Exodus 5:2 Meaning: Pharaoh's Question
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.”
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.
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 Pharaoh saith, `Who is Jehovah, that I hearken to His voice, to send Israel away? I have not known Jehovah, and Israel also I do not send away.'
And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, to whose voice I am to hearken to let Israel go? I do not know Jehovah, neither will I let Israel go.
Meaning in one sentence
Pharaoh says he doesn't know Yahweh. Is it ignorance or defiance? This verse sets the stage for God's power to be revealed in Egypt.
Context
Moses and Aaron have just walked into Pharaoh's court carrying a simple request from God: let the people go into the wilderness for three days to hold a feast. It is not a permanent departure, just a worship gathering. But Pharaoh hears something else entirely. He hears a challenge to his authority. In ancient Egypt, every nation had its own gods, and a king answered to none of them. So when Moses speaks the name Yahweh, the personal name of Israel's God, Pharaoh fires back with a question that sounds like curiosity but is really a door slamming shut. What follows is not a negotiation. It is the beginning of a confrontation that will shake Egypt to its foundations.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for 'listen' here is shama, which means more than hearing a sound. It means to hear with the intent to obey. Pharaoh is not saying he cannot make out the words. He is saying he sees no reason to follow them. And the phrase 'I don't know' comes from yada, a word that speaks of intimate, personal knowledge, the kind you gain through relationship, not a quick internet search. Pharaoh is not denying that this God exists somewhere on a list of deities. He is saying, 'This God has no claim on me. I am not in relationship with Him, and I will not start now.' His refusal is not a gap in information. It is a decision of the will. And that is far harder to answer.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators have long debated whether Pharaoh was genuinely ignorant or actively defiant. Adam Clarke notes that Pharaoh likely viewed Yahweh as just the tribal god of the Israelites, to whom he as an Egyptian owed nothing, not atheism, but a kind of practical polytheism. Calvin sees more: he calls it 'madness' and 'insolent scorn,' comparing Pharaoh's mockery to Pilate's sneer, 'What is truth?' The Cambridge Bible and others point out that Pharaoh's next move, increasing the Israelites' workload, shows he understood the request perfectly and chose to crush it. Most traditions agree: Pharaoh's 'I do not know' is a refusal to acknowledge, not a request for introduction.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think Pharaoh was being intellectually honest: he had never heard of Yahweh, so how could he obey? But that misses the heart of the verse. Pharaoh was not waiting for more information. He was not asking Moses to introduce him. His question 'Who is Yahweh?' is rhetorical and dismissive. In fact, the very next thing he does is pile on more work for the Israelites. He had all the information he needed: the God of Israel had spoken. He simply decided that God had no authority over him.
Living This Out
You may never stand in a palace and refuse a command from God's messenger, but you have likely felt that same resistance rising in your chest. A quiet nudge to forgive someone who hurt you. The clear instruction to speak honestly when a lie would be easier. A call to trust God with a fear you have been gripping tight. And in that moment, a small voice inside asks the same question: 'Who is God to tell me what to do?' It is not that you do not know Him. You do. But knowing is not the same as submitting. This week, when that question surfaces, let it be the start of a real conversation with God, not a door slammed shut.
Main takeaway: Knowing God is not enough; the real question is whether we will obey the One we claim to know.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Pharaoh did not want to obey God. He said, 'I do not know Him.' But God wanted Pharaoh to learn who He really is. When we hear God's words, we can choose to obey, not turn away.
For ages 9, 12
Pharaoh's question 'Who is God?' sounds like he just needed more information, but really he was refusing to obey. He knew the Israelites' God had spoken, but he did not want to admit that God had authority over him. That same stubbornness can show up in us when we know what God wants but choose to do our own thing instead. The difference is that we have the chance to soften our hearts and say yes.
Questions People Ask
Did Pharaoh really not know who Yahweh was?
Pharaoh likely had never heard the personal name Yahweh, but he understood that Moses was speaking for the God of Israel. His 'I do not know' was not an innocent lack of information; it was a refusal to acknowledge God's authority over him. He knew enough to obey, and he chose not to.
Why did Pharaoh respond so harshly to such a simple request?
Pharaoh saw the request as a threat to his power and his economy. Letting the Israelites go even for three days would mean losing control over a huge workforce. His harsh response was meant to crush any hope of freedom and to show Moses and the people that he would not be pushed around.
Was Pharaoh an atheist?
No. Pharaoh, like most ancient rulers, believed in many gods. He just did not consider Yahweh to be one of them, or at least not one with any claim on Egypt. As Adam Clarke notes, Pharaoh thought of Yahweh as the local god of the Hebrews, not the God over all the earth.
What does 'knowing Yahweh' mean in this verse?
The Hebrew word for 'know' (yada) is about intimate, personal relationship, not just knowing facts about someone. When Pharaoh says he does not know Yahweh, he is saying there is no relationship, no covenant, no reason to obey. But that relationship is exactly what God is about to build through the plagues and the Exodus.
How does this verse set up the rest of the story?
Pharaoh's refusal launches the chain of events that will demonstrate God's power. Each plague is an answer to his question 'Who is Yahweh?', showing that Yahweh rules over the Nile, the sun, the livestock, even life and death. By the end, Pharaoh and all Egypt will know who Yahweh is.
For pastors & researchers
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