But Moses asked God
This phrase introduces a pivotal moment of dialogue between Moses and God. The Hebrew root for "asked" is "אָמַר" (amar), which can also mean "said" or "spoke." This indicates a direct and personal communication with God, highlighting the intimate relationship Moses had with the Divine. Historically, this moment occurs at the burning bush, a significant theophany where God reveals Himself to Moses. It underscores the humility and humanity of Moses, who, despite his past as a prince of Egypt, approaches God with questions and concerns.

Who am I
Moses' question "Who am I" reflects a deep sense of inadequacy and humility. The Hebrew phrase "מִי אָנֹכִי" (mi anochi) suggests a self-reflective inquiry into his own identity and worthiness. This is a common theme in Scripture, where God often chooses the seemingly unqualified to fulfill His purposes, emphasizing that it is God's power, not human ability, that accomplishes His will. Moses' question resonates with believers who may feel unworthy of God's calling, reminding them that God equips those He calls.

that I should go to Pharaoh
The mention of "Pharaoh" places this narrative within a specific historical and political context. Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt, considered a god by his people, and the most powerful man in the known world at that time. Moses' hesitation to confront Pharaoh highlights the enormity of the task and the danger involved. It also sets the stage for the demonstration of God's power over earthly authorities, a recurring theme in the Bible where God uses His chosen servants to challenge and overcome worldly powers.

and bring the Israelites out of Egypt
This phrase encapsulates the mission God is entrusting to Moses: the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. The Hebrew word for "bring" is "יָצָא" (yatsa), meaning to lead out or deliver. This mission is not just a physical relocation but a spiritual and covenantal act, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The "Israelites" are God's chosen people, and their deliverance from "Egypt," a symbol of bondage and sin, foreshadows the ultimate deliverance through Christ. This phrase inspires believers to trust in God's promises and His power to deliver them from their own "Egypts" of sin and oppression.

1. Moses
A Hebrew by birth, raised in Pharaoh's palace, and later a shepherd in Midian. He is chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.

2. God
The Almighty, who appears to Moses in the form of a burning bush, commissioning him for the task of liberating the Israelites.

3. Pharaoh
The ruler of Egypt, representing the oppressive force keeping the Israelites in slavery.

4. Israelites
The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are enslaved in Egypt and crying out for deliverance.

5. Egypt
The land where the Israelites are enslaved, representing a place of bondage and oppression.Recognizing Our Limitations
Moses' question, "Who am I?" reflects a humble recognition of his own limitations. As believers, acknowledging our weaknesses is the first step toward relying on God's strength.

God's Call and Our Inadequacy
God often calls us to tasks that seem beyond our capabilities. Like Moses, we may feel inadequate, but God equips those He calls.

Divine Assurance
God's response to Moses is not about Moses' ability but about God's presence. Our confidence should rest in God's promise to be with us.

Faith Over Fear
Moses' initial fear and doubt are common human reactions. Faith involves trusting God's plan and His ability to work through us despite our fears.

Purpose in God's Plan
Each believer has a role in God's redemptive plan. Understanding our identity in Christ helps us embrace our God-given purpose.(11) Who am I, that I should go?--The men most fit for great missions are apt to deem themselves unfit. When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, his reply was, "O Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child" ( Jeremiah 1:6). St. Ambrose fought hard to escape being made Archbishop of Milan. Augustine was loth to undertake the mission to England. Anselm was with difficulty persuaded to accept the headship of our Church in the evil days of Rufus. The first impression of a fit man selected for a high post generally is, "Who am I?" In Moses's case, though there were some manifest grounds of fitness--e.g., his Egyptian training and learning, his familiarity with the court. his knowledge of both nations and both languages--yet, on the other hand, there were certain very marked (apparent) disqualifications. Forty years of exile, and of a shepherd's life had at once unfitted him for dealing with a court, and made him a stranger to his brethren. Want of eloquence seemed to be a fatal defect in one who must work mainly by persuasion. Even his age (eighty) might well have seemed to him unsuitable.

Verse 11. - And Moses said... Who am I, that I should go, etc. A great change had come over Moses. Forty years earlier he had been forward to offer himself as a "deliverer." He "went out" to his brethren and slew one of their oppressors, and "supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them" (Acts 7:25). "But they understood not" (ibid.) They declined to accept him for leader, they reproached him with setting himself up to be "a ruler and a judge" over them. And now, taught by this lesson, and sobered by forty years of inaction, he has become timid and distrustful of himself, and shrinks from putting himself forward. Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh? What weight can I, a foreigner, forty years an exile, with the manners of a rough shepherd, expect to have with the mighty monarch of all Egypt - the son of Rameses the Great, the inheritor of his power and his glories? And again, Who am I, that I should bring forth the children of Israel? What weight can I expect to have with my countrymen, who will have forgotten me - whom, moreover, I could not influence when I was,in my full vigour - who then "refused" my guidance and forced me to quit them? True diffidence speaks in the words used - there is no ring of insincerity in them; Moses was now as distrustful of himself as in former days he had been confident, and when he had become fit to be a deliverer, ceased to think himself fit.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

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

God,
הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

“Who
מִ֣י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

am I,
אָנֹ֔כִי (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

that
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I should go
אֵלֵ֖ךְ (’ê·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

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

Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֑ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

and
וְכִ֥י (wə·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

bring the Israelites
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

out
אוֹצִ֛יא (’ō·w·ṣî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

of Egypt?”
מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (mim·miṣ·rā·yim)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa


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OT Law: Exodus 3:11 Moses said to God Who am (Exo. Ex)