Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Exodus 2

Introduction

1  Moses is born, and in an ark cast into the flags.
5  He is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter;
7  who employs his mother to nurse him.
11  He slays an Egyptian.
13  He reproves an Hebrew.
15  He flees into Midian, and marries Zipporah.
22  Gershom is born.
23  God respects the Israelites' cry.

Verse 1

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
A. M. 2432. B.C. 1572. of the house
6:16-20, Numbers 26:59, 1 Chronicles 6:1-3, 23:12-14

Verse 2

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
A. M. 2433. B.C. 1571. she saw
Psalms 112:5, Acts 7:20, Hebrews 11:23

Verse 3

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
could not
1:22, Matthew 2:13,16, Acts 7:19
an ark
Isaiah 18:2
bulrushes
Gomé, is the papyrus, so famous in all antiquity. It grows on the banks of the Nile, and in marshy grounds; the stalk rises to the height of six or seven cubits above the water, is triangular, and terminates in a crown of small filaments, resembling hair. This reed was of the greatest use to the Egyptians; the pith serving them for food, and the woody part to build vessels with; which vessels frequently appear on various monuments of Egyptian antiquity. That boats were made of this reed is also attested by Pliny and others.
with slime
Genesis 6:14, 11:3, 14:10

Verse 4

And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
15:20, Numbers 12:1-15, 20:1, 26:59, Micah 6:4

Verse 5

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
daughter
Acts 7:21
herself
As the word herself is not in the original, Dr. A. Clarke is of opinion that it was for the purpose of washing, not her person, but her clothes, that Pharaoh's daughter came to the river; which was an employment not beneath even king's daughters in those primitive times.
when she
1 Kings 17:6, Psalms 9:9, 12:5, 46:1, 76:10, Proverbs 21:1, Jonah 1:17, 2:10

Verse 6

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
she had compassion
1 Kings 8:50, Nehemiah 1:11, Psalms 106:46, Proverbs 21:1, Acts 7:21, 1 Peter 3:8

Verse 7

Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
4, 15:20, Numbers 12:1, 26:59

Verse 8

And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
Go
Psalms 27:10, Isaiah 46:3,4, Ezekiel 16:8
mother
6:20

Verse 9

Take: Judges 13:8


Verse 10

And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
and he
Genesis 48:5, Acts 7:21,22, Galatians 4:5, Hebrews 11:24, 1 John 3:1
Moses
Drawn out. Because.
Genesis 4:25, 16:11, 1 Samuel 1:20, Matthew 1:21

Verse 11

And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
A. M. 2473. B.C. 1531. Moses
Acts 7:22-24, Hebrews 11:24-26
burdens
1:11, 3:7, 5:9,14, Isaiah 58:6, Matthew 11:28, Luke 4:18

Verse 12

And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
he looked
Acts 7:24-26
slew
If the Egyptian killed the Hebrew, Moses only acted agreeably to the divine law (Ge 9:6) in thus slaying the Egyptian; nor did he violate the law of Egypt; for, according to Diodorus Siculus (1. 1.  17), "he who saw a man killed, or violently assaulted on the highway, and did not rescue him, if he could, was punished with death." Moses, therefore, in this transaction, acted as a brave and good man; especially as at this time there was little probability of obtaining justice on an Egyptian murderer.

Verse 13

And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
and he said
Acts 7:26, 1 Corinthians 6:7,8

Verse 14

And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
Who
Genesis 19:9, 37:8-11,19,20, Numbers 16:3,13, Psalms 2:2-6, Matthew 21:23, Luke 12:14, Luke 19:14,27, Acts 7:26-28,35
a prince
Heb. a man, a prince.
Genesis 13:8
Moses
Proverbs 19:12, 29:25

Verse 15

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
fled
4:19, Genesis 28:6,7, 1 Kings 19:1-3,13,14, Proverbs 22:3, Jeremiah 26:21-23, Matthew 10:23, Acts 7:29, Hebrews 11:27
Midian
Genesis 25:2,4
sat down
Genesis 24:11, 29:2, John 4:6

Verse 16

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
the priest
or, prince.
3:1, Genesis 14:18, 41:45; *marg:
they came
Genesis 24:11,14-20, 29:6-10, 1 Samuel 9:11

Verse 17

And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
shepherds
Genesis 21:25, 26:15-22
watered
12, Genesis 29:10

Verse 18

And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
3:1, 4:18, 18:1-12
Jethro
or, Jether.
Numbers 19:20
Raguel

Verse 19

And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
an Egyptian
Genesis 50:11
and also
Genesis 29:10

Verse 20

And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.
call him
Genesis 24:31-33, 18:5, 19:2,3, 29:13, 31:54, 43:25, Job 31:32, 42:11, 1 Timothy 5:10, Hebrews 13:2

Verse 21

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
content
10, Genesis 31:38-40, Philippians 4:11,12, 1 Timothy 6:6, Hebrews 11:25, 13:5, James 1:10
Zipporah
4:20-25, 18:2-6, Numbers 12:1

Verse 22

And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
Gershom
i.e., a stranger here.
1 Chronicles 23:14-17
for he said
10, 18:3, 22:21, 1 Chronicles 16:20, 29:15, Psalms 39:12, 119:19, Acts 7:29, Hebrews 11:13,14

Verse 23

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
A. M. cir. 2504. B.C. cir. 1500. in process
7:7, Acts 7:30
the king
4:19, Matthew 2:19,20, Acts 12:23,24
sighed
Genesis 16:11, Numbers 20:16, Deuteronomy 26:6,7, Psalms 12:5
cry
3:7-9, 22:22-27, Genesis 4:10, 18:20,21, Deuteronomy 24:15, Judges 10:11,12, Nehemiah 9:9, Psalms 18:6, 81:6,7, 107:19,20, Isaiah 5:7, 19:20, James 5:4

Verse 24

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
God heard
6:5, Judges 2:18, Nehemiah 9:27,28, Psalms 22:5,24, 79:11, 102:20, 138:3
remembered
Genesis 15:14-18, 17:7, 18:18, 26:3,24, 28:12-14, 32:28, 46:2-4, Nehemiah 9:8,9, Psalms 105:6-13,42, 106:45, Luke 1:72,73

Verse 25

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
looked
4:31, 1 Samuel 1:11, 2 Samuel 16:12, Job 33:27, Luke 1:25
God
For elohim, God, Houbigant reads aleyhem, unto them; which is countenanced by the LXX., Vulgate, Chaldee, Coptic, and Arabic, and appears to have been the original reading.
had respect
Heb. knew.
1:8, 3:7,8, Psalms 1:6, 55:22, Matthew 7:23

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