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And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

That they may hold a feast. — "That they may serve me." Exodus 4:23 "Let us keep the feast," εορταζωμεν , 1 Corinthians 5:8 which is the same with "Let us serve God acceptably." Hebrews 12:28 It is a feast, and better, for a good soul to converse with God. Psalms 63:5 Isaiah 25:6

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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.

Who is the Lord? — God’s attributes either show what he is, or who he is. To the question of Moses - What he is? - God gave a short answer, "I am." To this second by Pharaoh, Who he is? - God made a large reply, till Pharaoh was compelled to answer himself, "The Lord is righteous."

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And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Three days’ journey, — viz., to mount Horeb. They made it three months’ journey ere they came there. Exodus 13:17-18 God leads his people oft not the nearest, but the safest way to their journey’s end.

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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.

Ver 4. Let the people from their works. — Moses talks of sacrifice; Pharaoh of work. Anything seems due work to a carnal mind, saving God’s service; nothing superfluous but religious duties. Aug., De Civit. Dei. Seneca saith the Jews cast away a seventh part of their time upon a weekly Sabbath. "To what end is this loss?" said Judas.

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

The people of the land now are many. — Et nihil agendo male agere discent. Iphicrates never suffered his soldiers to be out of employment; but, if out of military services, he set them to dig or lop trees or carry burdens, …, to keep them from rebelling or worse doing. η ορυττειν, η ταφρευειν, η δενδρα κοπτειν , … - Polym. Stratag., lib. iii.

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And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

And Pharaoh commanded. — He raged the more for the message of dismission: so, wholesome admonitions make ill men worse. Corruptions increase and get bigger by the law. Romans 7:8

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Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Ye shall no more give the people straw. — Speculum tyrannidis semper augescentis atque invalescentis. "The matter mends with us," said those martyrs in prison, "as sour ale doth in summer." Act. and Mon.

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And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish [ought] thereof: for they [be] idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God.

For they be idle. — I heard a great man once say, saith Luther, Necesse est otiosos esse homilies qui ista negotia religionis curant. They must needs be idle fellows that are so much taken up about the business of religion. See Trapp on " Exodus 5:4 "

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