Matthew Henry Commentary Exodus 5:1-9

"And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days` journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words." — Exodus 5:1-9 (ASV)

God will own his people, though poor and despised, and will find a time to plead their cause. Pharaoh treated all he had heard with contempt. He had no knowledge of Jehovah, no fear of him, no love for him, and therefore refused to obey him. Thus Pharaoh's pride, ambition, covetousness, and political knowledge hardened him to his own destruction.

What Moses and Aaron ask is very reasonable: only to go a three days' journey into the desert, and that on a good errand. We will sacrifice to the Lord our God. Pharaoh was very unreasonable in saying that the people were idle and therefore talked of going to sacrifice. He thus misrepresented them so that he might have a pretense to add to their burdens.

To this day, we find many who are more disposed to find fault with their neighbors for spending in the service of God a few hours spared from their worldly business, than to blame others who give twice the time to sinful pleasures. Pharaoh's command was barbarous. Moses and Aaron themselves must get to the burdens.

Persecutors take pleasure in putting contempt and hardship on ministers. The usual quota of bricks must be made, without the usual allowance of straw to mix with the clay. Thus, more work was to be laid on the men. If they performed it, they would be broken with labor; and if not, they would be punished.