The Meaning of Exodus 5:2 Explained

Exodus 5:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.'

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 5:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 5:1-14 - The Request To Worship Jehovah Answered By Oppression
The bondage of Israel in Egypt is an apt type of our bondage to sin. See John 8:34-36; Romans 7:23-25. The weary tyranny of our besetting sins; the imperious demands of Satan; the absence of all reward to our hopeless toils-these are striking points of analogy. Though we weep and struggle, there is no help for us but in God. No straw! No lessening of the tale of bricks! The charge of idleness! Cruel beatings! Deliverance apparently more distant than ever! But the darkest hour precedes dawn.
The hue and cry is always raised when a prisoner is escaping. The tyrant, who has so long held his prey, is not minded to surrender it without a struggle. The devil convulsed the child, as he was about to depart. Moreover, Israel must be taught to look beyond Moses or Aaron to the Eternal Jehovah. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 5

1  Pharaoh chides Moses and Aaron for their message
6  He increases the Israelites' task
16  He ignores their complaints
19  They cry out to Moses and Aaron
22  Moses complains to God

What do the individual words in Exodus 5:2 mean?

And said Pharaoh who [is] Yahweh that I should obey His voice to let go - Israel not I do know Yahweh and will I let Israel go
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה מִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹל֔וֹ לְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־ ؟ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ יְהוָ֔ה וְגַ֥ם אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פַּרְעֹ֔ה  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
יְהוָה֙  [is]  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אֶשְׁמַ֣ע  I  should  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּקֹל֔וֹ  His  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
לְשַׁלַּ֖ח  to  let  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
؟ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙  I  do  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶת־  will  I  let 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ  go 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.