Exodus 5:3

“And they said, the God of the Hebrews hath met with us, etc.] Perceiving that the name Jehovah was unknown to him, and treated by him in a scornful manner, they leave it out, and only say, “the God of the Hebrews”: a people that dwelt in his country, he well knew by this name, and could not be ignorant that their God was different from his; and it was he that had met Moses and Aaron; they did not seek to him to be sent on this errand, but he appeared to them as he did to Moses at Horeb, and to Aaron in Egypt. Some render it, “the God of the Hebrews is called upon us” f155; his name was called upon them, or they were called by his name; they were his servants and worshippers, and therefore…”

“The God of the Hebrews hath met with us--Instead of being provoked into reproaches or threats, they mildly assured him that it was not a proposal originating among themselves, but a duty enjoined on them by their God. They had for a long series of years been debarred from the privilege of religious worship, and as there was reason to fear that a continued neglect of divine ordinances would draw down upon them the judgments of offended heaven, they begged permission to go three days' journey into the desert--a place of seclusion--where their sacrificial observances would neither suffer interruption nor give umbrage to the Egyptians. In saying this, they concealed their ultimate design of…”

“Three days’ journey - See the Exodus 3:18 note. With pestilence, or with the sword - This shows that the plague was well known to the ancient Egyptians. The reference to the sword is equally natural, since the Israelites occupied the eastern district, which was frequently disturbed by the neighboring Shasous. return to 'Top of Page'”

“We pray thee, let us go three days journey into the desert - And that on a good errand, and unexceptionable: we will sacrifice to the Lord our God - As other people do to theirs; lest if we quite cast off his worship, he fall upon us - With one judgment or other, and then Pharaoh will lose his vassals. Exodus 5:5”

“5:3 he will kill 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.”

“The God: Exo 3:18 lest he: Deu 28:21; Kg2 17:25; Ch2 30:8; Ezr 7:23; Eze 6:11; Zac 14:16-19 Exodus 5:4”

“The messengers founded their request upon the fact that the God of the Hebrews had met them (נקרא, vid., Exo 3:18), and referred to the punishment which the neglect of the sacrificial festival demanded by God might bring upon the nation. פּן־יפגּענוּ: "lest He strike us (attack us) with pestilence or sword." פּגע: to strike, hit against any one, either by accident or with a hostile intent; ordinarily construed with בּ, also with an accusative, Sa1 10:5, and chosen here probably with reference to נקרא = נקרה. "Pestilence or sword:" these are mentioned as expressive of a violent death, and as the means employed by the deities, according to the ordinary belief of the nations, to punish the…”