A common misinterpretation of Exodus 5:2 portrays Pharaoh's question as a model of rational skepticism or honest inquiry deserving respect, ignoring the context of his tyrannical oppression and prior warnings; others twist it to justify disbelief in God by claiming lack of personal knowledge excuses disobedience, or apply it out of context to dismiss biblical faith as irrational, overlooking that Pharaoh's 'ignorance' was willful rebellion against evident divine signs, not innocent doubt.
Exodus 5:2
King James Version (1769)
2 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.
Exodus 5:2 captures Pharaoh's arrogant defiance against God's command delivered through Moses, revealing a heart hardened by pride and self-deification common among ancient rulers who viewed themselves as gods; this statement underscores the core truth that true authority belongs to the Lord alone, whom all must ultimately acknowledge, setting the stage for God's demonstrations of power through the plagues to compel recognition of His sovereignty and deliver Israel from bondage.