Exodus 5:22
Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Moses isn't just complaining here; he's wrestling with God over the apparent contradiction between God's promises and the harsh reality. His question "Why have you sent me?" reveals his deep discouragement, not just at Pharaoh's cruelty, but at the unexpected negative consequences of his divine mission.
After Moses and Aaron deliver God's message to Pharaoh, he immediately increases the Israelites' workload, refusing to provide straw for their bricks. The Israelite officers are blamed for this harsher treatment and confront Moses and Aaron, who are deeply distressed that their mission has worsened the people's suffering. Moses then turns to the Lord, questioning why God has afflicted His people and sent him, only to see their situation become worse.
Ever felt like God's plan made things worse? Moses certainly did. He looked at the escalating suffering of his people and cried out, 'Why have you done evil to this people?'
A Crisis of Faith
Moses, fresh off a confrontational meeting with Pharaoh, is reeling. His bold demand for Israel's release has backfired spectacularly. Pharaoh hasn't backed down; instead, he's intensified the burden on the Israelites, making their lives even more miserable.
Moses's Painful Question:
This moment reveals a crucial truth: our understanding of God's work is often limited by our immediate circumstances. Moses couldn't see the long game, only the immediate, devastating consequences.
Moses felt like his mission had failed, only making things worse. But sometimes, God's 'deliverance' involves a painful process of agitation before the breakthrough.
God's Purpose in Suffering
When Moses confronts the Lord, he's seeing the immediate fallout: harsher labor, more despair. But the commentaries remind us that God often uses difficult circumstances for deeper purposes.
Understand the original words
ra' · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
In this context, an expression of extreme distress, calamity, or adversity. It refers to that which causes misery, suffering, or hardship, rather than moral wickedness in this specific usage.
'asah · Hebrew Verb
To bring about, accomplish, or execute. In the context of a divine-human dialogue, it reflects the human struggle to reconcile perceived divine inactivity or contrary outcomes with God’s promises.
shalach · Hebrew Verb
To set apart, commission, or send someone on a specific mission. It implies divine authority and the responsibility of the messenger to act on behalf of the sender.
Moses' raw complaint reveals the immense pressure and confusion experienced when God's promises seem contradicted by harsh realities, a struggle many face when divine timing and human suffering collide.
c. 1440 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
For generations, the Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt, their population growing despite harsh conditions imposed by the Egyptian rulers.
c. 1440 BC
Moses Commissioned by God
God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and commissioned him to return to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of bondage.
c. 1440 BC
Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh
Moses and his brother Aaron presented God's demand to Pharaoh to let His people go, but Pharaoh refused.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Pharaoh Increases Israelite Burdens
Enraged by Moses' demand, Pharaoh ordered his overseers to stop providing straw for bricks, forcing the Israelites to gather their own while still meeting the same production quota. This intensified their suffering.
Like Moses in Exodus, Job cries out to God in despair, questioning why he was born when he is facing immense suffering, reflecting a similar feeling of 'why me?' when things go terribly wrong.
Jeremiah 20:7-10Jeremiah expresses a profound sense of betrayal and frustration with God, lamenting his calling and questioning God's motives, echoing Moses' feelings of being sent into a situation that only brought more pain.
Psalms 74:1-11This psalm is a desperate plea to God, asking 'Why have you forsaken us?' and questioning God's power and presence during a time of severe affliction, much like Moses' cry when Israel's suffering intensified.
Romans 9:1-3Paul's intense anguish and desire to be cursed for the sake of his people reveals a deep, almost overwhelming empathy and distress over his people's spiritual condition, a relatable sentiment to Moses' own pain for Israel.
bensonExodus 5:22: "And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?"
Exodus 5:22 . Moses returned unto the Lord — And expostulated with him. He knew not how to reconcile the providence with the promise, and the commission he had received. Is this God’s coming down to deliver Israel? Must I, who hoped to be a blessing to them, become a scourge to them? By this attempt to get them out of the pit, they are but sunk th…
gillExodus 5:22: "And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?"
And Moses returned unto the Lord,.... Bishop Patrick thinks, that this not only intimates that the Lord had appeared to Moses since he came into Egypt, but that there was some settled place where he appeared, and where he might resort to him on all occasions, and therefore is said to return to him; though it may signify no more, than that, instead…
Moses isn't just complaining here; he's wrestling with God over the apparent contradiction between God's promises and the harsh reality. His question "Why have you sent me?" reveals his deep discouragement, not just at Pharaoh's cruelty, but at the unexpected negative consequences of his divine mission.
After Moses and Aaron deliver God's message to Pharaoh, he immediately increases the Israelites' workload, refusing to provide straw for their bricks. The Israelite officers are blamed for this harsher treatment and confront Moses and Aaron, who are deeply distressed that their mission has worsened the people's suffering. Moses then turns to the Lord, questioning why God has afflicted His people and sent him, only to see their situation become worse.
After Moses and Aaron deliver God's message to Pharaoh, he immediately increases the Israelites' workload, refusing to provide straw for their bricks. The Israelite officers are blamed for this harsher treatment and confront Moses and Aaron, who are deeply distressed that their mission has worsened the people's suffering. Moses then turns to the Lord, questioning why God has afflicted His people and sent him, only to see their situation become worse.
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 5:22 is available in the Sola app.
Moses's lament, though painful, was a necessary step. It was in wrestling with these hard questions that he (and Israel) would come to rely more fully on God's unfailing promise, not on their own circumstances.
Moses didn't hold back. He poured out his frustration, confusion, and even doubt directly to God. This wasn't irreverence; it was desperate, honest prayer.
The Openness of Our Prayers
Moses's dialogue with God is a powerful example of honest communication.
What We Can Learn:
God didn't rebuke Moses for his words. Instead, He continued to work with him, showing that our relationship with Him is one where we can bring our deepest struggles and seek His wisdom, even when we don't understand His ways.
c. 1440 BC
Israelite Officers Rebuke Moses and Aaron
The Israelite officers, seeing their people's worsened condition, confronted Moses and Aaron, blaming them for Pharaoh's increased cruelty.
c. 1440 BC
Moses Appeals to God
Overwhelmed by the Israelites' suffering and Pharaoh's hardened heart, Moses turned to God in prayer, questioning why his mission had led to such dire consequences.
"Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?" — Moses isn't just complaining here; he's wrestling with God over the apparent contradiction between God's promises and the harsh reality. His question "Why have you sent me?" reveals his deep discoura…
