Exodus 5:2

“And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord, etc.] Jehovah, they made mention of, which, whether he took it for the name of a deity, or of a king, whose ambassadors they declared themselves to be, was a name he had never heard of before; and this being expressed and pronounced, shows that this name is not ineffable, or unlawful to be pronounced, as say the Jews: that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go? he knew of no superior monarch to him, whose orders he was obliged to obey in any respect, and particularly in this, the dismission of the people of Israel out of his land, though it was but for a short time: I know not the Lord; who this Jehovah is, that made this demand, and required Israel’s…”

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord--rather "Jehovah." Lord was a common name applied to objects of worship; but Jehovah was a name he had never heard of. Pharaoh estimated the character and power of this God by the abject and miserable condition of the worshippers and concluded that He held as low a rank among the gods as His people did in the nation. To demonstrate the supremacy of the true God over all the gods of Egypt, was the design of the plagues. I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go--As his honor and interest were both involved he determined to crush this attempt, and in a tone of insolence, or perhaps profanity, rejected the request for the release of the Hebrew slaves.”

“I know not the Lord - Either Pharaoh had not heard of Yahweh, or he did not recognize Him as a God. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice? - Being summoned to surrender, he thus hangs out the flag of defiance. Who is Jehovah? I neither know him nor care for him; neither value nor fear him. It is a hard name that he never heard of before, but he resolves it shall be no bugbear to him. Israel was now a despised, oppressed people, and by the character they bore he makes his estimate of their God, and concludes that he made no better figure among the gods, than his people did among the nations. Exodus 5:3”

“5:2 Pharaoh immediately moved to the heart of the issue. What god could possibly be superior to Pharaoh? What god could compel him to do what he did not want to do? This is a central issue for the whole human race. Is there someone or something greater than my self-interest?”

“Who: Exo 3:19; Kg2 18:35; Ch2 32:15, Ch2 32:19; Job 21:15; Psa 10:4, Psa 12:4, Psa 14:1 I know not: Sa1 2:12; Joh 16:3; Rom 1:28; Th2 1:8 neither: Exo 3:19; Jer 44:16, Jer 44:17 Exodus 5:3”