Exodus 5:2 kjv
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 5:2 nkjv
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."
Exodus 5:2 niv
Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go."
Exodus 5:2 esv
But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go."
Exodus 5:2 nlt
"Is that so?" retorted Pharaoh. "And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go."
Exodus 5 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 3:14 | God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”... “I AM has sent me to you.” | God's self-revelation to Moses. |
| Exod 7:3-5 | I will harden Pharaoh’s heart... Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. | YHWH's purpose in Pharaoh's resistance. |
| Exod 9:16 | But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show my power in you... | God demonstrates His power through Pharaoh. |
| Exod 14:4 | And I will harden Pharaoh's heart... and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. | God glorified through Pharaoh's defeat. |
| Deut 6:18 | Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well... | Call to obey the Lord's voice. |
| Psa 2:2-4 | The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord... | Nations oppose God, but He laughs at them. |
| Psa 9:10 | Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. | Knowledge of YHWH leads to trust. |
| Psa 119:34 | Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. | Seeking understanding to obey God's law. |
| Isa 40:15 | Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket... | God's sovereignty over nations. |
| Isa 45:5-6 | I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no God... | YHWH as the one true God. |
| Jer 9:24 | Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me... | True boasting is in knowing God. |
| Dan 4:35 | All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will... | God's absolute sovereignty over all creation. |
| Rom 1:21-22 | Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks... | Rejecting God leads to foolishness. |
| Rom 9:17 | For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up...” | God's sovereign choice for His purposes. |
| 2 Thess 1:8 | ...inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel... | Judgment on those who don't know/obey God. |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | ...judgment begins at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? | Judgment for disobedience. |
| Acts 4:26-28 | The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed... | Opposition to God and His Messiah. |
| 2 Cor 10:5 | ...destroying arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God... | Confronting resistance to God's knowledge. |
| John 8:19 | You know neither me nor my Father. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. | Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. |
| Heb 3:7-8 | Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion... | Warning against hardening one's heart. |
| Jas 4:6 | God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. | God's opposition to pride. |
| Exod 18:11 | Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods... | Jethro's recognition of YHWH's supremacy. |
Exodus 5 verses
Exodus 5 2 Meaning
Exodus 5:2 captures Pharaoh's defiant challenge to God's authority. His rhetorical question, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?", expresses utter contempt and rejection of YHWH's existence or power. He claims not to know the Lord and immediately refuses to release the Israelites, setting the stage for the unfolding conflict between the sovereign God of Israel and the supposedly divine Pharaoh of Egypt.
Exodus 5 2 Context
Exodus chapter 5 marks Moses and Aaron's first direct confrontation with Pharaoh, following God's command in Exodus 4. Moses had just performed signs for the Israelites, who believed. Now, Moses and Aaron convey God's direct command: "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness" (Exo 5:1). Pharaoh's response in verse 2 is the initial rejection that sets the stage for the escalating divine judgments. Pharaoh, viewed by Egyptians as a divine figure and the embodiment of national gods, challenges the authority of YHWH, the God of an enslaved people. His denial is not merely an expression of ignorance but a declaration of his sovereign power and contempt for the foreign deity. He intensifies the Israelites' labor immediately as a punitive measure for their audacious request, indicating his absolute refusal to release them.
Exodus 5 2 Word analysis
And Pharaoh said: Marks a direct response, highlighting the immediate conflict. It sets up Pharaoh as the opposing force.
Who: (Hebrew: Mi - מי) A sharp, interrogative pronoun here, conveying disdain and challenge. It's not a genuine question seeking information, but a rhetorical query questioning YHWH's identity, legitimacy, and authority in Pharaoh's world.
is: Implied in Hebrew syntax, signifying existence or identity.
the Lord: (Hebrew: YHWH - יהוה, rendered "Lord" in English Bibles). This is God's personal covenant name, revealed to Moses (Exo 3:14-15). It speaks of God's self-existence, eternal nature, and covenant faithfulness. Pharaoh’s claim "I know not the Lord" implies he does not acknowledge this particular God as sovereign or worthy of obedience, especially over his domain. This is a theological battle, challenging YHWH's uniqueness and supremacy against Egyptian deities and Pharaoh himself.
that I should obey his voice: (Hebrew: leishma b'qolo - לשמוע בקלו). "To hear in his voice" or "to listen to his voice." Shama (שמע) means "to hear" but often implies "to obey" or "to heed" in the biblical context, especially when referring to God's commands (Deut 13:4). Pharaoh rejects the very concept of submission to YHWH's word.
to let Israel go: (Hebrew: le shalach et Israel - לשלח את ישראל). "To send out Israel" or "to release Israel." This is the core demand, pivotal to God's covenant purpose for His people. Pharaoh's refusal directly opposes God's stated will for their liberation.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Who is the Lord...?": This phrase is a powerful act of defiance. It's an implicit assertion of Pharaoh's own ultimate authority and deity status. In Egyptian theology, Pharaoh was considered a god, the son of Re, and controlled Egypt's destiny. To acknowledge YHWH would undermine his own religious and political authority. It establishes the conflict as one between ultimate powers.
- "that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?": This challenges YHWH's authority over Pharaoh himself and over the land of Egypt. Pharaoh implies that he answers to no one, certainly not to the God of a slave nation. This sets up a profound test of obedience, demonstrating that Pharaoh values his power over God's command.
- "I know not the Lord": This is not simply lack of information. It is a willful non-acknowledgement or outright rejection. Pharaoh chooses not to recognize YHWH's sovereignty. In the biblical sense, "knowing" God implies a personal, experiential, and submissive relationship, which Pharaoh explicitly denies and rejects. This statement paves the way for YHWH to force Pharaoh and Egypt to "know" Him through devastating displays of power.
- "neither will I let Israel go": This is a direct, emphatic refusal of God's demand. It highlights Pharaoh's stubborn will and initiates the cycle of resistance and divine judgment that will culminate in the Exodus. His declaration makes the plagues a necessary means for God to achieve His redemptive purposes and for His glory to be revealed.
Exodus 5 2 Bonus section
- Pharaoh's question serves a polemical purpose. It sets up the confrontation between YHWH and the gods of Egypt, demonstrating YHWH's supremacy over the entire Egyptian pantheon and Pharaoh himself (Exo 12:12).
- The phrase "I know not the Lord" contrasts sharply with God's ultimate purpose stated in Exodus 7:5 and 14:4, which is "that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord." The entire series of plagues serves as an intense theological education for Pharaoh and Egypt.
- Pharaoh's declaration is echoed in various forms of human pride and self-sufficiency that reject God's authority throughout history (Psa 2, Dan 4). It is a timeless example of humanity setting itself against the divine will.
- This initial rejection reveals Pharaoh's hardened heart, a theme that will intensify throughout the Exodus narrative. While God eventually hardens Pharaoh's heart (Exo 7:3), Pharaoh's initial response demonstrates his predisposition to stubbornness.
Exodus 5 2 Commentary
Exodus 5:2 is the pivotal declaration of war by a human ruler against the Almighty God. Pharaoh’s defiant "Who is the Lord?" embodies extreme human arrogance and a worldview utterly opposed to divine authority. He is not merely ignorant of YHWH, but contemptuously rejects any notion of this foreign God having jurisdiction over him or his slaves. Pharaoh's self-perceived divinity and absolute power blind him to true sovereignty. This verse sets the stage for God's forceful demonstration that He alone is "the Lord" (YHWH), superior to all other gods and kings. The subsequent plagues are YHWH's emphatic answer to Pharaoh's insolent question, revealing His power not only to the Egyptians and Israel, but also to future generations, underscoring that His word carries ultimate authority and that resistance leads to inevitable judgment.