Exodus 5:2 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

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.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

Pharaoh replied, 'Who is the LORD that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know this LORD, and I will not let Israel go.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Pharaoh arrogantly refuses to acknowledge God's authority and defiantly rejects Moses' demand to free the Israelites.

📚 Historical Context

This confrontation occurred when Moses and Aaron first approached Pharaoh with God's command to release the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were considered divine beings themselves, making Pharaoh's dismissal of the Hebrew God a clash between competing claims of ultimate authority. This moment sets up the dramatic contest between God's power and Pharaoh's pride that would unfold through the ten plagues.

Explore Similar Verses

Exodus 8:26

Moses replied, 'That wouldn't be right. If we sacrifice what the Egyptians consider disgusting to the LORD our God, and they see us doing it right in front of them, won't they throw stones at us and kill us?'

Exodus 9:29

Moses replied to him, 'As soon as I leave the city, I will lift up my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so that you will know the earth belongs to the LORD.'

Exodus 10:9

Moses replied, 'We will all go together - young and old, our sons and daughters, and we'll bring all our livestock too. We need to celebrate a festival to honor the LORD.'

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📚 Historical Context

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