no straw yet are beaten, and that the fault lies with the Egyptians.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”Warns against trusting rulers who cannot save, as the foremen discover here.
- Proverbs 29:26 (BSB)“Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.”Many seek a ruler's favor, but true justice comes from the LORD.
Theological
To whom do the foremen first appeal in 5:15-16?
Answer: To Pharaoh
The foremen appeal directly to Pharaoh, protesting that his servants receive no straw, are commanded to make bricks, and are beaten, though the fault lies with his own people (5:15-16). Their grievance is just, but they seek relief from the oppressor himself. The scene illustrates the futility of trusting princes who cannot save (Psalm 146:3) and the truth that justice comes from the LORD rather than from a ruler's favor (Proverbs 29:26). Only after Pharaoh rebuffs them do they turn on Moses and Aaron.
- Exodus 5:15-16 (BSB)“So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way? No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.””The foremen go to Pharaoh, complaining that they receive no straw yet are beaten, and that the fault lies with the Egyptians.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”Warns against trusting rulers who cannot save, as the foremen discover here.
- Proverbs 29:26 (BSB)“Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.”Many seek a ruler's favor, but true justice comes from the LORD.
General
Who was beaten when the brick quota was not met (5:14)?
Answer: The Israelite supervisors the Egyptian slave drivers had put in charge of the people
Pharaoh's Egyptian slave drivers had appointed Israelite foremen over the workers. When the brick count fell short, those Israelite foremen were beaten and questioned about why they had fallen short on the previous day and that day (5:14). The Egyptians made Israelites responsible for their own people's output and punished them when it failed. This was the cruel system Egypt had set up to oppress Israel (1:11), the kind of brutality Moses had seen years before (2:11). God had already seen all of it (3:7).
- Exodus 5:14 (BSB)“Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?””The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's taskmasters are beaten for the shortfall in bricks.
- Exodus 1:11 (BSB)“So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.”The Egyptians had set taskmasters over Israel to oppress them with forced labor.
- Exodus 2:11 (BSB)“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.”Moses had earlier seen an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, showing that such brutality was part of the bondage.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”God had declared that He saw the affliction His people suffered from their oppressors.
Theological
According to 5:14, on whom did the punishment for the shortfall fall?
Answer: The Israelite foremen appointed over the people by Pharaoh's taskmasters
The Egyptian taskmasters had set Israelite foremen over the workforce, and when the quota was not met these foremen were beaten and interrogated about the shortfall (5:14). The system made Israelites accountable for their own people's production, turning oppression inward. It reflects the structure of forced labor Egypt had imposed (1:11) and the violence Moses had witnessed before (2:11), all of which God had seen (3:7).
- Exodus 5:14 (BSB)“Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?””The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's taskmasters are beaten for the shortfall in bricks.
- Exodus 1:11 (BSB)“So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.”The Egyptians had set taskmasters over Israel to oppress them with forced labor.
- Exodus 2:11 (BSB)“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.”Moses had earlier seen an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, showing that such brutality was part of the bondage.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”God had declared that He saw the affliction His people suffered from their oppressors.
General
What do the foremen do when they come out from Pharaoh and find Moses and Aaron waiting (5:20-21)?
Answer: They call on the LORD to judge Moses and Aaron for making Israel hated by Pharaoh and endangering their lives
The foremen find Moses and Aaron waiting for them and turn on them. They ask the LORD to look on them and judge them, because Moses and Aaron have made Israel smell bad to Pharaoh and his court, meaning hated and offensive, and have given the Egyptians an excuse to kill them (5:20-21). Only recently the people had believed and worshiped (4:31); now their own foremen blame God's messengers. This pattern repeats later at the sea (14:11-12) and in the wilderness (16:3). Stephen later reminds Israel that they rejected Moses, the very man God sent to rescue them (Acts 7:35).
- Exodus 5:20-21 (BSB)“When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them. “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!””Leaving Pharaoh, the foremen meet Moses and Aaron and call on the LORD to judge them for making Israel hateful to Pharaoh.
- Exodus 14:11-12 (BSB)“They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.””At the sea Israel again blames Moses and wishes they had stayed as slaves in Egypt.
- Exodus 16:3 (BSB)““If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!””In the wilderness the people again accuse Moses of bringing them to harm.
- Acts 7:35 (BSB)“This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.”Stephen recalls that Israel rejected Moses, the very one God sent to be their redeemer.
Theological
What charge do the foremen bring against Moses and Aaron in 5:20-21?
Answer: That they have made Israel odious to Pharaoh and armed the Egyptians against them, and they invoke the LORD's judgment on them
Meeting Moses and Aaron after Pharaoh's rebuff, the foremen invoke the LORD's judgment on them for making Israel odious to Pharaoh and his servants and for handing the Egyptians a pretext to kill them (5:20-21). The faith of 4:31 quickly gives way under pressure. The same pattern of blaming God's appointed mediator recurs at the sea (14:11-12) and in the wilderness (16:3), and Stephen names it as Israel's rejection of the redeemer God sent (Acts 7:35), a pattern fulfilled in the rejection of Christ Himself.
- Exodus 5:20-21 (BSB)“When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them. “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!””Leaving Pharaoh, the foremen meet Moses and Aaron and call on the LORD to judge them for making Israel hateful to Pharaoh.
- Exodus 14:11-12 (BSB)“They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.””At the sea Israel again blames Moses and wishes they had stayed as slaves in Egypt.
- Exodus 16:3 (BSB)““If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!””In the wilderness the people again accuse Moses of bringing them to harm.
- Acts 7:35 (BSB)“This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.”Stephen recalls that Israel rejected Moses, the very one God sent to be their redeemer.
General
How did the Israelites try to meet Pharaoh's new demand (5:10-13)?
Answer: They spread out across Egypt collecting stubble to use in place of straw, while being pushed to meet the full daily count
The slave drivers and foremen tell the people that Pharaoh will no longer give them straw, yet their workload will not be reduced (5:10-11). So the Israelites spread out over all of Egypt to collect stubble, the leftover stalks in harvested fields, to use instead of straw (5:12). All the while, the slave drivers keep pushing them to finish the same amount each day as they had when they were given straw (5:13). Israel's suffering is real, and later Israel would remember how the Egyptians afflicted them with hard labor and how the LORD heard their cry (Deuteronomy 26:6-7; Exodus 2:23). God later speaks of lifting that very burden from their shoulders (Psalm 81:6).
- Exodus 5:10-13 (BSB)“So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’” So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.””The order is announced, and the people scatter across Egypt gathering stubble while the taskmasters press them to meet the full quota.
- Exodus 2:23 (BSB)“After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.”Israel groaned under their slavery, and their cry rose up to God.
- Deuteronomy 26:6-7 (BSB)“But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers; and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression.”Israel later confessed that the Egyptians afflicted them with hard labor and that the LORD heard their cry.
- Psalm 81:6 (BSB)““I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.”God remembers relieving Israel's shoulder of the burden of forced labor.
Theological
What was the practical effect of Pharaoh's order on the people (5:10-13)?
Answer: They dispersed throughout Egypt gathering stubble in place of straw, under relentless pressure to meet the unchanged daily count
The Egyptian overseers and the foremen proclaim Pharaoh's decree (5:10-11), and the people disperse throughout Egypt gathering stubble as a substitute for straw (5:12) while the taskmasters press them to meet the same daily output as before (5:13). The narrative underscores the severity of the bondage from which God will redeem them. Israel's later confession recalls precisely this affliction and the LORD's hearing of their cry (Deuteronomy 26:6-7; cf. Exodus 2:23), and the psalmist celebrates God's removal of the burden from their shoulders (Psalm 81:6).
- Exodus 5:10-13 (BSB)“So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’” So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.””The order is announced, and the people scatter across Egypt gathering stubble while the taskmasters press them to meet the full quota.
- Exodus 2:23 (BSB)“After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.”Israel groaned under their slavery, and their cry rose up to God.
- Deuteronomy 26:6-7 (BSB)“But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers; and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression.”Israel later confessed that the Egyptians afflicted them with hard labor and that the LORD heard their cry.
- Psalm 81:6 (BSB)““I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.”God remembers relieving Israel's shoulder of the burden of forced labor.
General
True or False: Before Moses ever went to Pharaoh, God had told him that Pharaoh would at first refuse to release Israel.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses is dismayed that Pharaoh has only made things worse and that no rescue has come (5:23). But God had warned him ahead of time. At the burning bush God said Egypt's king would refuse to release Israel unless forced by a mighty hand, and that God would then strike Egypt with wonders (3:19-20). God also told him that He would harden Pharaoh's heart, with the result that Pharaoh would refuse (4:21). The setback in chapter 5 was not a sign that God's plan had failed. As Joseph learned, God works even the evil plans of people toward His good purposes (Genesis 50:20).
- Exodus 5:23 (BSB)“Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.””Moses complains that Pharaoh has worsened the oppression and deliverance has not come.
- Exodus 3:19-20 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.”God had told Moses beforehand that the king would refuse until God struck Egypt with wonders.
- Exodus 4:21 (BSB)“The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”God had also warned that He would harden Pharaoh's heart so that he would refuse.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”God works even the evil intentions of people toward His good purposes.
Theological
True or False: God had forewarned Moses that Pharaoh would initially refuse to release Israel.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses laments that Pharaoh has only intensified the oppression and deliverance has not come (5:23), yet this outcome was explicitly foretold. At the bush God announced that the king would not release Israel apart from a mighty hand and that God would then strike Egypt with wonders (3:19-20), and He further declared that He would harden Pharaoh's heart (4:21). The apparent setback is therefore part of God's ordained path to a greater display of His power, the same providence by which He turns human evil to His good purposes (Genesis 50:20).
- Exodus 5:23 (BSB)“Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.””Moses complains that Pharaoh has worsened the oppression and deliverance has not come.
- Exodus 3:19-20 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.”God had told Moses beforehand that the king would refuse until God struck Egypt with wonders.
- Exodus 4:21 (BSB)“The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”God had also warned that He would harden Pharaoh's heart so that he would refuse.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”God works even the evil intentions of people toward His good purposes.