"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 Moses. Abraham, who lived before the law (ante legem), is portrayed as one who kept the law [Gen. 26:5], whereas Moses, who lived under the law (sub lege), is portrayed as one who died in the wilderness because he did not believe [Num. 20:12]."35
2:1-5 The names of Moses' parents were Amram and Jochebed (6:20).
"At this point Scripture's aim is to inform us that from an ordinary man, . . . and from an ordinary woman, . . . whose names there was no need to mention, God raised up a redeemer unto his people."36
It is not clear from the text if Moses was an unusually beautiful child physically or if he was distinctive in some other respect (v. 2). One commentator translated "beautiful"as "healthy."37The phrase used to describe him in Hebrews 11:23 as well as the Hebrew word used here can have a broader significance than physical beauty. Josephus claimed that God had revealed to Amram in a dream that Moses would humble the Egyptians.38There is no scriptural support for this tradition; it may or may not be true.
Jochebed and Amram hid Moses because they trusted God (v. 3; Heb. 11:23-26). The same Hebrew word translated "wicker basket"in this verse (tehvah) reads "ark"in English translations of Genesis 6:14. As Noah's ark was God's instrument for preserving one savior of the human race, Moses' ark proved to be His means of preserving another savior of the Israelites. Moses' parents obeyed Pharaoh and put Moses in the river (1:22), but they also trusted God who delivered their baby.
"Ironically Jochebed, putting her son into the Nile, was in one sense obeying the Pharaoh's edict to throw' baby boys into the river! (Ex. 1:22)"39
"There is abundant warrant, afforded by this narrative, for Christian parents to cast their children upon God."40
Moses' older sister was probably Miriam. She is the only other sister of Moses mentioned in Scripture (v. 4; Num. 26:59).
The daughter of Pharaoh (Thutmose I) was probably Hatshepsut who was a very significant person in Egyptian history (v. 5). She later assumed co-regency with Thutmose III and ruled as the fifth Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty (1503-1482 B.C.). The ruling class in Egypt was male dominated, and it took a very forceful woman to rise and rule. Queen Hatshepsut adopted certain male mannerisms to minimize objections to her rule including the wearing of a false beard that appears on some Egyptian pictures of her.41
It was not uncommon for Pharaohs and other Egyptians to bathe ceremonially in the sacred Nile River, as many Indians do today in the Ganges River. The Egyptians believed that the waters of the Nile possessed the ability to impart fruitfulness and to prolong life.
Several women were involved in the events surrounding Moses' birth: the midwives, Pharaoh's daughter, her maid, Moses' sister, and Jochebed. How ironic it was that women, whom Egyptian and Israelite men looked down on as less significant than themselves, should have been responsible for saving Israel's savior.42Truly the hand of God is evident.
2:6-10 As the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, Moses enjoyed the highest privileges in his education. In commenting on Moses' training Stephen said that he became, "a man of power in words and deeds"(Acts 7:21-22). Josephus wrote that Moses was a general in the Egyptian army that defeated the Ethiopians and that he married the daughter of the king of Ethiopia.43We cannot prove the accuracy of this statement, but it suggests that Moses may have risen high in Egyptian society before he fled Egypt.
Moses' name was probably Egyptian, but it became a popular Hebrew name. It relates obviously to the names of other great Egyptians of that period (e.g., Ahmose, Thutmose, et al.). The "mose"part of the name means "one born of"and "mo"means "water."
"The phrase drew him out' (v. 10) is a Hebrew pun on the name, emphasizing the baby's rescue from the waters of the Nile."44
This name became even more appropriate as Moses' great life work of drawing the Israelites out of Egypt took shape.45In this sense his name proved prophetic. Moses' name may have been longer and may have had some connection with the name of an Egyptian god as the other "mose"compound names referred to above did. If this was the case, "in refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter' Moses was actually refusing reference to an Egyptian deity."46
The fact that Moses later chose to identify with the Israelites rather than the Egyptians is remarkable in view of his Egyptian privileges and background. His parents must have had a strong influence on him beginning very early in his life (cf. Joseph). We should never underestimate the power of parental influence even early in life. Note too that the faith of a child can grow stronger when tested by an ungodly environment.
