Exodus 2:14
And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
Original Language Analysis
מִ֣י
H4310
מִ֣י
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
2 of 20
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
שָֽׂמְךָ֞
Who made
H7760
שָֽׂמְךָ֞
Who made
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
3 of 20
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
לְאִ֨ישׁ
thee
H376
לְאִ֨ישׁ
thee
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
4 of 20
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
וְשֹׁפֵט֙
and a judge
H8199
וְשֹׁפֵט֙
and a judge
Strong's:
H8199
Word #:
6 of 20
to judge, i.e., pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literal
עָלֵ֔ינוּ
H5921
עָלֵ֔ינוּ
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
7 of 20
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
11 of 20
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
13 of 20
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
וַיִּירָ֤א
feared
H3372
וַיִּירָ֤א
feared
Strong's:
H3372
Word #:
15 of 20
to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten
Cross References
Luke 12:14And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?Matthew 21:23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?Proverbs 19:12The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.Genesis 19:9And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.Luke 19:14But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.Acts 7:35This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.Genesis 13:8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.Numbers 16:3And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?Numbers 16:13Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
Historical Context
The question "Who made thee a prince and judge?" anticipates Moses' later divine commission (3:10-12). What Moses attempted through human zeal, God would accomplish through supernatural calling. The 40-year gap between this rejection and Moses' return (Acts 7:30) represents God's patient preparation of His chosen deliverer.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the Hebrew's challenge expose the difference between self-appointed mission and divine calling?
- When has your premature attempt to serve God resulted in rejection, and how did God use that to prepare you for later effectiveness?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known (וַיֹּאמֶר מִי שָׂמְךָ לְאִישׁ־שַׂר וְשֹׁפֵט עָלֵינוּ, vayomer mi samkha le'ish-sar veshofet aleinu)—The Hebrew's challenge cuts deep: Who made thee a prince and a judge? Moses has no delegated authority, only self-appointed intervention. Stephen later cites this rejection (Acts 7:27-28, 35), showing Israel's pattern of rejecting God's deliverers until He validates them. Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?—the secret is out. Moses feared (וַיִּירָא, vayira)—now Moses fears man rather than acting courageously. Surely this thing is known—discovery brings consequences (v. 15).