But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pharaoh doesn't see a divine request but a political disruption, accusing Moses and Aaron of inciting rebellion and making the people "rest" from their labor, which he views as a direct affront to his authority and economy. He immediately shifts from hearing God's message to commanding the messengers to return to the very oppression they sought to alleviate.
But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses and Aaron have just delivered God's demand to Pharaoh: "Let my people go." Instead of a direct answer, Pharaoh accuses them of inciting rebellion and disrupting the Israelites' slave labor. He dismisses their request as a frivolous holiday and harshly orders Moses and Aaron, along with the people they represent, back to their oppressive tasks.
When Moses and Aaron delivered God's message, Pharaoh didn't hear a plea for worship. He heard a call for rebellion. What did he accuse them of, and why?
Pharaoh's response is swift and angry. He doesn't engage with the message about the God of Israel or the request for a feast. Instead, he twists their request into something political:
The Israelites were commanded to worship God, but Pharaoh saw only 'work' and 'burdens.' What's the difference between work done for God and work done under oppression?
This verse highlights a stark contrast between two kinds of labor:
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Understand the original words
sebel · Hebrew Noun
Forced, heavy labor or servile work. Often used in scripture to describe slavery or oppressive tasks imposed by earthly powers.
Pharaoh's immediate reaction, demanding Moses and Aaron return to their 'burdens,' reveals his perspective: he viewed the Israelites not as a people with religious needs, but as a labor force essential to Egypt's economy. This demand wasn't just about work; it was a direct rejection of God's authority and a reassertion of his own absolute power over his subjects.
c. 1526 BC
Birth of Moses
Moses is born during a period of intense oppression for the Israelites in Egypt, with Pharaoh having decreed that all newborn Hebrew boys be killed.
c. 1446 BC
Moses's Flight to Midian
After killing an Egyptian taskmaster, Moses flees Egypt and lives as a shepherd in Midian for 40 years.
c. 1406 BC
The Burning Bush and God's Commission
God appears to Moses at the Burning Bush and commissions him to return to Egypt and demand Pharaoh let the Israelites go.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh
Moses and Aaron deliver God's message to Pharaoh, demanding the Israelites be allowed to leave Egypt for a three-day journey to worship God.
c. 1406 BC
Pharaoh Increases Israelite Labor
Enraged by the demand and seeing it as a disruption, Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go and instead increases their workload, forcing them to gather their own straw for bricks.
Pharaoh's dismissive 'Who is the Lord?' echoes Pilate's cynical 'What is truth?' when confronted with a higher authority, showing a similar arrogant disregard for God's message.
Acts 19:25Like the silversmiths in Ephesus who stirred up a riot against Paul, Pharaoh sees Moses and Aaron as agitators disrupting the established order and economic stability.
2 Timothy 3:12The verse highlights that 'all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.' Pharaoh's reaction to Moses and Aaron is a prime example of this, persecuting them for their divinely appointed mission.
Matthew 10:16Jesus warned his disciples to 'be wise as serpents and innocent as doves,' a caution relevant to Moses and Aaron as they faced Pharaoh's cunning and wrath, knowing they were sent out like sheep among wolves.
1 Peter 2:13-17This passage speaks of submitting to governing authorities, but Pharaoh's oppressive rule and his disregard for God's command push the boundaries, illustrating the tension when human authority directly conflicts with divine authority.
clarkeExodus 5:4: "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."
Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron - He hints that the Hebrews are in a state of revolt, and charges Moses and Aaron as being ringleaders of the sedition. This unprincipled charge has been, in nearly similar circumstances, often repeated since. Men who have labored to bring the mass of the common people from ignorance, irreligion, and general profligacy…
gillExodus 5:4: "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."
And the king of Egypt said to them,.... For he was not struck dumb, as Artapanus (g), afore cited writer, says: wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? as they did when they gathered them together, and wrought signs before them; which Pharaoh it seems had heard of, and had got their names very readily: get you unto your burd…
Pharaoh doesn't see a divine request but a political disruption, accusing Moses and Aaron of inciting rebellion and making the people "rest" from their labor, which he views as a direct affront to his authority and economy. He immediately shifts from hearing God's message to commanding the messengers to return to the very oppression they sought to alleviate.
Moses and Aaron have just delivered God's demand to Pharaoh: "Let my people go." Instead of a direct answer, Pharaoh accuses them of inciting rebellion and disrupting the Israelites' slave labor. He dismisses their request as a frivolous holiday and harshly orders Moses and Aaron, along with the people they represent, back to their oppressive tasks.
Moses and Aaron have just delivered God's demand to Pharaoh: "Let my people go." Instead of a direct answer, Pharaoh accuses them of inciting rebellion and disrupting the Israelites' slave labor. He dismisses their request as a frivolous holiday and harshly orders Moses and Aaron, along with the people they represent, back to their oppressive tasks.
"But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.”" — Pharaoh doesn't see a divine request but a political disruption, accusing Moses and Aaron of inciting rebellion and making the people "rest" from their labor, which he views as a direct affront to hi…
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Last reviewed October 2026