Exodus 5:22-23
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Moses' question, "Why have you sent me?" reveals a subtle but crucial point: he feels responsible for the suffering that resulted from his mission, not just its lack of success. He's not just questioning God's plan; he's grappling with the unintended, painful consequences of acting on God's behalf.
Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites, Pharaoh responded by increasing their workload and denying them the straw needed to make bricks. The Israelite officers, seeing their people's plight worsen, directly blamed Moses and Aaron. In response to this despair and the harsh reality, Moses turned from the people to God, questioning why his mission had led to such increased suffering.
Ever felt like you're making things worse when you're trying to help? Moses did, and it broke his heart.
Moses, as the appointed deliverer, carried the burden of his people's suffering. When Pharaoh's harsh response led to increased oppression, Moses didn't lash out at the Israelites or the Egyptians. Instead, he turned to the One who sent him.
This shows the profound weight of leadership. Those called to lead, whether in a spiritual, familial, or community role, often bear the brunt of the consequences when efforts fall short or even backfire. Moses’ immediate recourse was to God, highlighting that even leaders need divine counsel and strength in moments of intense pressure and apparent failure.
Moses didn't hold back. He leveled some serious questions at God. What can we learn from this raw honesty?
Moses’ prayer is strikingly direct: “Why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?” He’s not just asking 'what happened?' but 'why did YOU, God, allow this?' This isn't a sign of weak faith, but of deep intimacy and trust. Moses wrestled with the apparent contradiction between God’s promises of deliverance and the current reality of increased suffering.
This teaches us that our prayers can be honest and even questioning. We don't need to pretend everything is okay when it's not. God invites us to bring our confusion, our pain, and our sharpest questions directly to Him. The key is that Moses brings these questions to God, not against Him, trusting that God can handle his anguish and ultimately work for good.
Ask a follow-up
Why would God allow suffering to worsen? Moses felt the sting of this, but the commentators point to deeper purposes.
The commentaries highlight that God’s actions, even when they appear harsh, serve purposes beyond immediate relief. For Israel, the intensified suffering served to:
Moses, in his grief, couldn't see these reasons. His prayer reflects the human struggle to understand God’s timing and methods when pain seems to increase. Yet, the broader biblical narrative reveals that God works through trials to achieve His redemptive purposes, often in ways we can only understand in hindsight.
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.
shem · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the act of speaking with the authority of another. To speak in God's name is to act as His representative or prophet, invoking His power and character in the situation.
natsal · Hebrew Verb
To rescue, save, or set free from danger, oppression, or bondage. It is the foundational concept of God’s redemptive work, emphasizing His role as the Deliverer of His people.
Moses' lament reveals the painful gap between God's promises and the immediate, harsh reality. It highlights how even those called by God can struggle when His plans unfold through intense suffering and apparent setbacks, prompting honest, wrestling prayer.
c. 1500-1300 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
For generations, the Israelites lived in Egypt, growing in number but becoming enslaved under harsh Egyptian rule. Their cries for relief had not yet reached God's ears.
c. 1440 BC
Moses' Call at the Burning Bush
God appeared to Moses, revealing His plan to rescue the Israelites from bondage and commissioning Moses to confront Pharaoh.
c. 1440 BC
First Confrontation with Pharaoh
Moses and Aaron delivered God's message: 'Let my people go.' Pharaoh responded by intensifying the Israelites' labor, demanding they produce the same number of bricks without straw.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Israelite Officers Confront Moses and Aaron
Enraged by the increased hardship, the Israelite officers confronted Moses and Aaron, blaming them for worsening their already desperate situation.
c. 1440 BC
Moses Cries Out to God
Overwhelmed by the Israelites' suffering and the Pharaoh's cruelty, Moses turned to God in anguish, questioning why his mission had led to greater misery.
Like Moses, Job questions the day of his birth and expresses deep anguish when facing overwhelming suffering, highlighting a universal human struggle with seemingly unanswered prayers and divine silence.
Jeremiah 20:7Jeremiah echoes Moses' lament, crying out to God that He has deceived him and that his prophetic calling has brought only disaster, revealing a recurring theme of divine commission leading to personal suffering and doubt.
Romans 8:22This passage speaks of all creation groaning in anticipation of redemption, paralleling the Israelites' suffering and Moses' cry, showing that even in times of distress, there's a divine purpose and a future hope.
Hebrews 12:3The author of Hebrews reminds readers to consider Jesus, who endured such opposition from sinners, placing Moses' complaint in the larger context of faithfully facing opposition and suffering for a divine purpose.
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' question, "Why have you sent me?" reveals a subtle but crucial point: he feels responsible for the suffering that resulted from his mission, not just its lack of success. He's not just questioning God's plan; he's grappling with the unintended, painful consequences of acting on God's behalf.
After Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites, Pharaoh responded by increasing their workload and denying them the straw needed to make bricks. The Israelite officers, seeing their people's plight worsen, directly blamed Moses and Aaron. In response to this despair and the harsh reality, Moses turned from the people to God, questioning why his mission had led to such increased suffering.
After Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites, Pharaoh responded by increasing their workload and denying them the straw needed to make bricks. The Israelite officers, seeing their people's plight worsen, directly blamed Moses and Aaron. In response to this despair and the harsh reality, Moses turned from the people to God, questioning why his mission had led to such increased suffering.
"Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at…" — Moses' question, "Why have you sent me?" reveals a subtle but crucial point: he feels responsible for the suffering that resulted from his mission, not just its lack of success. He's not just quest…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
