Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
God doesn't just send Moses to confront Pharaoh; He promises to go with him. This isn't about Moses' own strength or ability, but about God's power and presence being the force that actually brings about Israel's liberation.
Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush and reassures him, He commissions Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. This marks a pivotal moment where God directly intervenes in history to fulfill His promises, preparing Moses for the monumental task ahead, despite Moses' initial doubts.
God doesn't just command Moses; He invites him. This subtle shift reveals God's heart and the nature of His calling.
The verse begins with "Come now therefore..." This isn't a harsh command but an invitation to join God in His work. God initiates the conversation and the mission. He doesn't just send Moses; He calls him to 'come.' This highlights God's desire for partnership, even with reluctant participants. He equips Moses with the mission, but he also invites Moses to step into it. This mirrors how God calls us—not by force, but by inviting us into His grander plan.
God refers to Israel as 'my people.' What does this profound declaration reveal about His heart and His intentions?
God's description of Israel as 'my people' is incredibly significant. It underscores His deep, personal ownership and covenantal commitment to them, despite their sin and suffering. This isn't just a generic group of people; they are His. This possessive pronoun signifies His love, His faithfulness, and His unshakeable purpose for them. It's the foundation of His mission to rescue them. He is not intervening out of mere pity, but out of covenantal relationship. This same divine ownership is extended to believers today, calling us 'His people' through Christ.
Moses, the humble shepherd, is called to confront the most powerful ruler on earth. How does God prepare and empower the unlikely?
Moses had spent 40 years as a shepherd in the wilderness. He was far from courtly life and political power. Yet, God calls him to face Pharaoh, the symbol of absolute authority and oppression. This contrast highlights God's method: He often chooses the seemingly weak and unqualified to demonstrate His own power. Moses' reluctance (detailed in the surrounding verses) is met with God's promise, 'I will be with you' (Exodus 3:12). God doesn't transform Moses into a king before sending him; He sends him a shepherd, but empowers him with His presence and authority to achieve what no human power could.
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Understand the original words
Paroh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The supreme ruler of Egypt, often depicted as a symbol of worldly power and hostility toward God and His people.
shalach · Hebrew Verb
The act of choosing and commissioning an individual to go on behalf of another to fulfill a specific divine mission or task.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Israelite Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, after centuries of slavery in Egypt, are led by Moses to freedom. This event is foundational to their identity and faith.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
Following their escape from Egypt, God gives the Ten Commandments and the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, establishing a covenant with Israel.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites enter and begin the conquest of the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.
Similar to Moses, Isaiah questions his own inadequacy when called by God, receiving assurance that God will be with him and empower him for the task.
Jeremiah 1:6-8Jeremiah expresses his youth and inability to speak, mirroring Moses' hesitation, but God promises to be with him and deliver him from fear.
John 1:43-45Jesus calls Philip, who then finds Nathanael and tells him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph,' linking Moses' mission to the coming of Christ.
Matthew 11:28This verse speaks of Jesus inviting the weary and burdened to come to Him, echoing God's desire to deliver His people from their heavy burdens in Egypt.
Romans 8:31The Apostle Paul asks, 'If God is for us, who can be against us?', which resonates with the divine promise of presence and power given to Moses as he faces Pharaoh.
bensonExodus 3:10: "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."
Exodus 3:10 . I will send thee — And the same hand that now fetched a shepherd out of a desert to be the planter of the Jewish Church, afterward fetched fishermen from their ships to be the planters of the Christian Church, that the excellency of the power might be of God.
calvinExodus 3:10-14: "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Et ait Moses ad Deum, Ecce ubi ego venero ad filios Israel, et dixero eis, Deus patrum vestrorum misit me ad vos: tunc si d…
God doesn't just send Moses to confront Pharaoh; He promises to go with him. This isn't about Moses' own strength or ability, but about God's power and presence being the force that actually brings about Israel's liberation.
After God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush and reassures him, He commissions Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. This marks a pivotal moment where God directly intervenes in history to fulfill His promises, preparing Moses for the monumental task ahead, despite Moses' initial doubts.
After God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush and reassures him, He commissions Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. This marks a pivotal moment where God directly intervenes in history to fulfill His promises, preparing Moses for the monumental task ahead, despite Moses' initial doubts.
"Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”" — God doesn't just send Moses to confront Pharaoh; He promises to go with him. This isn't about Moses' own strength or ability, but about God's power and presence being the force that actually brings…
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Last reviewed October 2026