The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

(Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)

Now a man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi,

and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket

(a)

and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it.

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.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”

“Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses

(b)

and explained, “I drew him out of the water.”

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Acts 7:23–29)

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people

(c)

and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.

After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?”

But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?(d) Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?(e)” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”

When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.

And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.

When the daughters returned to their father Reuel,(f) he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

“An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

“So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”

Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,(g) saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

God Hears the Cry of the Israelites

After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.

So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God saw the Israelites and took notice.

Footnotes

(a)2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark; also in verse 5; see Genesis 6:14.

(b)2:10 Moses sounds like a Hebrew term that means to lift out.

(d)2:14 Cited in Acts 7:27 and Acts 7:35

(e)2:14 LXX Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? Cited in Acts 7:28

(f)2:18 Reuel was also called Jethro; see Exodus 3:1.

(g)2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for foreigner.

(Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)

A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.

The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

When 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.

His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.

Pharaoh’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.

She 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.”

Then 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?”

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother.

Pharaoh’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.

The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,(a) and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Acts 7:23–29)

In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.

He 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.

He 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?”

He 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.”

Now 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.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”

They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.”

He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”

Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.

She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,(b) for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”

God Hears the Cry of the Israelites

In 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.

God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

God saw the children of Israel, and God understood.

Footnotes

(a)2:10 “Moses” sounds like the Hebrew for “draw out”.

(b)2:22 “Gershom” sounds like the Hebrew for “an alien there”.