Exodus 5: Bricks Without Straw
Pharaoh defies the Lord and crushes Israel with heavier labor, and Moses, blamed by his own people, brings his complaint back to God.
Exodus 5 (WEB)
1 Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”
3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”
4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!”
5 Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.”
6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”
10 The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.
11 Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’”
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!”
14 The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?
16 No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”
17 But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’
18 Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”
19 The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”
20 They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh:
21 and they said to them, “May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.”
Exodus 5 (KJV)
1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
3 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.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.
18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
Exodus 5 (ASV)
1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 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.
9 Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore?
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.
18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 and they said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22 And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
Summary
Moses and Aaron stand before Pharaoh with God's word: “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh answers with contempt, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice?” He does not know Yahweh and refuses to let Israel go. Instead, he accuses the people of idleness and commands the taskmasters to stop supplying straw for bricks while demanding the same quota, forcing the Israelites to scatter and gather stubble themselves. When the quota cannot be met, the Hebrew officers are beaten, and they cry out to Pharaoh, who only mocks them as idle. Meeting Moses and Aaron afterward, the officers blame them for making Israel a stench in Pharaoh's eyes and putting a sword in his hand. Discouraged, Moses returns to the Lord and pours out his confusion: why has God brought trouble on this people, and why did he send Moses at all, since deliverance has not come but only deeper suffering? The chapter shows that the path of obedience may first lead through worse hardship, and that honest lament before God is part of the journey of faith.
Main Characters
- Moses and Aaron — God's messengers who deliver his demand to Pharaoh and then bear the people's blame when the burdens grow heavier instead of lighter.
- Pharaoh — The defiant king who claims not to know Yahweh, refuses to release Israel, and punishes them by withholding straw while demanding full quotas.
- The Hebrew officers — Israelite foremen beaten for unmet quotas, who plead with Pharaoh and then accuse Moses and Aaron of worsening their plight.
Key Verse
Exodus 5:2 (WEB)
Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”
Lessons Learned
- Obedience to God sometimes brings opposition and hardship before relief.
- The proud heart refuses to acknowledge the Lord and resents his claims.
- When we suffer for doing right, others may blame us unfairly.
- It is right to bring our confusion and complaint honestly to God in prayer.
- The world resists God's claim on his people. “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice?” (Exodus 5:2, WEB). Pharaoh's defiance exposes a heart that will not bow to God.
- Faithful obedience can provoke fierce opposition. Pharaoh responds to God's demand by laying “heavier work” on the people (Exodus 5:9, WEB). The first fruit of obedience is sometimes increased trouble.
- Doing right may draw unjust blame. The officers tell Moses, “May Yahweh look at you, and judge” (Exodus 5:21, WEB). Servants of God are not exempt from being misunderstood.
- Honest lament belongs in prayer. Moses asks God, “why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?” (Exodus 5:22, WEB). God welcomes the cries of his struggling servants.
- How does Pharaoh's reply in verse 2 reveal the root of his resistance?
- Why does Pharaoh make Israel's labor harder rather than simply refusing the request?
- How do the Hebrew officers respond to Moses and Aaron, and is their reaction understandable?
- What do you make of Moses bringing his complaint directly to God in verses 22-23?
- When obedience has made things harder for you, how have you been tempted to respond, and how might Moses' prayer guide you?
- Pharaoh's scornful “Who is Yahweh… I don’t know Yahweh” (5:2) shows his refusal flows from a refusal to acknowledge God at all. The whole conflict is ultimately about whether Pharaoh will recognize the Lord's authority—which the plagues will force.
- By withholding straw yet demanding the same output (5:7-8), Pharaoh aims to crush the people's hope and discredit Moses, blaming the request itself for their misery. Tyranny often punishes those who long for freedom to keep them compliant.
- Beaten and desperate, the officers blame Moses and Aaron for making them “a stench” to Pharaoh (5:21). Their reaction is understandable given their suffering, yet it shows how quickly discouragement turns people against God's appointed deliverers.
- Rather than abandoning his call, Moses takes his confusion straight to God, asking hard questions (5:22-23). This models honest, faith-filled lament: he does not turn from God but turns to him, which sets up God's reassuring answer in chapter 6.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall times faithfulness made life harder. As leader, affirm honest lament as Moses models it, and point ahead to God's faithful response, encouraging the group to persevere.