INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 2 This chapter relates the birth of Moses, and his preservation in an ark of bulrushes, Exodus 2:1. His being found by Pharaoh's daughter, took up, and put out to nurse by her, and adopted for her son, Exodus 2:4, some exploits of his when grown up, taking the part of an Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WENT A MAN OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI,.... This man was Amram, the son of Kohath, and grandson of Levi, as appears from Exodus 6:18 AND TOOK TO WIFE A DAUGHTER OF LEVI; one of the same house, family, or tribe; which was proper, that the tribes might be kept distinct: this was Jochebed, said to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WOMAN CONCEIVED, AND BARE A SON,.... Which was not her first child, nor indeed her first son, for she had both Aaron and Miriam before this: this son, which was Moses, was born, as the Jews say t, in the thirty seventh year after the death of Levi, A. M. 2365, (or, as others, 2368,) on a Wed... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN SHE COULD NO LONGER HIDE HIM,.... Because of her neighbours, who might hear the crying of the child, or because of the diligent search made by Pharaoh's officers, which some think was made every three months: the Jews a have a notion that his mother was delivered of him at six months' end,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS SISTER STOOD AFAR OFF,.... This was Miriam, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it; who is supposed to be about ten or twelve years of age, others say seven: she was placed e, as the word may be rendered, by her parents, or, "she placed herself" f, by their instruction, at some distance from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH CAME DOWN TO WASH HERSELF AT THE RIVER,.... Her name, in Josephus g, is called Thermuthis, and by Artapanus h, an Heathen writer, Merrhis, perhaps from Miriam, and frequently by the Jewish writers i, Bithia, which is the name of a daughter of another Pharaoh, 1 Chronicles... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN SHE HAD OPENED IT,.... The ark, for it was shut or covered over, though doubtless there were some apertures for respiration: SHE SAW THE CHILD [IN IT], AND, BEHOLD, THE BABE WEPT; and which was a circumstance, it is highly probable, greatly affected the king's daughter, and moved her compa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID HIS SISTER TO PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER,.... Miriam the sister of Moses, who observing the ark taken up, and the maidens that were walking upon the bank of the river, and other women perhaps, gathering about it to see it; she made one among them, and after hearing their discourse about it, propos... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER SAID UNTO HER, GO,.... She fell in at once with the proposal, being, no doubt, overruled, by the providence of God, to agree to have such a person called: AND THE MAID WENT AND CALLED THE CHILD'S MOTHER; and her own, whose name was Jochebed the wife of Amram, as observed in E... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER SAID UNTO HER,.... Being come, having made all possible haste: TAKE THIS CHILD AWAY, AND NURSE IT FOR ME, AND I WILL GIVE THEE THY WAGES; by which means she had not only the nursing of her own child, but was paid for it: according to a Jewish writer t, Pharaoh's daughter agre... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILD GREW,.... In stature and in strength, thriving under the care of its mother and nurse, through the blessing of God: AND SHE BROUGHT HIM UNTO PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER; when grown up and weaned, and needed a nurse no longer: a Jewish chronologer u says, this was two years after his birth; and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS, WHEN MOSES WAS GROWN,.... To man's estate; some of the Jewish writers say he was eighteen, others twenty years of age e, but Stephen, who is most to be credited, says he was full forty years of age, Acts 7:23, THAT HE WENT OUT UNTO HIS BRETHREN THE HEBREWS: whom h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE LOOKED THIS WAY, AND THAT WAY,.... All around, to observe if there were any within sight who could see what he did; which did not arise from any consciousness of any evil he was about to commit, but for his own preservation, lest if seen he should be accused to Pharaoh, and suffer for it: AN... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WENT OUT THE SECOND DAY,.... The day following: BEHOLD, TWO MEN OF THE HEBREWS STROVE TOGETHER; which the Jewish writers h take to be Dathan and Abiram: AND HE SAID TO HIM THAT DID THE WRONG; who was the aggressor, and acted the wicked part in abusing his brother: WHEREFORE SMITEST TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, WHO MADE THEE A PRINCE AND A JUDGE OVER US?.... God had designed him for one, and so he appeared to be afterwards; but this man's meaning is, that he was not appointed by Pharaoh's order then, and so had nothing to do to interfere in their differences and quarrels; though Moses did not... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN PHARAOH HEARD THIS THING, HE SOUGHT TO SLAY MOSES,.... Both for his killing the Egyptian, which by the laws of Egypt i was death, whether bond or free; and for his taking part with the Hebrews against the Egyptians, and knowing him to be a wise and valiant man, might fear he would put himse... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN HAD SEVEN DAUGHTERS,.... Who being a descendant of Abraham might have retained the knowledge of the true God, and might be a priest of his, as Melchizedek was, or otherwise it may be thought improbable that Moses would have married his daughter, as he afterwards did; and so... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SHEPHERDS CAME AND DROVE THEM AWAY,.... The daughters of the priest of Midian, and their flock likewise; these were shepherds of some neighbouring princes or great men, who were so rude and slothful, and to save themselves a little trouble of drawing water, brought up their flocks to drink o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY CAME TO REUEL THEIR FATHER,.... Or Ragouel, as the Septuagint; and so Artapanus s calls him. The Targum of Jonathan has it, their father's father; and so Aben Ezra says he was; and is the sense of others, induced thereto by Numbers 10:29, but it does not follow from thence: he said, H... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID, AN EGYPTIAN DELIVERED US OUT OF THE HAND OF THE SHEPHERDS,.... A man, who by his habit and by his speech appeared to them to be an Egyptian, and upon their inquiry he might tell them so, being born in Egypt, though of Hebrew parents: AND ALSO DREW WATER ENOUGH FOR US; or "in drawing... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO HIS DAUGHTERS, AND WHERE IS HE?.... By the account Reuel's daughters gave of Moses, of his courage and humanity, he was very desirous of seeing him: WHY [IS IT] THAT YE HAVE LEFT THE MAN? behind them at the well, and had not brought him along with them; he seemed to be displeased,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES WAS CONTENT TO DWELL WITH THE MAN,.... After he had been called and brought into the house, and had had some refreshment, and after some conversation had passed between them, and perhaps after some days' stay in Reuel's house; Reuel having observed his disposition and behaviour, and being... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHE BARE HIM A SON, AND HE CALLED HIS NAME GERSHOM,.... Which signifies a "desolate stranger"; partly on his own account, he being in a foreign country, a stranger and sojourner; but not by way of complaint, but rather of thankfulness to God for providing so well for him in it; and partly on his... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN PROCESS OF TIME THAT THE KING OF EGYPT DIED,.... According to Eusebius, Orus reigned in Egypt when Moses fled from thence, and that two more reigned after him, Acenchres and Achoris, who both died before the deliverance of the children of Israel; but according to Bishop Usher... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD HEARD THEIR GROANING,.... The petitions they put up to him with groans and cries: AND GOD REMEMBERED HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM, WITH ISAAC, AND WITH JACOB; that he would bring their seed out of a land not theirs, in which they were strangers, and were afflicted, into the land of Canaan, for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD LOOKED UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... With an eye of pity and compassion, and saw all the hardships they laboured under, and all the injuries that were done unto them: AND GOD HAD RESPECT UNTO [THEM]; had a favourable regard to them; or "knew" b not only them, the Israelites, and loved th... [ Continue Reading ]