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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Exodus 5:22

Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, "Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Doubting;   Moses;   Murmuring;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Egypt;   Murmuring;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Exodus, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Pharaoh;   Prayer;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Moses;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe returned to the LORD, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?
King James Version
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?
Lexham English Bible
And Moses returned to Yahweh and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble to this people? Why ever did you send me?
New Century Version
Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, "Lord, why have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this why you sent me here?
New English Translation
Moses returned to the Lord , and said, "Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why did you ever send me?
Amplified Bible
Then Moses turned again to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have You brought harm and oppression to this people? Why did You ever send me? [I cannot understand Your purpose!]
New American Standard Bible
Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore Moses returned to the Lorde, and saide, Lorde, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou thus sent me?
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moses returned to Yahweh and said, "O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?
Contemporary English Version
Moses left them and prayed, "Our Lord , why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here?
Complete Jewish Bible
(Maftir) Moshe returned to Adonai and said, " Adonai , why have you treated this people so terribly? What has been the value of sending me?
Darby Translation
And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Lord, why hast thou done evil to this people? why now hast thou sent me?
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Moses prayed to the Lord and said, "Lord, why have you done this terrible thing to your people? Why did you send me here?
English Standard Version
Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?
George Lamsa Translation
And Moses returned to the LORD and said, O my LORD, Why hast thou caused this people to be ill-treated? And why didst thou send me here?
Good News Translation
Then Moses turned to the Lord again and said, "Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here?
Christian Standard Bible®
So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? And why did you ever send me?
Literal Translation
And Moses returned to Jehovah and said, Lord, why have You done evil to this people? Why then have You sent me?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Moses came agayne vnto the LORDE, and sayde: LORDE, wherfore dealest thou so euell wt this people? Wherfore hast thou sent me?
American Standard Version
And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
Bible in Basic English
And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moyses returned vnto the Lorde, and sayd: Lorde, wherfore hast thou so euyll intreated this people? And wherfore hast thou sent me?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said: 'Lord, wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that Thou hast sent me?
King James Version (1611)
And Moses returned vnto the Lord, and said, Lord, Wherefore hast thou so euill intreated this people? Why is it that thou hast sent me?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? and wherefore hast thou sent me?
English Revised Version
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
Berean Standard Bible
So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, "Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Moises turnede ayen to the Lord, and seide, Lord, whi hast thou turmentid this puple? why sentist thou me?
Young's Literal Translation
And Moses turneth back unto Jehovah, and saith, `Lord, why hast Thou done evil to this people? why [is] this? -- Thou hast sent me!
Update Bible Version
And Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, Lord, why have you dealt ill with this people? why is it that you have sent me?
Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, Lord, why hast thou [so] ill treated this people? why [is] it [that] thou hast sent me?
World English Bible
Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?
New King James Version
Exodus 3:1-4:17">[xr] So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?
New Life Bible
Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have You hurt these people? Why did you ever send me?
New Revised Standard
Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, "O Lord , why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Moses returned unto Yahweh and said, - O My Lord wherefore hast thou caused harm to this people? Wherefore now didst thou send me?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?
Revised Standard Version
Then Moses turned again to the LORD and said, "O LORD, why hast thou done evil to this people? Why didst thou ever send me?
THE MESSAGE
Moses went back to God and said, "My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me? From the moment I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, things have only gotten worse for this people. And rescue? Does this look like rescue to you?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?

Contextual Overview

15 So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. "Please don't treat your servants like this," they begged. 16 "We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand, ‘Make bricks!' We are being beaten, but it isn't our fault! Your own people are to blame!" 17 But Pharaoh shouted, "You're just lazy! Lazy! That's why you're saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord .' 18 Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks." 19 The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, "You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day." 20 As they left Pharaoh's court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. 21 The foremen said to them, "May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!" 22 Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, "Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

returned: Exodus 17:4, 1 Samuel 30:6, Psalms 73:25, Jeremiah 12:1

why is it: Numbers 11:14, Numbers 11:15, 1 Kings 19:4, 1 Kings 19:10, Jeremiah 20:7, Habakkuk 2:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:11 - wherefore Joshua 7:7 - wherefore Isaiah 26:18 - we have not 2 Corinthians 7:8 - though I did

Cross-References

Genesis 5:5
Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
Genesis 5:6
When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh.
Genesis 5:24
walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
Genesis 24:40
He responded, ‘The Lord , in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family.
Genesis 48:15
Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day,
Exodus 16:4
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Look, I'm going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.
Leviticus 26:12
I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.
Deuteronomy 5:33
Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 of staying to give an answer to the officers, which he might be at a loss to do, he went to God, to the throne of grace, by prayer, as he was wont to do in cases of difficulty:

and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? or afflicted them, and suffered them to be thus afflicted; which to ascribe to God was right, whatever were the means or instruments; for all afflictions are of him, and who has always wise reasons for what he does, as he now had; to try the faith and patience of his people; to make the Egyptians more odious to them, and so take them off from following their manners, customs, rites, and superstitions, and make them more desirous of departing from thence to the land of Canaan, nor seek a return to Egypt again; and that his vengeance on the Egyptians for such cruelty and inhumanity might appear the more just, and his power might be seen in the plagues he inflicted on them, and in the deliverance of his people when reduced to the utmost extremity:

why is it that thou hast sent me? he seems to wish he had never been sent, and could be glad to be recalled, something of the same disposition still remaining in him as when first called; since no end was answered by his mission, no deliverance wrought, yea, the people were more afflicted and oppressed than before; and therefore he was at a loss how to account for it that he should be sent at all, seeing nothing came of it to the good of the people.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 5:22. And Moses returned unto the Lord — This may imply, either that there was a particular place into which Moses ordinarily went to commune with Jehovah; or it may mean that kind of turning of heart and affection to God, which every pious mind feels itself disposed to practise in any time or place. The old adage will apply here: "A praying heart never lacks a praying place."

Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? — It is certain that in this address Moses uses great plainness of speech. Whether the offspring of a testy impatience and undue familiarity, or of strong faith which gave him more than ordinary access to the throne of his gracious Sovereign, it would be difficult to say. The latter appears to be the most probable, as we do not find, from the succeeding chapter, that God was displeased with his freedom; we may therefore suppose that it was kept within due bounds, and that the principles and motives were all pure and good. However, it should be noted, that such freedom of speech with the Most High should never be used but on very special occasions, and then only by his extraordinary messengers.


 
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