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Texts -- Exodus 2:1-20 (NET)

Context
The Birth of the Deliverer
2:1 A man from the household of Levi married a woman who was a descendant of Levi . 2:2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son . When she saw that he was a healthy child, she hid him for three months . 2:3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him and sealed it with bitumen and pitch . She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile . 2:4 His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him. 2:5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself by the Nile , while her attendants were walking alongside the river , and she saw the basket among the reeds . She sent one of her attendants , took it, 2:6 opened it, and saw the child – a boy , crying !– and she felt compassion for him and said , “This is one of the Hebrews ’ children .” 2:7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter , “Shall I go and get a nursing woman for you from the Hebrews , so that she may nurse the child for you?” 2:8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes, do so .” So the young girl went and got the child’s mother . 2:9 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 child and nursed him. 2:10 When the child grew older she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter , and he became her son . She named him Moses , saying , “Because I drew him from the water .”
The Presumption of the Deliverer
2:11 In those days , when Moses had grown up , he went out to his people and observed their hard labor , and he saw an Egyptian man attacking a Hebrew man , one of his own people . 2:12 He looked this way and that and saw that no one was there, and then he attacked the Egyptian and concealed the body in the sand . 2:13 When he went out the next day , there were two Hebrew men fighting . So he said to the one who was in the wrong , “Why are you attacking your fellow Hebrew?” 2:14 The man replied , “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Are you planning to kill me like you killed that Egyptian ?” Then Moses was afraid , thinking , “Surely what I did has become known .” 2:15 When Pharaoh heard about this event , he sought to kill Moses . So Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian , and he settled by a certain well . 2:16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters , and they came and began to draw water and fill the troughs in order to water their father’s flock . 2:17 When some shepherds came and drove them away , Moses came up and defended them and then watered their flock . 2:18 So when they came home to their father Reuel , he asked , “Why have you come home so early today ?” 2:19 They said , “An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds , and he actually drew water for us and watered the flock !” 2:20 He said to his daughters , “So where is he? Why in the world did you leave the man ? Call him, so that he may eat a meal with us.”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Moses

    [ebd] drawn (or Egypt. mesu, "son;" hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years before the birth of Moses. ...
    [isbe] MOSES - mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet. I. LIFE 1. Son of Levi 2. Foundling Prince 3. Friend of the Pe...
    [smith] (Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is a...
    [nave] MOSES A Levite and son of Amram, Ex. 2:1-4; 6:20; Acts 7:20; Heb. 11:23. Hidden in an ark, Ex. 2:3. Discovered and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, Ex. 2:5-10. Learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, Acts 7:22. His loyalt...

  • GENESIS, 1-2

    [isbe] GENESIS, 1-2 - jen'-e-sis: I. GENERAL DATA 1. The Name 2. Survey of Contents 3. Connection with Succeeding Books II. COMPOSITION OF GENESIS IN GENERAL 1. Unity of the Biblical Text (1) The Toledhoth (2) Further Indication of...

  • EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 2

    [isbe] EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 2 - II. Structure of the Book According to the Scriptures and According to Modern Analyses. In the following section (a) serves for the understanding of the Biblical text; (b) is devoted to the discussio...

  • Jochebed

    [ebd] Jehovah is her glory, the wife of Amram, and the mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses (Num. 26:59). She is spoken of as the sister of Kohath, Amram's father (Ex. 6:20; comp. 16, 18; 2:1-10).
    [smith] (whose glory is Jehovah), the wife and at the same time the aunt of Amram and the mother of Moses and Aaron. (Exodus 2:1; 6:20; Numbers 26:59)
    [nave] JOCHEBED Mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, Ex. 6:20; Num. 26:59. Nurses Moses when he is adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, Ex. 2:1-9.

  • Egyptians

    [nave] EGYPTIANS Descendants of the Mizraim, Gen. 10:6, 13, 14. Wisdom of, 1 Kin. 4:30. The art of embalming the dead practiced by, Gen. 50:2, 3, 26. Hospitality of, to Abraham, Gen. 12:10-20. Slaves bought by, Gen. 37:36. Opp...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • Parents

    [nave] PARENTS Covenant benefits of, entailed on children, Gen. 6:18; Ex. 20:6; Psa. 103:17. Curses entailed, Ex. 20:5; Lev. 20:5; Isa. 14:20; Jer. 9:14; Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 16:44, 45. Involved in children's wickedness, 1 Sam. 2:27-3...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Miriam

    [ebd] their rebellion. (1.) The sister of Moses and Aaron (Ex. 2:4-10; 1 Chr. 6:3). Her name is prominent in the history of the Exodus. She is called "the prophetess" (Ex. 15:20). She took the lead in the song of triumph after the...
    [isbe] MIRIAM - mir'-i-am (miryam; Septuagint and the New Testament Mariam; English Versions of the Bible of the New Testament "Mary"): (1) Daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and sister of Aaron and Moses. It is probable that it was s...
    [smith] (rebellion), the sister of Moses, was the eldest of that sacred family; and she first appears, probably as a young girl, watching her infant brother?s cradle in the Nile, (Exodus 2:4) and suggesting her mother as a nurse. ver...
    [nave] MIRIAM, sister of Moses. Watches over Moses when he is in the ark, Ex. 2:4-8. Song of, after the destruction of Pharaoh and his army, Ex. 15:20, 21; Mic. 6:4. Jealous of Moses, stricken with leprosy, healed on account of th...

  • Jethro

    [isbe] JETHRO - jeth'-ro, je'-thro (yithro, "excellence," Ex 3:1; 4:18b; 18:1-12 (in 4:18a, probably a textual error, yether, "Iether," the King James Version margin, the Revised Version margin); Septuagint always Iothor): The prie...
    [smith] (his excellence) was priest or prince of Midian. Moses married his daughter Zipporah. (B.C. 1530.) On account if his local knowledge he was entreated to remain with the Israelites throughout their journey to Canaan. (Numbers ...
    [nave] JETHRO, called Raguel and Reuel. A priest of Midian. Moses spent forty years of exile with, and married his daughter, Ex. 2:15-22; 3:1; 4:18; Num. 10:29.

  • WOMAN

    [ebd] was "taken out of man" (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. "The head of the woman is the man;" but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, "as unto the weaker vessel" (1 Cor. 11:3, 8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:7). Sever...
    [isbe] WOMAN - woom'-an ('ishshah, "a woman" (feminine of 'ish, "a man"]; gune, "a woman" "wife"): I. IN THE CREATIVE PLAN II. IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES 1. Prominence of Women 2. Social Equality 3. Marriage Laws 4. Inheritance 5. Dome...

  • Quotations and Allusions

    [nave] QUOTATIONS AND ALLUSIONS. In the New Testament from, and to, the Old Testament Matt. 1:23 Isa. 7:14. Matt. 2:6 Mic. 5:2. Matt. 2:15 Hos. 11:1. Matt. 2:18 Jer. 31:15. Matt. 3:3 Isa. 40:3. Matt. 4:4 Deut. 8:3; Luke 4:4. Matt...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Reuel

    [ebd] friend of God. (1.) A son of Esau and Bashemath (Gen. 36:4, 10; 1 Chr. 1:35). (2.) "The priest of Midian," Moses' father-in-law (Ex. 2:18)=Raguel (Num. 10:29). If he be identified with Jethro (q.v.), then this may be regarde...
    [isbe] REUEL - roo'-el (re`u'el, "God is his friend"; the Septuagint Rhagouel): (1) In the genealogical system Reuel is both a son of Esau by Basemath (Gen 36:4,10,13,17; 1 Ch 1:35,37) and the father of the father-in-law of Moses, ...
    [smith] (friend of God) One of the sons of Esau, by his wife Bashemath, sister of Ishmael. (Genesis 36:4,10,13,17; 1 Chronicles 1:36,37) (B.C. about 1790.) One of the names of Moses? father-in-law. (Exodus 2:18) (B.C. 1530.) Fath...
    [nave] REUEL 1. Son of Esau, Gen. 36:4, 10, 13, 17; 1 Chr. 1:35, 37. 2. Father-in-law of Moses, Ex. 2:18. Called also Jethro and Raguel. See: Jethro. 3. Father of Eliasaph, Num. 2:14. Called Deuel, Num. 1:14; 7:42, 47; 10:20. ...

  • Flag

    [ebd] (Heb., or rather Egyptian, ahu, Job 8:11), rendered "meadow" in Gen. 41:2, 18; probably the Cyperus esculentus, a species of rush eaten by cattle, the Nile reed. It also grows in Palestine. In Ex. 2:3, 5, Isa. 19:6, it is th...
    [isbe] FLAG - Two Hebrew words: (1) cuph (Ex 2:3,1, "flags"; Isa 19:6, "flags"; Jon 2:5, "weeds"). This is apparently a general name which includes both the fresh-water weeds growing along a river bank and "seaweeds." The Red Sea w...
    [smith] There are two Hebrew words rendered "flag" in our Bible: A word of Egyptian origin, and denoting "any green and course herbage, such as rushes and reeds, which grows in marshy places." (Genesis 41:2,18) (here translated mead...
    [nave] FLAG 1. Ex. 2:3, 5; Job 8:11; Isa. 19:6; Jonah 2:5. 2. An ensign. See: Ensign.

  • Adoption

    [isbe] ADOPTION - a-dop'-shun (huiothesia, "placing as a son"): I. THE GENERAL LEGAL IDEA 1. In the Old Testament 2. Greek 3. Roman II. PAUL'S DOCTRINE 1. In Galatians as Liberty 2. In Romans as Deliverance from Debt III. THE CHRIS...
    [nave] ADOPTION. Gen. 15:3. Of Children Instances of: Of Joseph's sons, Gen. 48:5, 14, 16, 22. Of Moses, Ex. 2:5-10; Acts 7:21; Heb. 11:24. Of Esther, Esth. 2:7. Spiritual Ex. 4:22, 23; Num. 6:27 Deut. 28:10; 2 Chr. 7:14; I...

  • PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER

    [isbe] PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER - (bath-par`oh): The princess who rescued Moses (Ex 2:5-10; Heb 11:24). This is probably a title as well as an appellation, indicating not only one of the daughters of a Pharaoh, but also some very disting...

  • Midianite

    [ebd] an Arabian tribe descended from Midian. They inhabited principally the desert north of the peninsula of Arabia. The peninsula of Sinai was the pasture-ground for their flocks. They were virtually the rulers of Arabia, being ...

  • Zipporah

    [nave] ZIPPORAH Wife of Moses, Ex. 2:16-22. Reproaches Moses, Ex. 4:25, 26. Separates from Moses, is brought again to him by her father, Ex. 18:2-6. Miriam and Aaron rebuke Moses concerning, Num. 12:1.

  • Kindness

    [nave] KINDNESS. Lev. 19:34; Deut. 22:1 vs. 2-4.; Psa. 112:5; Prov. 14:21; Prov. 19:22; Prov. 31:26; Isa. 11:13; Zech. 7:9, 10; Matt. 5:7, 42 Luke 6:30. Matt. 25:34-36; Luke 6:34, 35; Acts 20:35; Rom. 12:15; Rom. 15:1, 2, 5; 1 Cor...
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  • Yerusalem, O Kota Daud [KJ.134]

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The Blessings of a Mother

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • One of the significant changes in the emphasis that occurs at this point in Genesis is from cursing in the primeval record to blessing in the patriarchal narratives. The Abrahamic Covenant is most important in this respect. H...
  • I. The liberation of Israel 1:1-15:21A. God's preparation of Israel and Moses chs. 1-41. The growth of Jacob's family 1:1-72. The Israelites' bondage in Egypt 1:8-223. Moses' birth and education 2:1-104. Moses' flight from Eg...
  • This pericope serves a double purpose. It introduces the rigorous conditions under which the Egyptians forced the Israelites to live, and it sets the stage for the birth of Moses.1:8-14 The new king (v. 8) was perhaps Ahmose ...
  • "Whilst Pharaoh was urging forward the extermination of the Israelites, God was preparing their emancipator."34". . . among other things, the Pentateuch is an attempt to contrast the lives of two individuals, Abraham and Mose...
  • Moses was "approaching the age of 40"(Acts 7:23) when he took his stand for his Hebrew brethren (v. 11).The reference to the Hebrew man as "one of his brethren"suggests that Moses' motivation in acting as he did was love that...
  • This section introduces some of the secondary characters in Exodus and sets the stage for Moses' call. Its purpose is primarily transitional.Moses provided water for Jethro's daughters and their sheep in the wilderness (vv. 1...
  • 3:1-12 Horeb is another name for Sinai (v. 1). It probably indicates a range of mountains rather than a particular mountain peak. The writer called it "the mountain of God"because it was the place where God later gave the Mos...
  • The Israelites erected the tabernacle on the first day of the first month, almost exactly one year after the Israelites left Egypt (vv. 2, 17). This was about nine months after Israel had arrived at Mt. Sinai (cf. 19:1).First...
  • Adams, Dwayne H. "The Building Program that Works (Exodus 25:4--36:7 [31:1-11])."Exegesis and Exposition1:1 (Fall 1986):82-92.Aharoni, Yohanan. "Kadesh-Barnea and Mount Sinai."In God's Wilderness: Discoveries in Sinai, pp. 11...
  • The Israelites had been at Mt. Sinai for almost one year (Exod. 19:1; Num. 10:11). All that Moses recorded as occurring between Exodus 19:1 and Numbers 10:11 took place during those twelve months.Even though this region conta...
  • "Chapters 23 and 24 are two of the brightest chapters in the book of Numbers. Scores of wonderful things are said about Israel, mainly prophetical. The dark sins of the past were forgotten; only happy deliverance from Egypt w...
  • The context of this section is significant as usual. Verses 1-8 deal with people who ministered to Yahweh in various ways for the people, and verses 15-22 concern the delivery of God's revelations to His people. Verses 9-14 c...
  • The Israelites felt the main influence of the Ammonites on the east side of the Jordan River that bordered Ammon (v. 8). However the Ammonites also attacked the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim west of the Jordan (v. 9)...
  • God had promised the Israelites that if they departed from Him He would discipline them by sending famine on the Promised Land (Deut. 28:17, 23, 38-40, 42).16The famine on Israel at this time indicates God's judgment for unfa...
  • Verse 13 is a key verse in the book because it records the fulfillment of Naomi and Ruth's plans to obtain rest (2:2; 3:1-5).82A son was indispensable to the continuation of the line of Boaz as well as that of Mahlon and Elim...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • Athaliah was the mother of the Judean king Ahaziah whom Jehu assassinated (9:27-29). She was a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and the sister of the Israelite kings Ahaziah and Joram who had succeeded Ahab. She was the wife of J...
  • Evidently it was Kish, Mordecai's great-grandfather, who went into captivity with Jehoiachin (vv. 5-6).38This means Mordecai and Esther were probably descendants of the leading citizens of Jerusalem who went into exile in 597...
  • 105:7-11 God remembered His people (v. 7, cf. v. 42) so His people should remember Him (v. 5). God had been faithful to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3, 7; 15:18-21; 22:15-18; 28:13-15). He made this covenant with Abraham...
  • In contrast to Ahaz, who refused to listen to and obey God, the Lord would raise up a faithful king who would be born and reign in the future (the Millennium). This pericope climaxes the present section (7:1-9:7) dealing with...
  • 1:4 The prophet now began speaking to his readers and telling them what the Lord had said to him. Throughout this book, an indication that the Lord had told Jeremiah something is often the sign of a new pericope, as here (cf....
  • 29:1 This is another dated prophecy. It came to Ezekiel in the year before his first oracle against Tyre (26:1), namely, in 587 B.C.29:2 The Lord directed His prophet to turn his attention to the south, to Pharaoh king of Egy...
  • The first sentence in this pericope (section) serves as a title for the section, as the sentence in verse 1 did for 1:1-17. Matthew recorded the supernatural birth of Jesus to demonstrate further His qualification as Israel's...
  • The first miracle that Jesus performed, in His public ministry and in John's Gospel, was semi-public. Apparently only Jesus' disciples, the servants present, and Jesus' mother understood what had happened.2:1 The third day ev...
  • "Moses and Abraham hold the most prominent places in the roll of faith; and the central event of both their lives, as Hebrews presents them, is a journey."36711:23 Faith confronts hostility in a characteristic way that the wr...

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