Exodus 2
2
The Birth of Moses
1Now a #ch. 6:20; Num. 26:59; 1 Chr. 23:14man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2The woman conceived and bore a son, and #Acts 7:20; Heb. 11:23when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes#2:3 Hebrew papyrus reeds and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the #ver. 5; Isa. 19:6reeds by the river bank. 4And #ch. 15:20; Num. 26:59his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became #Acts 7:21; [Heb. 11:24] her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I #2 Sam. 22:17; Ps. 18:16drew him out of the water.”#2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out
Moses Flees to Midian
11One day, #Acts 7:23; Heb. 11:24-26 when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their #See ch. 1:11burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.#2:11 Hebrew brothers 12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he #Acts 7:24struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13When #Acts 7:23-28he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14He answered, #[Luke 12:14]“Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But #Acts 7:29; Heb. 11:27 Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by #Gen. 24:11; 29:2a well.
16Now the #ch. 3:1 priest of Midian had seven daughters, and #Gen. 24:11; 29:10; 1 Sam. 9:11they 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 saved them, and #[Gen. 29:10]watered their flock. 18When they came home to their father #Num. 10:29; [ch. 3:1; 4:18; 18:1, 5, 9, 12]Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and #[See ver. 17 above]watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may #Gen. 31:54; 43:25eat bread.” 21And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter #ch. 4:25; 18:2Zipporah. 22She gave birth to a son, and he called his name #ch. 18:3 Gershom, for he said, “I have been a #Acts 7:29; [Heb. 11:13, 14]sojourner#2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner in a foreign land.”
God Hears Israel’s Groaning
23 # [ch. 7:7]; Acts 7:23, 30 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel #[Deut. 26:7] groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. #ch. 3:9; Gen. 18:20, 21; James 5:4Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24And #ch. 6:5 God heard their groaning, and God #Ps. 105:8, 42; 106:45 remembered his covenant with #Gen. 15:14; 46:4Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God #ch. 3:7; 4:31; [Luke 1:25] saw the people of Israel—and God #[ch. 3:16]knew.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Exodus 2
2
1And a man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi. 2And the woman conceived, and bore a son. And she saw him that he was fair, and hid him three months. 3And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of reeds, and plastered it with resin and with pitch, and put the child in it, and laid it in the sedge on the bank of the river. 4And his sister stood afar off to see what would happen to him.
5And the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the river; and her maids went along by the river's side. And she saw the ark in the midst of the sedge, and sent her handmaid and fetched it. 6And she opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the boy wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. 7And his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call thee a wet-nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? 8And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the damsel went and called the child's mother. 9And Pharaoh's daughter said to 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. 10And when the child was grown, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said, Because I drew him out of the water.
11And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12And he turned this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13And he went out on the second day, and behold, two Hebrew men were quarrelling; and he said to him that was in the wrong, Why art thou smiting thy neighbour? 14And he said, Who made thee ruler and judge over us? dost thou intend to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? Then Moses feared, and said, Surely the matter is known. 15And Pharaoh heard of this matter, and sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from before Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian. And he sat by the well.
16And the priest of Midian 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 rose and helped them, and watered their flock. 18And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, Why are ye come so soon to-day? 19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water abundantly for us, and watered the flock. 20And he said to his daughters, And where is he? why then have ye left the man behind? Call him, that he may eat bread. 21And Moses consented to remain with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 22And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.
23And it came to pass during those many days, that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and cried; and their cry came up to God#GodHebrew: Elohim because of the bondage; 24and God#GodHebrew: Elohim heard their groaning, and God#GodHebrew: Elohim remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob; 25and God#GodHebrew: Elohim looked upon the children of Israel, and God#GodHebrew: Elohim acknowledged them.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.