Exodus 2:23-25
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The text doesn't just say the Israelites cried out; it emphasizes that their groaning and their cry specifically arose because of the bondage. This suggests that their suffering was so immense, and so persistent despite changes in leadership, that it finally broke through their despair and compelled them to actively cry out for rescue.
After decades of brutal slavery and the near-death of Moses, the Egyptian king dies, and the Israelites continue to suffer under new rulers. Their condition doesn't improve, and their relentless hardship finally drives them to cry out to God, setting the stage for divine intervention and the promise of deliverance. This deep despair and desperate plea are what God hears, remembering His covenant promises to their ancestors.
A king dies, a natural time for hope, right? Yet for Israel, it meant only more of the same, or even worse. What does this say about truly entrenched suffering?
The death of a tyrannical king didn't bring the Israelites relief. Instead, their situation either stayed the same or worsened under his successor. This highlights that the oppression wasn't just about one cruel individual; it was a systemic issue. Their sighs and cries weren't just about a bad ruler, but about the deep, grinding reality of their bondage.
Systemic Suffering
The text emphasizes "bondage" – a state of being enslaved. When one oppressor dies, the system remains. The new king, or kings, continued the exploitation, focused on the labor of the Israelites. This shows how deeply ingrained their suffering was, making any hope for change through mere political shifts futile.
Israel’s cry finally reached God. But it wasn't a perfectly formed prayer; it was a desperate sound born from deep suffering. What does God hear in our deepest groans?
This verse marks a pivotal moment: Israel's groaning and crying "came up to God." This wasn't necessarily a planned, eloquent prayer, but a raw, desperate expression of pain and helplessness under severe oppression.
The Sound of Despair to the Ear of Faith
Commentators note that this cry signifies a turning point – perhaps moving from simply being angry at their oppressors to acknowledging their need for divine intervention. Even when people haven't fully turned back to God or understand His ways, their deep suffering can ascend to Him. He hears not just the words, but the agony and the underlying plea for rescue. The phrase "came up to God" suggests that God noticed and took their suffering seriously, preparing to act.
Understand the original words
berit · Hebrew Noun
The formal, legally binding promise or commitment between God and His people, established by His grace. It involves divine obligations and blessings, and it is unbreakable because it is rooted in God’s faithfulness.
ze'aqah · Hebrew Noun
The act of calling out to God in distress, often expressing deep suffering, oppression, or helplessness. It serves as a plea for divine intervention and mercy, signaling that the sufferer looks to God as their only hope.
zakar · Hebrew Verb
To recall or bring to mind with the implication of taking decisive action. When God "remembers" in the Bible, it signifies that He is ready to act in accordance with His promises and fulfill His commitments to His people.
abodah · Hebrew Noun
The death of one Pharaoh did not bring relief, as his successor intensified the oppression. This unbroken cycle of suffering, lasting for many years (likely around 40 years after Moses fled), finally drove the Israelites to a deeper, more desperate cry to God, prompting His intervention.
c. 1446 BC
Moses Flees Egypt
After killing an Egyptian taskmaster, Moses, about 40 years old, flees Egypt and settles in Midian. This marks the beginning of a long period of waiting and oppression.
c. 1446 BC - c. 1406 BC
Moses in Midian
Moses lives in Midian for 40 years, marrying Zipporah and becoming a shepherd. During this time, Israel's suffering intensifies, with no apparent end in sight.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Pharaoh Dies, Oppression Continues
The reigning Pharaoh, who likely initiated or intensified Israel's harsh slavery and possibly ordered the killing of Israelite male infants, dies. His successor, however, continues the brutal oppression, leading the Israelites to cry out in despair.
c. 1406 BC
Israel Cries Out to God
The Israelites, feeling the unchanging weight of their bondage even after the king's death, groan and cry out to God for deliverance. This desperate cry is heard by God.
This passage echoes the situation in Exodus, where the Israelites suffered under oppression (this time by Jabin king of Canaan) and cried out to God for help before deliverance came.
Psalm 106:44-45This psalm directly references God 'looking upon' the Israelites in their distress and hearing their cries, much like in Exodus 2:23-25, highlighting God's remembrance of His covenant in response to their pleas.
Luke 18:7Jesus tells a parable about a persistent widow crying out to a judge, illustrating that God 'will give justice to his chosen, and they cry out to him day and night' - a profound parallel to the Israelites' cries finally reaching God after a long period of suffering.
Acts 7:34Stephen's speech recounts the story of Israel's suffering in Egypt, explicitly mentioning that God 'has seen the affliction of my people... and I have come down to deliver them,' directly linking the cries of the people to God's intervention as detailed in Exodus.
bensonExodus 2:23: "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage."
Exodus 2:23 . The king of Egypt died — And, after him, one or two more of his sons or successors. And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage — Probably the murdering of their infants did not continue; that part of their affliction only attended the birth of Moses, t…
calvinExodus 2:23-25: "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage."
And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried; and their cry came up unto God, by reason of the bondage.
Accidit autem diebus illis multis, mortuus est rex Aegypti: et susp…
The text doesn't just say the Israelites cried out; it emphasizes that their groaning and their cry specifically arose because of the bondage. This suggests that their suffering was so immense, and so persistent despite changes in leadership, that it finally broke through their despair and compelled them to actively cry out for rescue.
After decades of brutal slavery and the near-death of Moses, the Egyptian king dies, and the Israelites continue to suffer under new rulers. Their condition doesn't improve, and their relentless hardship finally drives them to cry out to God, setting the stage for divine intervention and the promise of deliverance. This deep despair and desperate plea are what God hears, remembering His covenant promises to their ancestors.
After decades of brutal slavery and the near-death of Moses, the Egyptian king dies, and the Israelites continue to suffer under new rulers. Their condition doesn't improve, and their relentless hardship finally drives them to cry out to God, setting the stage for divine intervention and the promise of deliverance. This deep despair and desperate plea are what God hears, remembering His covenant promises to their ancestors.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Exodus 2:23-25 is available in the Sola app.
A state of forced labor and subjugation, often serving as a metaphor for spiritual bondage to sin or powers opposed to God. It highlights the desperate need for a deliverer to set the captive free.
anachah · Hebrew Noun
A deep, inward expression of anguish or pain, often silent or muffled, resulting from physical or spiritual oppression. In the context of the people of Israel, it represents the collective suffering that catches God's attention.
yada' · Hebrew Verb
In a theological sense, this denotes not just intellectual awareness, but an intimate, relational, and compassionate concern. When God "knows," He acknowledges His people's plight and is personally moved to enter into their situation.
c. 1406 BC
God Remembers His Covenant
Responding to Israel's cries, God remembers His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, turning His attention to their suffering and preparing to act.
c. 1406 BC
God Appears to Moses
God appears to Moses at the burning bush, commissioning him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery, marking the beginning of the Exodus.
"During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenan…" — The text doesn't just say the Israelites cried out; it emphasizes that their groaning and their cry specifically arose because of the bondage. This suggests that their suffering was so immense,…
