וַיֹּאמֶר ה' רָאֹה רָאִיתִי אֶת עֳנִי עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר בְּמִצְרָיִם וְאֶת צַעֲקָתָם שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפְּנֵי נֹגְשָׂיו כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו:
And God continued, "I have marked well the impoverishment of My people in Egypt and have heeded their outcry because of their taskmasters; yes, I am mindful of their sufferings."
[AJWS translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. This verse is one of the first things that God says to Moses at the burning bush. Why does God's appointment of Moses as the redeemer of the enslaved Israelites start with the acknowledgement of their suffering?
2. If God knew that the Israelites were suffering, why did God only appear now to Moses to begin the process of redemption?
3. If you were Moses, how would you have reacted to God in this situation?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)