Exodus 2:14-15
He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss is how deeply Moses's impulsive act of justice had already backfired. The Israelite, instead of seeing Moses as a rescuer, immediately challenges his authority, revealing how unready his own people were to accept his leadership. This rejection, coupled with the fear that his violent deed was now public knowledge, forces Moses to flee, highlighting how even divinely inspired actions can falter when met with human resistance and fear.
Fresh from striking down an Egyptian oppressor, Moses tries to mediate a dispute between two Hebrew men, only to be sharply rebuked by one of them. This man accuses Moses of trying to lord over them and even threatens him, asking if he intends to kill him as he did the Egyptian. Moses, realizing his act of violence is now known, is struck with fear and decides he must flee Egypt to save his life.
Moses stepped in to defend an enslaved person, a seemingly righteous act. But the response he received was anything but grateful.
An Act of Justice Meets a Bitter Question
Moses, moved by compassion and a sense of justice, intervened when he saw an Egyptian striking an Israelite. He acted decisively, even killing the oppressor.
Later, when he tried to mediate a dispute between two Israelites, one of them turned on him with a stinging rebuke: “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
This response reveals a few things:
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After the harsh words and the accusation, fear gripped Moses. But what did that fear lead him to think?
The Dawn of Doubt and the Need for Escape
When the Israelite questioned him so aggressively, "Then Moses was afraid, and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’"
This moment is crucial for understanding Moses' inner state:
This fear is not the opposite of faith, but a human response that can coexist with it. The key is how one responds to that fear.
Understand the original words
sar · Hebrew Noun
A title indicating a leader, ruler, or one who exercises authority; often implies someone set apart for governance, administration, or advocacy.
shaphat · Hebrew Noun/Verb
One who discerns truth and renders verdicts; in a biblical context, it implies the authority to arbitrate disputes and enforce justice according to God’s law.
yare · Hebrew Verb
A reaction to perceived danger or the consequences of one's actions; while it can be sinful, it is also a natural human response to looming judgment or life-threatening circumstances.
Paroh · Hebrew Noun
The monarch of Egypt, representing worldly power, pride, and opposition to the redemptive purposes of God for His people.
be’er · Hebrew Noun
A place of refuge and water in the wilderness, often serving as a site for divine encounter, marriage, and significant life transitions in the biblical narrative.
This verse captures a pivotal moment where Moses, acting with righteous zeal but without divine authority, is confronted by his own people's resistance and his own fear, forcing him into a forty-year exile that would ultimately prepare him for his true calling.
c. 1350-1300 BC
Israelites' Enslavement Intensifies
After a period of prosperity, the Israelites' population grew so large that the new Egyptian rulers felt threatened, leading to their enslavement and harsh labor.
c. 1300-1250 BC
Moses Raised in Pharaoh's Household
Found floating on the Nile and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, receiving the best education available.
c. 1280 BC— this verse
Moses Kills an Egyptian Taskmaster
Moses, now grown, sees an Egyptian beating an Israelite slave and, in a moment of passionate justice, kills the Egyptian and hides the body.
c. 1280 BC
Moses Confronts Two Hebrews Arguing
The next day, Moses finds two Israelite men fighting. When he tries to intervene and correct the aggressor, he is met with defiance and fear.
c. 1280 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
Terrified that his killing of the Egyptian is now widely known and fearing Pharaoh's wrath, Moses escapes Egypt and settles in Midian.
c. 1240 BC
Moses Becomes a Shepherd
Moses spends forty years as a shepherd in Midian, a period of humble service and preparation for his future leadership.
Stephen recounts this very event, highlighting that Moses acted because he 'supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand,' setting the stage for Moses' later fear and flight.
Hebrews 11:24-26This passage frames Moses' actions not as a rash act of violence, but as a choice of faith, where he 'refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin,' giving spiritual depth to his motivations.
Galatians 5:22-23While Moses acted in anger, the very fact that he was moved to defend the oppressed points to a potential for the fruit of the Spirit like 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control' which he would later develop through his trials.
Psalm 106:7-8This Psalm reflects on Israel's repeated unfaithfulness, noting how they 'contemptuously regarded the land, not believing his promise' even after God's mighty acts, which resonates with the ingratitude and lack of understanding Moses experienced from his own people in this moment.
clarkeExodus 2:14: "And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known."
And Moses feared - He saw that the Israelites were not as yet prepared to leave their bondage; and that though God had called him to be their leader, yet his providence had not yet sufficiently opened the way; and had he stayed in Egypt he must have endangered his life. Prudence therefore dictated an escape for…
calvinExodus 2:11-15: "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren."
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Pharao etiam audito hoc sermone, quaerebat interficere Mosen. Et fugiens Moses a facie Pharaonis mansit in Madian, seditque…
What's easy to miss is how deeply Moses's impulsive act of justice had already backfired. The Israelite, instead of seeing Moses as a rescuer, immediately challenges his authority, revealing how unready his own people were to accept his leadership. This rejection, coupled with the fear that his violent deed was now public knowledge, forces Moses to flee, highlighting how even divinely inspired actions can falter when met with human resistance and fear.
Fresh from striking down an Egyptian oppressor, Moses tries to mediate a dispute between two Hebrew men, only to be sharply rebuked by one of them. This man accuses Moses of trying to lord over them and even threatens him, asking if he intends to kill him as he did the Egyptian. Moses, realizing his act of violence is now known, is struck with fear and decides he must flee Egypt to save his life.
Fresh from striking down an Egyptian oppressor, Moses tries to mediate a dispute between two Hebrew men, only to be sharply rebuked by one of them. This man accuses Moses of trying to lord over them and even threatens him, asking if he intends to kill him as he did the Egyptian. Moses, realizing his act of violence is now known, is struck with fear and decides he must flee Egypt to save his life.
"He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled…" — What's easy to miss is how deeply Moses's impulsive act of justice had already backfired. The Israelite, instead of seeing Moses as a rescuer, immediately challenges his authority, revealing how unre…
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