Exodus 2:6

And when she had opened [it], she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrews' children.

And when she had opened {H6605} it, she saw {H7200} the child {H3206}: and, behold, the babe {H5288} wept {H1058}. And she had compassion {H2550} on him, and said {H559}, This is one of the Hebrews {H5680}' children {H3206}.

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."

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.”

And she opened it, and saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

Commentary

Exodus 2:6 (KJV)

"And when she had opened [it], she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrews' children."

Commentary

This verse describes the pivotal moment when Pharaoh's daughter discovers the infant Moses in the ark among the reeds. The historical context is the cruel decree by the Egyptian Pharaoh to kill all newborn Hebrew boys (Exodus 1:22).

Key Themes:

  • Divine Providence: Despite the dire circumstances and the seemingly random chance of her finding him, God's hand is evident in protecting the child who would become Israel's deliverer.
  • Compassion: Pharaoh's daughter's reaction is key. She is moved by the sight of the weeping baby, overriding the prevailing prejudice and the Pharaoh's decree. Her "compassion" (Hebrew: chamal) is a powerful act of pity and mercy.
  • Identification: She immediately recognizes the child's origin, likely due to the ark's location and the child's appearance or perhaps instinct, confirming he is one of the very children her father ordered killed.

Linguistic Insight: The Hebrew word for "wept," bakah, suggests a genuine cry, not just a whimper, which likely amplified the princess's pity.

Significance: This moment, driven by unexpected compassion from within the oppressor's household, is the turning point that saves Moses' life and allows God's plan for the redemption of Israel to unfold. It highlights how God can use individuals from any background to achieve His purposes.

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Cross-References

  • 1 Peter 3:8 (7 votes)

    ¶ Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous:

  • Acts 7:21 (6 votes)

    And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

  • 1 Kings 8:50 (6 votes)

    And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

  • Nehemiah 1:11 (4 votes)

    O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

  • Psalms 106:46 (4 votes)

    He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

  • Proverbs 21:1 (3 votes)

    ¶ The king's heart [is] in the hand of the LORD, [as] the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.