Exodus 2 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Exodus 2

The Birth of Moses

2:1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes¹ and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now 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. 6 When 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.” 7 Then 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?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And 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. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”²

Moses Flees to Midian

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.³ 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he 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?” 14 He answered, “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.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner⁴ in a foreign land.”

God Hears Israel’s Groaning

23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Footnotes

[1] 2:3 Hebrew papyrus reeds
[2] 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out
[3] 2:11 Hebrew brothers
[4] 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner

Commentary

The central, human, character is born; Moses. His life takes us through to the end of Deuteronomy, some 136 chapters, more than any other Bible character.

v1: Moses' parents are Amran and Jochebed, both of the family of Levi; see 6.18,20. Miriam and Aaron had already been born.

v2: Jochebed hid Moses for 3 months. Such is the care of a mother for her child. Paul likens his care for the Thessalonian Christians in this way; 1 Thess 2.7. Those who are weak and vulnerable demand more time and effort.

v3-4: Jochebed put the child Moses into a pitch -coated basket, to preserve the child. Miriam watched the whole incident.

v5-6: Pharaoh's daughter happened upon the child. Unlike her father, she had compassion for the baby.

v7: Miriam intervened, asking that a Hebrew woman be provided to care for the baby.

v8-9: Miriam' suggestion, that Moses' own mother care for him, is accepted. Jochebed is even paid to care for her own child.

v10: Moses later became Pharaoh's daughter's child. In Heb 11.24-26, we read that he rejected this honour and became identified with his own people, choosing to suffer affliction with them. We do note that Moses did not suffer slavery as his people did.

The Bible record is silent of this period, until Moses is 40 years old. He received an Egyptian education and up-bringing as one raised in Pharaoh's household. Education seems to have been reserved for the ruling classes.

Semites served in Egypt at the time; Moses was would presumably have appeared similar to a Canaanite or Persian.

Doubtless Moses witnessed the 'treasures of Egypt' (Heb 11.26). In due course he rejected those treasures, preferring suffering rejection with the people of God.

From v11, Moses' Israelite identity is exposed. God takes him from a foreigner brought up in the household of Pharaoh, to being the leader of a nation of slaves.

v11-12: When Moses was grown, or when he came of age (Heb 11.24), he went out to his people (Stephen says he was 40 years old; Acts 7.23). He saw his people carrying burdens and being beaten, which he had been protected from. He had a real concern for the people, and tried to help.

Moses’ secret was not secret. He was found out. Yet, in God’s grace this experience and its consequences did not prevent his ministry. God’s power and grace were sufficient to overrule.

v13: He also tried to sort out a dispute between two Hebrews. He tried to be a peacemaker, which is commendable. But again, he had to learn to do God's work in God's way.

v14: The Hebrew man verbally attacked Moses, which was bad enough, but he also knew of Moses killing the Egyptian. No wonder Moses was afraid.

v15: Worse still, Pharaoh heard about Moses' actions. Moses fled far away, into the desert.

Moses’ secret was found out, and he feared its potential consequences. Yet God’s power and grace was sufficient for Moses.

v16-17: Moses' character is being developed in the desert. Here we see his compassion and courage. His actions were successful this time, as he helped the daughters of Reuel, and watered their flock. Again, he had sided with those suffering. This theme recurs in scripture, as the Lord God is opposed to oppression of others.

v19: The daughters thought Moses was an Egyptian. Doubtless he was dressed as a Egyptian prince rather than an Israelite slave. Further, the people of Israel would not have been known outside Egypt. Only after the deliverance from Egypt were they seen as a distinct people (see 18.1).

v20-21: Reuel was hospitable, in true middle eastern fashion; he gives Moses food, accommodation, and then a wife.

v22: Moses' testimony, that he had become a stranger in a foreign land.

v23-25: The long period, another 40 years, during which the Pharaoh died, but the children of Israel still suffered. But God remembered His people; "remembered" (used in Gen 8.1), means "to mark out". God knows the people that are His. God is concerned for His people, and is not ignorant of their tears.

The scene is now set; God has remembered His people, and will soon act in mighty power to deliver them; Moses' life has been preserved, and his character is being developed.