Exodus 2

Moses Is Born

1A man from the Levi tribe married a woman from the same tribe, 2#Ac 7.20; He 11.23. and she later had a baby boy. He was a beautiful child, and she kept him inside for three months. 3But when she could no longer keep him hidden, she made a basket out of reeds and covered it with tar. She put him in the basket and placed it in the tall grass along the edge of the Nile River. 4The baby's older sister#2.4 older sister: Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. stood off at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5About that time one of the king's#2.5 the king's: See the note at 1.11. daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of them to pull it out of the water. 6When the king's daughter opened the basket, she saw the baby crying and felt sorry for him. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.”

7At once the baby's older sister came up and asked, “Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?”

8“Yes,” the king's daughter answered.

So the girl brought the baby's mother, 9and the king's daughter told her, “Take care of this child, and I will pay you.”

The baby's mother carried him home and took care of him. 10#3 Macc 3.24; Ac 7.21. And when he was old enough, she took him to the king's daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses#2.10 Moses: In Hebrew “Moses” sounds like “pull out.” because she said, “I pulled him out of the water.”

Moses Escapes from Egypt

11 # Ac 7.23-28. #He 11.24. After Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were hard at work, and he saw an Egyptian beating one of them. 12Moses looked around to see if anyone was watching, then he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

13When Moses went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting. So he went to the man who had started the fight and asked, “Why are you beating up one of your own people?”

14The man answered, “Who put you in charge of us and made you our judge? Are you planning to kill me, just like you killed that Egyptian?”

This frightened Moses because he was sure that people must have found out what had happened. 15#Ac 7.29; He 11.27. When the king#2.15 the king: See the note at 1.11. heard what Moses had done, he wanted to kill him. But Moses escaped and went to the land of Midian.

One day, when Moses was sitting by a well, 16the seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian,#2.16 Jethro, the priest of Midian: Hebrew “the priest of Midian.” But see 3.1; 4.18; 18.1,2-4 where his name is given. In the Hebrew of verse 18 he is spoken of as “Reuel,” which may have been the name of the tribe to which Jethro belonged. came up to water their father's sheep and goats. 17Some shepherds tried to chase them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their animals. 18When Jethro's daughters returned home, their father asked, “Why have you come back so early today?”

19They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, and he even watered our sheep and goats.”

20“Where is he?” Jethro asked. “Why did you leave him out there? Invite him to eat with us.”

21Moses agreed to stay on with Jethro, who later let his daughter Zipporah marry Moses. 22And when she had a son, Moses said, “I will name him Gershom,#2.22 Gershom: In Hebrew “Gershom” sounds like “foreigner.” since I am a foreigner in this country.”

23After the death of the king of Egypt, the Israelites still complained because they were forced to be slaves. They cried out for help, 24#Gn 15.13-15. and God heard their loud cries. He did not forget the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 25and because he knew what was happening to his people, he felt sorry for them.

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Exodus 2

The Birth of Moses

1And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2#Acts 7.20; Heb 11.23. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 4And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 5And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side: and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. 6And 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. 7Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? 8And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. 9And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. 10#Acts 7.21. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses:#2.10 That is, Drawn out. and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

Moses Flees from Egypt

11 # Acts 7.23-28. #Heb 11.24. And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? 14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 15#Acts 7.29; Heb 11.27. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses.

But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Mid´i-an: and he sat down by a well. 16Now the priest of Mid´i-an had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18And when they came to Reu´el their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today? 19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. 20And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. 21And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zippo´rah his daughter. 22And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom:#2.22 That is, A stranger there. for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

23And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24#Gen 15.13,14. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

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