The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Chapter 2 -

(Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)

After these things, a man from the house of Levi went out, and he took a wife from his own stock.

And she conceived and bore a son. And seeing him to be handsome, she hid him for three months.

And when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a small basket woven of bulrushes, and she smeared it with pitch as well as tar. And she placed the little infant inside, and she laid him in the sedges by the bank of the river.

His sister was standing at a distance and was wondering what would happen.

Then, behold, the daughter of Pharaoh descended to wash in the river. And her maids walked along the edge of the cove. And when she had seen the small basket among the papyruses, she sent one of her servants for it. And when it was brought,(a)

she opened it; and realizing that within it was a little one crying, she took pity on him, and she said: “This is one of the infants of the Hebrews.”

And the sister of the boy said to her: “If you wish, I will go and call to you a Hebrew woman, who will be able nurse the infant.”

She responded, “Go.” The maid went directly and called her mother.

And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her: “Take this boy and nurse him for me. I will give you your wages.” The woman took and nursed the boy. And when he was mature, she delivered him to the daughter of Pharaoh.

And she adopted him in place of a son, and she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I took him from the water.”(b)

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Acts 7:23–29)

In those days, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers. And he saw their affliction and an Egyptian man striking a certain one of the Hebrews, his brothers.

And when he had looked around this way and that, and had seen no one nearby, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.(c)

And going out the next day, he spotted two Hebrews quarrelling violently. And he said to him who was causing the injury, “Why do you strike your neighbor?”

But he responded: “Who appointed you as leader and judge over us? Do you want to kill me, just as yesterday you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and he said, “How has this word become known?”

And Pharaoh heard this talk, and he sought to kill Moses. But fleeing from his sight, he stayed in the land of Midian, and he sat down next to a well.(d)

Now there was a priest of Midian with seven daughters, who came to draw water. And having filled the troughs, they desired to water their father’s flocks.

The shepherds overcame them and drove them away. And Moses rose up, and defending the girls, he watered their sheep.

And when they had returned to their father, Reuel, he said to them, “Why have you arrived sooner than usual?”(e)

They responded: “A man of Egypt freed us from the hands of the shepherds. Moreover, he also drew water with us and gave the sheep to drink.”

But he said: “Where is he? Why have you dismissed the man? Call him, so that he may eat bread.”

Therefore, Moses swore that he would live with him. And he accepted his daughter Zipporah as a wife.

And she bore a son to him, whom he called Gershom, saying, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land.” In truth, she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying, “For the God of my father, my helper, has rescued me from the hand of Pharaoh.”(f)

God Hears the Cry of the Israelites

In truth, after a long time, the king of Egypt was dead. And the sons of Israel, groaning, cried out because of the works. And their cry ascended to God from the works.

And he heard their groaning, and he also remembered the covenant which he formed with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And the Lord looked with favor on the sons of Israel, and he knew them.(g)

Footnotes

(a)2:5 The women would not have bathed in the main part of the river, with rushing waters, but in a small cove in the river bank, where the waters would be still. The word ‘alvei’ does not mean ‘river,’ but has a meaning, in this context, like the English word ‘cove.’(Conte)

(b)2:10 Moses:Or Moyses, in the Egyptian tongue, signifies one taken or saved out of the water.(Challoner)

(c)2:12 He slew the Egyptian:This he did by a particular inspiration of God; as a prelude to his delivering the people from their oppression and bondage. He thought, says St. Stephen, Acts. 7:25, that his brethren understood that God by his hand would save them. But such particular and extraordinary examples are not to be imitated.(Challoner)

(d)2:15 Madian:A city and country of Arabia, which took its name from Madian the son of Abraham, by Cetura, and was peopled by his posterity.(Challoner)

(e)2:18 Raguel:He had two names, being also called Jethro, as appears from the first verse of the following chapter.(Challoner)

(f)2:22 Gersam:Or Gershom. This name signifies a stranger there: as Eliezer signifies the help of God.(Challoner)

(g)2:25 Knew them:That is, he had respect to them, he cast a merciful eye upon them.(Challoner)

(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”.