Exodus 5:22
New International Version
Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me?

New Living Translation
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?

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?

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?

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
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 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?

NASB 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?

NASB 1977
Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why hast Thou brought harm to this people? Why didst Thou ever send 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?

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!]

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?

Holman 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?

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?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Moshe returned to LORD JEHOVAH and said, “My Lord, why have you done evil to this people and why have you sent me?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? and wherefore hast thou sent 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?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? 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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses went back to the LORD and asked, "Why have you brought this trouble on your people? Why did you send me?

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?

International Standard Version
So Moses returned to the LORD and asked him, "LORD, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here?

JPS Tanakh 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?

Literal Standard Version
And Moses turns back to YHWH and says, “Lord, why have You done evil to this people? Why [is] this [that] You have sent me?

Majority 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?

New American Bible
Then Moses again had recourse to the LORD and said, “LORD, why have you treated this people badly? And why did you send me?

NET Bible
Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why did you ever send me?

New Revised Standard Version
Then Moses turned again to the LORD and said, “O LORD, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me?

New Heart English Bible
Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on 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?

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!

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Cry of the Israelites
21“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!” 22So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? 23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”…

Cross References
Numbers 11:11
So Moses asked the LORD, "Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant? Why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid upon me the burden of all these people?

Jeremiah 4:10
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'You will have peace,' while a sword is at our throats."


Treasury of Scripture

And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, LORD, why have you so evil entreated this people? why is it that you have sent me?

returned

Exodus 17:4
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

1 Samuel 30:6
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Psalm 73:25
Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

why is it

Numbers 11:14,15
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me…

1 Kings 19:4,10
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers…

Jeremiah 20:7
O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

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Exodus 5
1. Pharaoh chides Moses and Aaron for their message.
6. He increases the Israelites' task.
16. He ignores their complaints.
19. They cry out to Moses and Aaron.
22. Moses complains to God.














(22) Moses returned unto the Lord.--He could find nothing to say to the officers. The course of events had as much disappointed him as it had them All that he could do was to complain to God, with a freedom which seems to us almost to border on irreverence, but which God excused in him, since it had its root in his tender love for his people. Moses might perhaps have borne with patience a mere negative result--the postponement of any open manifestation of the Divine power--but the thought that he had increased the burthens and aggravated the misery of his countrymen was more than he could bear without complaining

Verses 22, 23. - The two brothers made no reply to the words of the officers. Perhaps their hearts were too full for speech; perhaps they knew not what to say. Whatever faith they had, it did no doubt seem a hard thing that their interference, Divinely ordered as it was, should have produced as yet nothing but an aggravation of their misery to the Israelite people. They could not understand the course of the Divine action. God had warned them not to expect success at once (Exodus 3:19; Exodus 4:21); but he had said nothing of evil consequences following upon their first efforts. Thus we can well understand that the two brothers (and especially Moses, the more impetuous of them) were bitterly grieved and disappointed. They felt their cup of sorrow to be full - the reproaches of the officers made it overflow. Hence the bitterness of the complaint with which this chapter terminates, and which introduces the long series of precious promise, contained in the opening section of ch. 6. Verse 22. - Moses returned unto the Lord. We are not to understand that Moses had forsaken God and now "returned" to him but simply that in his trouble he had recourse to God, took his sorrow to the Throne of Grace, and poured it out before the Almighty A good example truly, and one which Christians in all their trials would do well to follow. Lord, wherefore, etc. The words, no doubt, are bold. They have been said to "approach to irreverence." But there are parallels to them, which have never been regarded as irreverent, in the Psalms: e.g. "O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? Why does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?" (Psalm 74:1) "How long wilt thou hide thyself? Where are thy former lovingkindnesses? Wherefore hast thou made all men for nought?" (Psalm 89:46-9), and the like. Kalisch seems right in saying that "the desponding complaint of Moses was not the result of disbelief or doubt, but the effort of a pious soul struggling after a deeper penetration into the mysteries of the Almighty."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Moses
מֹשֶׁ֛ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

returned
וַיָּ֧שָׁב (way·yā·šāḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and asked,
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר (way·yō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Lord,
אֲדֹנָ֗י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

why
לָמָ֤ה (lā·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have You brought trouble
הֲרֵעֹ֙תָה֙ (hă·rê·‘ō·ṯāh)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad

upon this
הַזֶּ֔ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

people?
לָעָ֣ם (lā·‘ām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

Is this
זֶּ֖ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

why
לָ֥מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

You sent me?
שְׁלַחְתָּֽנִי׃ (šə·laḥ·tā·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out


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OT Law: Exodus 5:22 Moses returned to Yahweh and said Lord (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 5:21
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