Exodus 4:13
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
Original Language Analysis
תִּשְׁלָֽח׃
of him whom thou wilt send
H7971
תִּשְׁלָֽח׃
of him whom thou wilt send
Strong's:
H7971
Word #:
4 of 7
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
נָ֖א
H4994
נָ֖א
Strong's:
H4994
Word #:
5 of 7
'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
Cross References
Exodus 4:1And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Historical Context
This exchange shows Moses' profound transformation from the impulsive youth who killed the Egyptian (2:12) to the overly cautious shepherd afraid of leadership. Forty years of Midian humbled Moses, but now he needed balance—neither arrogant self-confidence nor paralyzing self-doubt, but God-dependent confidence. God's anger (v. 14) was pedagogical, not vindictive—teaching Moses that calling isn't negotiable.
Questions for Reflection
- When have you responded to God's clear call with 'send someone else,' and what were the consequences?
- How do you discern the difference between legitimate concerns about calling and sinful resistance to God's will?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send (וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנָי שְׁלַח־נָא בְּיַד־תִּשְׁלָח)—Moses' ultimate objection: send... by the hand of him whom thou wilt send—essentially, "send anyone but me!" This is no longer legitimate concern about ability but willful resistance. Moses has exhausted objections (credibility, v. 1; eloquence, v. 10) and now simply refuses. The Hebrew phrase (בְּיַד־תִּשְׁלָח, beyad-tishlach) is ambiguous, sometimes interpreted "send by the hand [of someone] you will send [in the future]," possibly alluding prophetically to the coming Messiah. Regardless, Moses' resistance provokes God's anger (v. 14)—patience has limits. God's sovereignty means He'll accomplish His purposes, with or without our enthusiastic cooperation, though He prefers willing servants.