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Exodus Chapter Study

Moses Confronts Pharaoh

Exodus 5 (KJV)

Exodus 5 shows Moses and Aaron standing before Pharaoh, Pharaoh rejecting the word of the Lord, and Israel's burden increasing before deliverance begins.

What You'll Learn

• Why Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh
• What Pharaoh meant when he asked, “Who is the LORD?”
• Why Pharaoh refused to let Israel go
• How Israel's workload became harder
• Why Pharaoh ordered the people to gather their own straw
• How the officers of Israel suffered under Pharaoh's command
• Why the people blamed Moses and Aaron
• How Moses responded when obedience brought hardship
• What this chapter teaches about opposition before deliverance
• How to trust God when circumstances seem to get worse

Exodus 5 teaches that obedience to God may bring opposition before deliverance, but hardship does not mean God's promise has failed.

Bible Translation Note Scripture Verse-by-Verse Study Chapter Synopsis Prayer Personal Application Weekly Actions Chapter Summary

Bible Translation Note: All Scripture on this page is quoted from the King James Version (KJV) and presented in full without alteration.

Exodus 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

Exodus 5:2 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.

Exodus 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Exodus 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

Exodus 5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

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

Exodus 5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exodus 5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

Exodus 5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Exodus 5:10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

Exodus 5:11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

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

Exodus 5:13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

Exodus 5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

Exodus 5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

Exodus 5:16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

Exodus 5:17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

Exodus 5:18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

Exodus 5:19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

Exodus 5:20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

Exodus 5:21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

Exodus 5:22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

Exodus 5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

Exodus 5:1

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

Study: Moses and Aaron obey God's command and stand before Pharaoh. Their message is not their own opinion, but the word of the Lord.

Exodus 5:2

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.

Study: Pharaoh openly rejects God's authority. His question reveals pride, unbelief, and rebellion against the Lord.

Exodus 5:3

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Study: Moses and Aaron repeat the request with urgency. Israel belongs to God, and worshiping Him is not optional.

Exodus 5:4

And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

Study: Pharaoh sees worship as a distraction from labor. He reduces God's command to an interruption of his own agenda.

Exodus 5:5

And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

Study: Pharaoh fears losing control over a large population. Instead of listening to God, he becomes more determined to keep Israel under bondage.

Exodus 5:6

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

Study: Pharaoh immediately responds with harsher oppression. His rejection of God quickly becomes cruelty toward God's people.

Exodus 5:7

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Study: Straw was needed for making bricks. Pharaoh removes necessary supplies but still expects the same production.

Exodus 5:8

And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

Study: Pharaoh falsely accuses Israel of laziness. He twists their desire to worship God into an excuse for punishment.

Exodus 5:9

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Study: Pharaoh calls God's message vain words. He tries to drown out faith with exhaustion and pressure.

Exodus 5:10

And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

Study: Pharaoh's command is delivered to the people. The words of Pharaoh now stand in direct opposition to the word of the Lord.

Exodus 5:11

Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

Study: Pharaoh makes the work nearly impossible. This is oppression designed to break the people's hope.

Exodus 5:12

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

Study: Israel is forced to scatter throughout Egypt looking for materials. Their suffering increases because Pharaoh refuses God's command.

Exodus 5:13

And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

Study: The taskmasters demand the same output under impossible conditions. Pharaoh's system shows no mercy.

Exodus 5:14

And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

Study: Israel's officers are beaten when the quotas are not met. The people suffer for a demand that Pharaoh made impossible.

Exodus 5:15

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

Study: The officers appeal to Pharaoh for relief. They still hope he may act justly, but Pharaoh's heart is set against them.

Exodus 5:16

There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

Study: The officers explain the injustice clearly. The failure is not in Israel's effort but in Pharaoh's cruel command.

Exodus 5:17

But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

Study: Pharaoh refuses to hear the truth. He repeats the accusation of laziness and mocks their desire to sacrifice to the Lord.

Exodus 5:18

Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

Study: Pharaoh confirms the impossible burden. He will not provide straw, but he still demands the full number of bricks.

Exodus 5:19

And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

Study: The officers realize how serious the situation has become. Humanly speaking, things have gone from hard to worse.

Exodus 5:20

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

Study: The officers meet Moses and Aaron after leaving Pharaoh. Their frustration now turns toward the leaders God sent.

Exodus 5:21

And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

Study: The people blame Moses and Aaron for their suffering. They cannot yet see that Pharaoh's resistance is part of the larger conflict God will overcome.

Exodus 5:22

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

Study: Moses brings his confusion directly to God. He does not understand why obedience has led to greater suffering.

Exodus 5:23

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

Study: Moses honestly tells God what he sees: evil has increased, and deliverance has not yet come. This sets the stage for God to reveal His power more fully.

Exodus 5 begins with Moses and Aaron appearing before Pharaoh. They deliver the word of the Lord and command him to let Israel go so they may hold a feast unto God in the wilderness.

Pharaoh responds with pride and unbelief. He asks, “Who is the LORD?” and refuses to obey God's voice. Instead of releasing Israel, Pharaoh accuses the people of being idle.

Pharaoh then increases Israel's burden by refusing to provide straw for brickmaking while still demanding the same number of bricks. The people are scattered through Egypt to gather stubble, and the taskmasters continue to pressure them.

When the brick quotas are not met, the officers of Israel are beaten. They appeal to Pharaoh, but he refuses to listen and repeats the charge that they are idle because they want to sacrifice to the Lord.

The officers then confront Moses and Aaron, blaming them for making Israel hated in Pharaoh's eyes. Moses turns back to the Lord in honest prayer, asking why God sent him and why deliverance has not yet come.

Heavenly Father, help me trust You when obedience becomes difficult. When circumstances seem to get worse before they get better, teach me to bring my questions to You instead of turning away from You. Strengthen my faith, remind me that Your promises are still true, and help me endure opposition with hope. In Jesus' name, Amen.

• Read Exodus 5 again and note every response Pharaoh gives
• Memorize Exodus 5:2
• Write down one area where obedience has felt harder than expected
• Pray honestly about any discouragement you are carrying
• Identify one lie or accusation that has tried to weaken your faith
• Ask God for patience when His deliverance does not come immediately
• Encourage someone who is struggling through a difficult season

Exodus 5 records Moses and Aaron's first confrontation with Pharaoh. They deliver God's command to let Israel go, but Pharaoh rejects the Lord's authority and increases the people's labor. The Israelites are forced to gather their own straw while still producing the same number of bricks. Their officers are beaten, and the people blame Moses and Aaron for worsening their situation. Moses then returns to the Lord with honest questions, wondering why God sent him and why deliverance has not yet come.

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