Exodus 2
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1A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife. 2The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. 4His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him. 5Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her servant to get it. 6She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother. 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child, and nursed it. 10The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” 11In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” 14He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.” 15Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. 16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?” 19They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter. 22She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.” 23In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them.
World English Bible (public domain)
“But when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.”
Exodus 2:2
Summary
Exodus chapter 2 narrates the birth and early life of Moses, an essential figure in the salvation history of Israel. Born to Hebrew parents during a time of oppression, Moses' mother hides him to protect him from Pharaoh's decree to kill all male infants. She ultimately places him in a basket in the Nile, where he is discovered by Pharaoh's daughter. In an act of divine providence, Moses' sister Miriam facilitates his return to his mother for nursing. This chapter marks the beginning of Moses’ journey from a Hebrew child to a leader of his people, highlighting God's protective hand over him from infancy. As Moses grows, he becomes aware of his heritage and the suffering of his people. In a moment of zeal, he kills an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave, leading him to flee to Midian to escape Pharaoh’s wrath. While in Midian, Moses encounters God’s providence once more as he helps the daughters of Jethro, who later gives him his wife, Zipporah. The chapter concludes with the Israelites' cries for help reaching God, setting the stage for their eventual deliverance. This narrative illustrates key themes such as the importance of divine preservation, the call to justice, and God’s attentiveness to the plight of the oppressed. The theological significance of this chapter underscores God's sovereign plan for redemption. It portrays how God uses human actions and circumstances, even those that seem adverse, to fulfill His purposes. In the midst of human suffering and injustice, God's awareness and compassionate response remind the faithful that He sees and hears every cry for help, preparing the way for intervention and liberation. Therefore, Moses' early life is a testament to how God prepares His chosen instruments amidst trials, emphasizing hope and divine purpose even in turbulent times.
Key Themes
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