The confrontation between the leader of Egypt and the representatives of the Israelites reveals the classic reaction of a proud, forceful king. As a shrewd political leader who, according to Egyptian tradition, was considered a god himself, Pharaoh responds with a mix of governmental arrogance and religious defiance. He effectively dismantles the demand presented to him into two distinct rejections: dismissing the One who sent the message, and entirely rejecting the mission itself [מלבי״ם, קאסוטו].
When Pharaoh claims not to know God, commentators offer different perspectives on his meaning. One approach suggests a technical lack of familiarity. Pharaoh understood the general concept of deities but did not recognize this specific name [אבן עזרא, נתינה לגר]. He likely searched his royal records, which documented all the recognized gods of various nations and regions, and found no deity by this name holding any acknowledged power. Furthermore, he argued that this God had never revealed Himself directly to him, unlike other gods who supposedly communicated with foreign kings [רבנו בחיי].
Conversely, other perspectives view his response as profound philosophical heresy. In this light, Pharaoh completely denied the existence of a Creator, as well as His power and active involvement in the world [ספורנו, הכתב והקבלה, ביאור ישר]. Another understanding suggests Pharaoh believed only in a limited, natural force where the strong inherently rule the weak, making the enslavement of the Israelites perfectly natural. He refused to acknowledge a God who operates above the laws of nature and demands the release of slaves based on justice and morality [חומש קה״ת].
Beyond theology, Pharaoh's refusal is rooted in politics and possession. The Israelites are his slaves living in his land, and he sees absolutely no justification to surrender them for a god he does not know [רשב״ם, רש״ר הירש, בכור שור]. He emphasizes the sheer magnitude of the request. Even if he were familiar with this God, liberating an entire nation of slaves is such a dramatic step that there is no reason he would ever agree to it, neither as an imposed decree nor as a personal favor [אור החיים, העמק דבר, אלשיך]. His blind pride prevents him from even questioning the messengers to clarify whether they are asking for a complete liberation or merely a temporary three-day departure [רלב״ג, העמק דבר].
Ultimately, his stance is absolute: even if it were proven that this God truly exists and is the Master of the universe, he would still refuse to submit and would not release the people [ספורנו, הכתב והקבלה, אלשיך]. This arrogant defiance seals his fate. Because he dares to personally insult and dismiss God, God punishes him directly rather than through an intermediary [תורה תמימה]. The subsequent plagues upon Egypt are precisely designed to dismantle the very heresies he presents in this encounter. They strike him in progressive stages until he is forced to acknowledge God's existence, providence, and power, entirely retracting his initial claims [ביאור ישר]. In the end, despite his firm declaration that he would never let the people go, reality completely turns against him, and he is the one forced to physically take hold of the Israelites and drive them out of his land [הדר זקנים].