Exodus 3:10 is God’s commission to Moses. God tells him that he is being sent to Pharaoh with one purpose: to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. The verse is spoken by the LORD directly to Moses, who is standing before the burning bush at Mount Horeb and has just heard that God has seen and heard the suffering of his people.
Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
Exodus 3:10 (WEB)
What Exodus 3:10 Means
The opening words, “Come now therefore,” signal a shift from observation to action. God has already described the oppression in the verses before it. Now he moves from compassion to plan, and the word “therefore” ties the sending of Moses directly to what God has just said about the people’s cries. Divine concern leads to a concrete step.
“I will send you” makes clear that God chooses the messenger and the method. Moses does not volunteer for this job. He is given it. The phrase “to Pharaoh” names the obstacle, the most powerful ruler in the region, and “that you may bring my people” states the goal. The people belong to God, and God intends to lead them out.
The verse is a commission, not a guarantee of an easy outcome. It does not promise that Pharaoh will agree, that the journey will be short, or that Moses will feel ready. What it promises is that God is acting on behalf of his people and that Moses is the one through whom that action will come.
The Context of Exodus 3:10
Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, traditionally attributed to Moses. It tells how the descendants of Jacob grew into a nation in Egypt, were enslaved, and were delivered by God through Moses. Its first audience was the Israelite community, who needed to understand where they had come from and who their God was.
The verses just before this one describe God’s watchfulness: he has seen the affliction and heard the cry. The verses that follow show Moses hesitating and asking, “Who am I?” Read in that setting, verse 10 is God’s answer to the people’s suffering and also the start of a conversation in which Moses must come to terms with being chosen.
Key Phrases in Exodus 3:10
Exodus 3:12
He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
(WEB)
In the very next verse God answers Moses’ hesitation with the promise, “Certainly I will be with you.” Reading verse 12 alongside verse 10 shows that the commission and the presence of God belong together. The task is given, and the one who gives it also promises to go along.
Psalm 106:44
Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry.
(WEB)
This psalm looks back on Israel’s history and recalls that the LORD heard their cry and remembered his covenant. It echoes the theme of God hearing the suffering of his people, which is the reason he sends Moses in Exodus 3:10. The psalm shows how later generations understood that rescue as God’s faithful response to his people’s cry.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 3:10
Lord, you have seen the hardship of your people and you have heard their cries. When you call me to a task that feels bigger than I am, help me to hear your voice clearly and to trust that you are sending me, not leaving me alone. Give me courage to take the next step, and remind me that your presence goes with me. Where I feel unqualified, let me rest in the fact that you have chosen to work through people like me. Thank you for caring about the burdens of those around me. Amen.
