Comments on Exodus 5 v1-5 A number of issues regarding these verses are addressed above. Overall, the scene is one where Pharaoh is saying he doesn't care what Moses says, as he is only an upstart with political ambitions trying to incite rebellion among the Hebrews (cf. v. 9). v6-9 Pharaoh gets angry about the request and sees it is simply a means of slacking off from their labors. So, he commands the Egyptian taskmasters to tell the Hebrew foremen to work even harder in retaliation for the request for a vacation. Another thing we should recognize right off the bat is that the Egyptians have the Hebrews in servitude making bricks. As soon as we see the word "bricks" we should immediately think back to the Tower of Babel account (cf. Gen. 11:1-9). There bricks were used to construct these cities and tall towers in order to promote themselves and not God. And here it is even worse as the Egyptians want the bricks to build in a similar fashion, but they have even forced the Hebrews into servitude to make the bricks and build for them. So this is yet another rhetorical device indicative of Egyptian hubris. v10-18 Pharaoh's commands put the Hebrew foremen in a difficult situation, and when they fail to keep up the quota of bricks they are beaten. When they confront Pharaoh over the injustice of his actions, he blames it on them for wanting time off from their labors. So the situation becomes a mass of contention. v19-23 The Hebrew foremen are in an understandably difficult position and they run into Moses and Aharon and complain about their predicament. Moses then goes back to the Lord and does a little complaining himself. The Lord's response is in 6:1. Moses' complain here seems more an attempt to get the Lord to take action as opposed to just simply whining. Moses is saying, "Why have you called me and had me do all of these things if not to free Israel? So, come on and free Israel!" Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.