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.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, [ Egyptians considered Pharaoh to be a god (cp. 12:12), no mere mortal. We see this incredible arrogance manifested when Moses confronts Pharaoh for the first time and he spouts, "Who is the Lord that I should know him?" (cf. 5:2). What Pharaoh is saying is "Everyone knows who I am, but your god does not exist, so why should I bother with your request?" Everett Fox, in the Schocken Bible, offers a colloquial rendering of the phrase to mean "I care not one whit for YHWH!" In retaliation for this kind of defamation the Lord strikes this prideful nation to show that He is the true God (cf. 14:4, Ezek. 29:6) and Pharaoh is nothing but an arrogant fool. The repeated miracles are designed to overtly prove the Lord is God, and not Pharaoh, in the eyes of all of Israel as well as Egypt. The final plague is especially humbling because the firstborn of the Egyptians is treated the same as the firstborn of the cattle, while the Israelites are spared altogether. This is a blatant attack on the Egyptian superiority complex.] neither will I let Israel go.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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, [ The word Pharaoh is an Egyptian word Pharaoh, which literally means great house, signifying the royal palace. It's the great house where the great man lives in. So that's the connection between the Egyptian word and Pharaoh himself. ] , and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

22  And Moses returned unto the LORD, [ Moses and Aaron have been to Pharaoh already. Of course, Moses and Aaron have asked Pharaoh to let God's people go into the wilderness, so that they can worship God. In chapter five, verses 22 and 23 we see that Moses returns to the Lord because Pharaoh has rebuffed them quite significantly. In fact, he has made life even more difficult for the Israelites that are in bondage. So Moses and understand that Moses is one of the greatest men who has ever lived on the earth. Certainly one of the greatest prophets. We need to note that Moses says to God "Why have you brought trouble upon your own people? In fact, why did you send me to Pharaoh? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak your name, he has done evil things to this people." Meaning the Israelites. "You have not rescued or delivered your people at all." This is not working out as you promised. The Lords response come in chapter 6. ] and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

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.