Exodus2

Exodus 2 recounts the birth of Moses, his miraculous rescue from the Nile by Pharaoh's daughter, and his adoption into the Egyptian royal household. Later, Moses flees Egypt after killing an Egyptian, finding refuge in Midian where he marries Zipporah. The chapter concludes with the Israelites' continued suffering under bondage and God's remembrance of His covenant with their forefathers.
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The Birth and Adoption of Moses

1
Now a man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi, ​
2
and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months. ​
3
But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. ​
4
And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5
Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it.
6
When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.” ​
7
Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”
8
“Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.
9
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him.
10
When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses and explained, “I drew him out of the water.” ​

Moses Defends the Hebrews and Flees

11
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. ​
12
After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. ​
13
The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?”
14
But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.” ​
15
When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well. ​

Moses in Midian

16
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. ​
17
And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.
18
When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19
“An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.” ​
20
“So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21
Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
22
And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.” ​

God Hears Israel’s Groaning

23
After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. ​
24
So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ​
25
God saw the Israelites and took notice. ​

Study Notes for Exodus 2

Verse 1

This verse identifies Moses’ parents as Levites, setting the stage for his future role as the leader who would establish the Levitical priesthood.

Verse 2

The mother’s recognition that the child was 'goodly' (Heb. *tov*) echoes the language of divine approval in the creation account (Gen. 1), suggesting divine favor or special destiny.

Verse 3

The 'ark' (*tevah*) is the same unique Hebrew word used for Noah's Ark, emphasizing divine preservation and salvation through water, highlighting God's faithfulness despite human vulnerability.

Verse 6

Pharaoh’s daughter’s immediate compassion and recognition of the child's heritage demonstrate divine irony—the decree meant to kill male infants is foiled by the compassion of the executioner's own family.

Verse 10

The name Moses (*Mosheh*) means 'I drew him out' (from the verb *mashah*). This name highlights his miraculous rescue and prefigures his later role in drawing the entire nation out of Egypt.

Verse 11

Moses identifies with his 'brethren' (the Hebrews) despite his Egyptian upbringing, suggesting a developing realization of his true identity and a desire to deliver his people.

Verse 12

Moses’ act of murder, though driven by justice, is a premature and unauthorized attempt at deliverance, demonstrating that he tried to save Israel by human strength, not divine command.

Verse 14

The Hebrew man’s challenge reveals that Moses lacks legitimate authority (divine or human) at this time, leading to his fear and eventual flight from the consequences of his actions.

Verse 15

Moses’ flight to Midian marks the beginning of a forty-year period of preparation and wilderness training, transforming him from an impetuous prince into a humble shepherd ready for God’s call.

Verse 16

The 'priest of Midian' (later identified as Jethro/Reuel) indicates that Moses found refuge in a culture that likely maintained some form of patriarchal worship, though outside the Abrahamic covenant line.

Verse 19

The daughters mistake Moses for an 'Egyptian' due to his dress or dialect, emphasizing his dual cultural identity and his immediate willingness to intervene for the oppressed.

Verse 22

Gershom means 'foreigner there.' The name reflects Moses' sense of displacement and exile, reinforcing the theme that he is a stranger in Midian, far from his people and his destiny.

Verse 23

The death of Pharaoh does not end the suffering, emphasizing that the problem of oppression is systemic and requires divine intervention, not merely a change of rulers.

Verse 24

God 'remembered' his covenant (Gen. 15, 17). This is an active turning toward his people to fulfill his promises, initiating the process of redemption promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Verse 25

God 'looked upon' and 'had respect unto' (or 'knew') them, signifying God's intimate awareness of their suffering and his readiness to act decisively on their behalf.

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