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.

The Birth and Adoption of Moses

1
A man from the family of Levi took a woman also descended from Levi as his wife. ​
2
When she conceived and had a son, upon seeing what a fine child he was, she hid him for three months. ​
3
When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket, coated it with clay and tar, put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the riverbank. ​
4
His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river while her maids-in-attendance walked along the riverside. Spotting the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave-girl to get it.
6
She opened it and looked inside, and there in front of her was a crying baby boy! Moved with pity, she said, "This must be one of the Hebrews'children." ​
7
At this point, his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Would you like me to go and find you one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?"
8
Pharaoh's daughter answered, "Yes, go." So the girl went and called the baby's own mother.
9
Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will pay you for doing it." So the woman took the child and nursed it.
10
Then, when the child had grown some, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter; and she began to raise him as her son. She called him Moshe [pull out], explaining, "Because I pulled him out of the water." ​

Moses Defends the Hebrews and Flees

11
One day, when Moshe was a grown man, he went out to visit his kinsmen; and he watched them struggling at forced labor. He saw an Egyptian strike a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen. ​
12
He looked this way and that; and when he saw that no one was around, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. ​
13
The next day, he went out and saw two Hebrew men fighting with each other. To the one in the wrong he said, "Why are you hitting your companion?"
14
He retorted, "Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian?" Moshe became frightened. "Clearly," he thought, "the matter has become known." ​
15
When Pharaoh heard of it, he tried to have Moshe put to death. But Moshe fled from Pharaoh to live in the land of Midyan. One day, as he was sitting by a well, ​

Moses in Midian

16
the seven daughters of the priest of Midyan came to draw water. They had filled the troughs to water their father's sheep, ​
17
when the shepherds came and tried to drive them away. But Moshe got up and defended them; then he watered their sheep.
18
When they came to Re'u'el their father, he said, "How come you're back so soon today?"
19
They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; more than that, he drew water for us and watered the sheep." ​
20
He asked his daughters, "Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Invite him to have something to eat."
21
Moshe was glad to stay on with the man, and he gave Moshe his daughter Tzipporah in marriage.
22
She gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom [foreigner there], for he said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land." ​

God Hears Israel’s Groaning

23
Sometime during those many years the king of Egypt died, but the people of Isra'el still groaned under the yoke of slavery, and they cried out, and their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. ​
24
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov. ​
25
God saw the people of Isra'el, and God acknowledged them. ​

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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