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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Exodus 5:15–23. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
It was a great strait that the head-workmen were in, when they must either abuse those that were under them or be abused by those that were over them; yet, it should seem, rather than they would tyrannize, they would be tyrannized over; and they were so. In this evil case (Exo 5:19), observe,
I.How justly they complained to Pharaoh:
They came and cried unto Pharaoh, Exo 5:15. Whither should they go with a remonstrance of their grievances but to the supreme power, which is ordained for the protection of the injured? As bad as Pharaoh was his oppressed subjects had liberty to complain to him; there was no law against petitioning: it was a very modest, but moving, representation that they made of their condition (Exo 5:16): Thy servants are beaten (severely enough, no doubt, when things were in such a ferment), and yet the fault is in thy own people, the task-masters, who deny us what is necessary for carrying on our work. Note, It is common for those to be most rigorous in blaming others who are most blameworthy themselves. But what did they get by this complaint? It did but make bad worse.
1.Pharaoh taunted them (Exo 5:17); when they were almost killed with working, he told them they were idle: they underwent the fatigue of industry, and yet lay under the imputation of slothfulness, while nothing appeared to ground the charge upon but this, that they said, Let us go and do sacrifice. Note, It is common for the best actions to be mentioned under the worst names; holy diligence in the best business is censured by many as a culpable carelessness in the business of the world. It is well for us that men are not to be our judges, but a God who knows what the principles are on which we act. Those that are diligent in doing sacrifice to the Lord will, with God, escape the doom of the slothful servant, though, with men, they do not.
2.He bound on their burdens: Go now and work. Exo 5:18. Note, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked; what can be expected from unrighteous men but more unrighteousness?
II.How unjustly they complained of Moses and Aaron:
The Lord look upon you, and judge, Exo 5:21. This was not fair. Moses and Aaron had given sufficient evidence of their hearty good-will to the liberties of Israel; and yet, because things succeed not immediately as they hoped, they are reproached as accessaries to their slavery. They should have humbled themselves before God, and taken to themselves the shame of their sin, which turned away good things from them; but, instead of this, they fly in the face of their best friends, and quarrel with the instruments of their deliverance, because of some little difficulties and obstructions they met with in effecting it. Note, Those that are called out to public service for God and their generation must expect to be tried, not only by the malicious threats of proud enemies, but by the unjust and unkind censures of unthinking friends, who judge only by outward appearance and look but a little way before them. Now what did Moses do in this strait? It grieved him to the heart that the event did not answer, but rather contradict, his expectation; and their upbraidings were very cutting, and like a sword in his bones; but,
1.He returned to the Lord (Exo 5:22), to acquaint him with it, and to represent the case to him: he knew that what he had said and done was by divine direction; and therefore what blame is laid upon him for it he considers as reflecting upon God, and, like Hezekiah, spreads it before him as interested in the cause, and appeals to him. Compare this with Jer 20:7-9. Note, When we find ourselves, at any time, perplexed and embarrassed in the way of our duty, we ought to have recourse to God, and lay open our case before him by faithful and fervent prayer. If we retreat, let us retreat to him, and no further.
2.He expostulated with him, Exo 5:22, Exo 5:23. He knew not how to reconcile the providence with the promise and the commission which he had received. "Is this God's coming down to deliver Israel? Must I, who hoped to be a blessing to them, become a scourge to them? By this attempt to get them out of the pit, they are but sunk the deeper into it." Now he asks,
(1.)Wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? Note, Even when God is coming towards his people in ways of mercy, he sometimes takes such methods as that they may think themselves but ill treated. The instruments of deliverance, when they aim to help, are found to hinder, and that becomes a trap which, it was hoped, would have been for their welfare, God suffering it to be so that we may learn to cease from man, and may come off from a dependence upon second causes. Note, further, When the people of God think themselves ill treated, they should go to God by prayer, and plead with him, and that is the way to have better treatment in God's good time.
(2.)Why is it thou hast sent me? Thus,
[1.]He complains of his ill success: "Pharaoh has done evil to this people, and not one step seems to be taken towards their deliverance." Note, It cannot but sit very heavily upon the spirits of those whom God employs for him to see that their labour does no good, and much more to see that it does hurt eventually, though not designedly. It is uncomfortable to a good minister to perceive that his endeavours for men's conviction and conversion do but exasperate their corruptions, confirm their prejudices, harden their hearts, and seal them up under unbelief. This makes them go in the bitterness of their souls, as the prophet, Eze 3:14. Or,
[2.]He enquires what was further to be done: Why hast thou sent me? that is, "What other method shall I take in pursuance of my commission?" Note, Disappointments in our work must not drive us from our God, but still we must consider why we are sent.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
In Moses and Aaron the law and the prophets are prefigured. A sick soul often murmurs to itself against the sacred words. After it has begun to hear and follow the heavenly words, the opposition of the Egyptian king—that is, the temptation of an evil spirit—rises up. So the physician should carefully make known to the soul that is making progress which temptations will attack it, so that it can carefully prepare itself for the snares of an evil spirit. Exposition of the Old and New Testament, Exodus
In Moses and Aaron the law and the prophets are prefigured. A sick soul often murmurs to itself against the sacred words. After it has begun to hear and follow the heavenly words, the opposition of the Egyptian king—that is, the temptation of an evil spirit—rises up. So the physician should carefully make known to the soul that is making progress which temptations will attack it, so that it can carefully prepare itself for the snares of an evil spirit.
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Summary
Exodus 5:20 captures a pivotal moment of disillusionment and heightened tension following Moses and Aaron's initial confrontation with Pharaoh. As the Israelite foremen, having just endured brutal punishment and increased labor demands from Pharaoh, emerge from his presence, they encounter Moses and Aaron who are awaiting them. This meeting marks a critical low point in the nascent stages of Israel's liberation, where the promise of divine intervention has, paradoxically, led to intensified suffering and a profound crisis of faith among the people, setting the stage for a deeper test of trust in God's redemptive plan.
Context
Literary Context
This verse immediately follows a dramatic escalation of Pharaoh's oppression, directly triggered by Moses and Aaron's initial demand for Israel's release. In the preceding verses, Moses and Aaron, empowered by God, declare, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go'" (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh, in a defiant act of resistance and an attempt to crush Israel's spirit, not only refuses but also intensifies their forced labor. He commands that the Israelites gather their own straw for brick production while maintaining the same impossible quota, a decree detailed in Exodus 5:6-9. The Israelite foremen, directly responsible for meeting these quotas, are brutally beaten when they fail to deliver, as recounted in Exodus 5:14. It is in the immediate aftermath of this severe punishment and their subsequent appeal to Pharaoh that the foremen encounter Moses and Aaron, setting up a confrontation charged with despair and accusation.
Historical & Cultural Context
Ancient Egypt relied heavily on forced labor for its monumental construction projects, including cities, temples, and storehouses. The Israelites, as a subjugated foreign people, were an ideal source of such labor. The use of straw mixed with clay was a standard practice for making durable bricks in the ancient Near East, as the straw provided binding material and prevented cracking. Pharaoh's edict to withhold straw while maintaining the brick quota was not merely an increase in workload but a deliberate act of dehumanization and an impossible demand designed to break the Israelites' will and spirit. This punitive measure was intended to demonstrate Pharaoh's absolute authority and to extinguish any hope of freedom that Moses's message might have ignited. The foremen, as intermediaries between the Egyptian taskmasters and the Israelite laborers, bore the brunt of Pharaoh's wrath, making their desperate state in Exodus 5:20 entirely understandable within this brutal system.
Key Themes
This chapter, and particularly this verse, powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Exodus. It highlights the theme of Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Resistance, showcasing Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to acknowledge God's authority and God's determined plan to humble him. It also deeply explores the theme of Suffering as a Catalyst for Deliverance, demonstrating that God's redemptive path often involves an initial intensification of hardship to purify His people's faith and to magnify His ultimate power. The swift shift from initial belief (as seen in Exodus 4:31) to profound disillusionment in Exodus 5 underscores the theme of The Testing of Faith, revealing the fragility of human trust when confronted with immediate adversity. Furthermore, the burden placed on Moses and Aaron exemplifies the theme of The Cost of Obedient Leadership, as they face not only external opposition but also internal rejection from the very people they are called to lead.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root signifies "to impinge, by accident or violence, or (figuratively) by importunity." In this context, it suggests an intentional encounter, where Moses and Aaron positioned themselves to intersect the foremen. It carries a sense of direct confrontation or coming upon someone, implying that this meeting was not by chance but a deliberate interception, likely anticipating the foremen's distress or seeking an update.
Meaning "to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively)," this word denotes a fixed or established position. Moses and Aaron were not merely passing by but had taken a deliberate stand "in the way," indicating a posture of waiting, readiness, or perhaps even a prepared stance for the difficult conversation they knew was coming. It implies a sense of being set in place for a specific purpose.
This primitive root means "to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively." Here, it describes the foremen's exit from Pharaoh's presence. The act of "coming forth" from such a hostile and oppressive encounter underscores their vulnerable and desperate state, having just faced Pharaoh's wrath and the consequences of his impossible demands.
Verse Breakdown
"And they met Moses and Aaron"
This clause establishes the central action of the verse: the encounter between the Israelite foremen (implied by the preceding narrative) and Moses and Aaron. The foremen's immediate post-Pharaoh state, filled with despair and anger, sets the tone for this meeting.
"who stood in the way"
This phrase clarifies the positioning of Moses and Aaron. They were not merely encountered by chance but had deliberately stationed themselves along the path the foremen would take from Pharaoh's palace. This suggests an anticipation of the foremen's reaction and a readiness to engage, though they may not have fully grasped the depth of the foremen's despair and anger.
"as they came forth from Pharaoh"
This final clause specifies the timing and context of the encounter. The foremen's emergence directly from Pharaoh's presence immediately after their brutal treatment signifies their raw emotional state and the direct cause of their anguish. It highlights the direct consequence of Moses and Aaron's initial demand on the people's immediate circumstances.
Literary Devices
Exodus 5:20 employs several literary devices to heighten its dramatic impact and convey its theological message. There is a strong sense of Juxtaposition between the initial hope and belief of the Israelites in Exodus 4:31 and the crushing despair and anger evident in the foremen's confrontation with Moses and Aaron here. This creates Dramatic Irony, as the audience knows God's ultimate plan for deliverance, yet the characters within the narrative experience only intensified suffering, mistaking it for a failure of the divine promise. The verse also functions as Foreshadowing, hinting at the many future instances where the Israelites would complain against Moses and Aaron, and against God Himself, when faced with trials in the wilderness. The scene is imbued with Pathos, evoking sympathy for the foremen who are caught between Pharaoh's cruelty and the perceived failure of their own leaders, highlighting the human cost of the unfolding divine drama.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse powerfully illustrates that God's redemptive plan often unfolds through periods of intensified difficulty rather than immediate ease. It challenges a simplistic understanding of divine intervention, revealing that the path to true liberation can involve an initial "worsening" of circumstances designed to expose the depth of the bondage and magnify God's ultimate power. This phase of increased hardship serves to deepen the people's dependence on God alone, stripping away any lingering trust in human solutions or the oppressor's mercy. It also underscores the immense burden and isolation often faced by those called to lead God's people through trials, as Moses and Aaron are met with blame rather than understanding.
Reflection and Application
Exodus 5:20 offers a profound and sobering lesson for believers today: the path to spiritual freedom or the fulfillment of God's promises is rarely a straight, comfortable line. Often, God allows or even orchestrates an initial increase in hardship to deepen our faith, reveal our true spiritual state, and ultimately demonstrate His power more profoundly. When we find ourselves in situations where our obedience to God's call seems to result in greater difficulty, it is tempting to succumb to despair, blame our spiritual leaders, or question God's plan, much like the Israelite foremen. This narrative calls us to cultivate a resilient faith that perseveres beyond immediate gratification and trusts in God's sovereign timing and methods, even when they are perplexing or painful. It also serves as a poignant reminder to extend grace and understanding to those in spiritual leadership, recognizing the immense pressure they bear when guiding people through trials, and the need for them to lean entirely on God's strength and unwavering commitment to His promises, even in the face of accusation.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Moses and Aaron "stand in the way" of the foremen?
Moses and Aaron deliberately positioned themselves to intercept the foremen as they emerged from Pharaoh's presence. They likely anticipated the foremen's distress and sought to understand the immediate outcome of Pharaoh's response to their demand for Israel's release. Their posture suggests a readiness to engage and perhaps offer comfort or guidance, though they were instead met with bitter accusation and profound disillusionment from the foremen, whose suffering had just been intensified by Pharaoh's decree.
Does this event suggest that God's plan failed initially, or that Moses and Aaron made a mistake?
No, this event does not suggest a failure in God's plan, nor does it imply a mistake on the part of Moses and Aaron in their obedience. Rather, it reveals a crucial aspect of God's redemptive process: that true deliverance often involves a period of intensified struggle before the ultimate breakthrough. This increased suffering served multiple divine purposes: to expose the full extent of Pharaoh's hardened heart and the depth of Israel's bondage, to break any lingering reliance the Israelites had on Egyptian systems, and to highlight God's ultimate power and sovereignty in a way that would leave no doubt about His hand in their liberation. It was a necessary step to deepen the faith of both the leaders and the people, preparing them for the miraculous deliverance to come, as God later reassures Moses in Exodus 6:1.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The profound despair and heightened suffering experienced by the Israelites in Exodus 5:20 serve as a powerful foreshadowing of humanity's deeper spiritual bondage and the paradoxical path to ultimate deliverance through Christ. Just as Moses and Aaron's initial efforts to bring freedom led to an increase in hardship for Israel, Jesus's mission to liberate humanity from the dominion of sin and death involved profound suffering and rejection, even from those He came to save. His journey was not one of immediate ease but culminated in the ultimate "worsening" – His crucifixion – a moment of seemingly utter defeat that paradoxically became the very means of victory. The temporary despair of Israel points to the eternal hope found in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, whose death secured our spiritual freedom and whose resurrection guarantees new life (Romans 6:4). Through His suffering, Christ broke the power of the true oppressor, Satan, and secured a deliverance far greater than physical freedom, offering eternal redemption and reconciliation with God (Hebrews 2:14-15). The Israelites' complaint against Moses and Aaron echoes humanity's tendency to reject God's chosen deliverer, yet Christ, unlike Moses, bore the full weight of human sin and opposition without complaint, securing salvation for all who believe (Isaiah 53:7).