Exodus 5:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When he complied with the call to travel to Egypt, leaving behind his wife and children, he faced renewed scorn, ridicule, and threats from the reigning Pharaoh along with grievances and curses from those who had received his kindness. It is stated, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, disturb the people from their labor? Go to your work” (Ex. 5:4). The Israelites lamented, “May the Lord see and judge you, for you have made us loathsome in the eyes of Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hands to kill us.” This was a heavy sorrow; the deepest anguish came from the fact that the one who arrived promising the Jews numerous blessings, freedom, and deliverance from their hardships was seen as a fraud.

In the beginning, when the Divine law prompts the human heart to turn away from disgraceful actions, an intense yearning emerges, drawing us back to them while simultaneously refraining from inciting us to blame the Lawgiver. This dynamic is illustrated by the foremen of the Israelites, who were burdened by their tasks and found themselves unable to fulfill them due to a lack of straw. They vehemently reproached Moses and Aaron, claiming that these leaders had caused the troubles they endured, suffering increased oppression solely because a longing for liberation had ignited within them, stirred by the words of Moses and Aaron.

Palladius. Do you not agree that their words hold truth?

The scribes observed the children of Israel amidst the wrongdoing and, in the presence of Moses, voiced their grievances to the Lord concerning Moses and his companions.

Why does the ancient adversary, upon departing from an individual he has possessed, cause such a violent commotion, whereas during his possession, he did not? This may be due to the fact that when he is expelled from the heart, he tends to incite even more intense temptations than he initially did when he had taken refuge within, seemingly at peace. This is reflected in the words of the Israelites to Moses and Aaron: “Let God see and judge you, how your spirit hath fire before Pharaoh, and before his servants, to put the sword in his hand, to slay us.” In Moses and Aaron, we glimpse the foreshadowing of the Law and the Prophets. Frequently, a spirit, weak in itself, mutters against the divine commands. As it begins to heed heavenly truths and follow them, the severity of the oppression from the King of Egypt, or the temptation from the malevolent spirit, intensifies.

This experience likely constituted the most profound moral challenge that Moses faced throughout his life. In the desert, amidst the anger and disbelief of the people, he witnessed God's wrath addressing wrongdoing, yet he was already invigorated in spirit, bolstered by the many miracles wrought for the deliverance of Israel. At this point, he had begun to be recognized by the Israelites. However, at the outset of his mission, prior to the onset of the plagues in Egypt, the criticism directed at him by the taskmasters—seen perhaps from a limited human perspective as justified due to the peril facing the leaders of the community—pierced his heart. Consequently, his fear, uncertainty, and even murmuring became evident.