Keraia
Exodus 5

Exodus 5:3

Pharaoh’s First Refusal · Exodus 5:1–5
Read Exodus 5

Translations

Modern
“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
Traditional
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.
Literal
And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, please, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to YHWH our God, lest He meet us with the pestilence or with the sword.”
Latin
Dixeruntque: Deus Hebræorum vocavit nos, ut eamus viam trium dierum in solitudinem, et sacrificemus Domino Deo nostro: ne forte accidat nobis pestis aut gladius.

Original

Hebrew
English
“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

Notes

Exodus 5:3

He may strike us: God had not said this. Perhaps Moses and Aaron were trying to strengthen their case by saying that they had to obey God or die.

Exodus 5:1–14

Pharaoh not only rejected the request of Moses to release the Hebrew slaves, he also retaliated by making their work harder. The arrival of the rescuer had actually made the situation worse.

Exodus 4:29–7:7

In this section, the Lord promised to rescue the Israelites. He said that he would bring them out of slavery.

At first, the people responded in a positive way. They believed what God said. However, later they faced a crisis of faith. They began to doubt God’s promise and struggled to trust him.

Theme notes and profiles

Aaron Egypt Moses Pharaoh Suffering in Following God

People

Hebrews: An ethnic group descended from Abraham

Glossary

Aaron Book of Exodus Deuteronomy, Book of God, Being and Attributes of

Topics

Deserts: Vast Barren Plains Egypt: Israel in Pharaoh Increases Their Affliction Sacrifices were offered: After the Departure of Israel from Egypt