Exodus 5:5
◄  Exodus 5:5  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."

New Living Translation (©2007)
Look, there are many of your people in the land, and you are stopping them from their work."

English Standard Version (©2001)
And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Again Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!"

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Pharaoh also said, "Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from working."

International Standard Version (©2012)
Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."

NET Bible (©2006)
Pharaoh was thinking, "The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Then Pharaoh added, "Look how many people there are in the land! Do you want them to quit working?"

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens.

American King James Version
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens.

American Standard Version
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?

Darby Bible Translation
And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.

English Revised Version
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

World English Bible
Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens."

Young's Literal Translation
Pharaoh also saith, 'Lo, numerous now is the people of the land, and ye have caused them to cease from their burdens!'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:1-9 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 to 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 three days' journey into the desert, and that on a good errand. We will sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Pharaoh was very unreasonable, in saying that the people were idle, and therefore talked of going to sacrifice. He thus misrepresents them, that he might have a pretence to add to their burdens. To this day we find many who are more disposed to find fault with their neighbours, for spending in the service of God a few hours spared from their wordly 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 upon ministers. The usual tale of bricks must be made, without the usual allowance of straw to mix with the clay. Thus more work was to be laid upon the men, which, if they performed, they would be broken with labour; and if not, they would be punished.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - The people are many. This is added as an aggravation of the offence charged in the last verse. The people are numerous. Therefore the greater damage is done to the crown by putting a stop to their labours. With these words the first interview between the Israelite leaders and the Egyptian monarch ends. Moses and Aaron, we must suppose, retired discomfited from the royal presence.

CHAPTER 5:6-9

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Pharaoh said, behold, the people of the land now are many,.... So that if some were taken off, as suggested, there were enough of them to do business and so he cared not; but if allowed to go, they might mutiny and rebel, and give a great deal of trouble to quell them; or it may be, the sense is, they were very numerous, and too numerous already, and if they were took off of their work, and allowed to go a feasting, they would be more so, which agrees with the next clause:

and you make them rest from their burdens; which was the way to make them more numerous still, and to frustrate the design of laying burdens upon them, which was originally intended to hinder the multiplication of them, Exodus 1:9.

Exodus 5:5 Parallel Commentaries

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Pharaoh's First Refusal
…3And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice to the LORD our God; lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword. 4And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you to your burdens. 5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens.

Exodus 1:7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
Exodus 1:9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become far too numerous for us.
Exodus 2:11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
1 Kings 12:14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions."