John Calvin Commentary Exodus 5:22

"And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?" — Exodus 5:22 (ASV)

And Moses returned. This return to the Lord is here used in a negative sense, signifying that he was forsaking his office. Moses is not described as having either calmly prayed or, as one might in a difficult emergency, humbly sought counsel from the Lord. Instead, leaving the men with whom he was dealing, he returned in disgust to God to demand his dismissal.

He returned, then, to God so that the whole undertaking might be abandoned, as if he had never been sent. This is what his words convey, as he openly remonstrates with God because God had allowed His people to be treated more cruelly, even though He had promised them deliverance.

At first glance, his madness might seem greater than that of the whole people, because he directly and openly accuses God of being the author of all the evil Pharaoh had inflicted. Yet, I do not doubt that he was sorrowfully recounting the people's complaints rather than expressing his own sentiments.

Still, his bitterness is not entirely excusable, as he regrets his calling and is indignant because an unsuccessful charge had been entrusted to him. But when he accuses God of slowness in redeeming His people, it becomes apparent how deep the darkness was that had taken possession of his mind.

He had been forewarned well in advance about the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart; he had heard that Pharaoh would not yield until crushed by God’s mighty hand. Now, forgetting all of this, he is amazed that their redemption is not complete.

The same thing often happens to us: the doctrine of faith and hope, which in peaceful times shines brightly in our hearts and is readily on our tongues, is completely lost when we face serious conflict. Therefore, we should devote ourselves with greater diligence to its study, so that even in the most trying circumstances, its recollection may be our support.