1Moses is born, and laid in an ark among the flags: 5he is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter: 11he slayeth an Egyptian; reproveth an Hebrew; and is obliged to flee into Midian. 16The priest of Midian entertaineth him, and giveth him his daughter Zipporah, of whom is born Gershom. 23God respecteth the cry of the Israelites.
1AND there went 1aa man 2of the house of Levi, and 3took to wife 4a daughter of Levi.
1 Whose name was Amram, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, Exod. 6:18, 20; Num. 26:59.
a Exod. 6:20; Num. 26:59.
2 That is, of the family and tribe of Levi.
3 Or, married a daughter of Levi.
4 Born to Levi himself, called Jochebed, Num. 26:59; Kohath’s sister, Amram, her own husband’s aunt, that is, his father’s sister, Exod. 6:20. Such marriages were forbidden afterwards, Lev. 18:12.
2Andb the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him thatc he was a 5goodly child, she hid him three months.
b 1 Chron. 23:13; Acts 7:20.
c Heb. 11:23.
5 Hebr. good; see Gen. 6 on verse 2.
3And when she could 6not longer hide him, she took for him 7an ark of 8bulrushes, and daubed it with slimed and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flagse by the river’s 9brink.
6 For, the Israelites lived intermingled with and among the Egyptians, Exod. 3:22. And the king’s command was strict, and the transgressing of it dangerous, Exod. 1:22; Heb. 11:23.
7 Other, a drawer.
8 Of which the Egyptians were wont to make light boats, Isa. 18:2.
d mud, bitumen
e marshland plant, such as reed or rush*
9 Hebr. lip. This the mother did, that the child might the sooner be heard, seen and found.
4And 10his sister stood afar off, to witf what would be done to him.
10 By name Miriam, Exod. 15:20: Num. 26:59.
f to know
5¶And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s 11side; and wheng she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid 12to fetch it.
11 Hebr. at the hand.
g Acts 7:21; Heb. 11:23.
12 Hebr. to take it.
6And when she had opened it, 13she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
13 Hebr. and she saw him, the small child.
7Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a 14nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
14 Hebr. a nursing woman.
8And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
9And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
10And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, 15and he became her son. And she called his name 16Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
15 That is, and she took him for her son. She caused him to be educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, Acts 7:21.
16 That is, drawn out, namely, out of the water.
11¶Andh it came to pass in those days, 17when 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 18brethren.
h Acts 7:23; Heb. 11:24, 25.
17 Moses was at this time forty years of age, mighty in words and in deeds, Acts 7:23.
18 That is, kinsmen, or countrymen.
12And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, 19he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
19 Moses did this to make his brethren understand that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not, Acts 7:25.
13And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said 20to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
20 That is, to him who was in the wrong.
14And he said, Whoi made thee a 21prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this 22thing is known.
i Acts 7:27.
21 Hebr. a man, a prince, that is, a princely man.
22 Or, act, or, deed.
15Now when Pharaoh heard 23this thing, he sought to slay Moses. Butj Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of 24Midian: and he sat down by a well.
23 That is, the killing of the Egyptian by Moses.
j Acts 7:29.
24 Acts 7:29. Madian (Greek). See Gen. 25:2.
16Now 25the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
25 Other, the prince, or, ruler. See of the Hebrew word cohen, Gen. 41:45. His name was Jethro, Exod. 3:1, and Hobab, Num. 10:29.
17And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18And when they came to 26Reuel their father, he said, 27How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
26 That is, grandfather; so the word is taken, 2 Kings 14:3; 16:2; 18:3. This was a Midianite, Hobab’s or Jethro’s father, Num. 10:29.
27 Hebr. why have ye hastened to come today?
19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also 28drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
28 Hebr. drawing he drew.
20And he said unto his 29daughters, And where is he? 30why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat 31bread.
29 That is, granddaughters, as appears by Num. 10:29. See the annotation on 1 Chron. 1:50.
30 Namely, it being so late already.
31 That is, that he may take his meal with us. See Gen. 31:54.
21And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses 32Zipporah his daughter.
32 His granddaughter, the daughter of his son Jethro, Exod. 3:1.
22And shek bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.33
k Exod. 18:2, 3.
33 After these words there are in our old translation many words which are not in the Hebrew text, but they are inserted out of the Greek translation, and are also in the Hebrew text Exod. 18:3; from where they are inserted here.
23¶And it came to pass in 34process of time, that the 35king 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.
34 Namely, about forty years, Exod. 7:7; Acts 7:30. Moses lived forty years in Pharaoh’s court; forty years he was a stranger and shepherd in Midian, and forty years he spent with the Israelites in the wilderness.
35 And with him all the rest that sought Moses’ life, Exod. 4:19, whereby Moses got liberty to return into Egypt.
24And God heard their groaning, 36and Godl remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.37
36 See Gen. 8 on verse 1.
l Gen. 15:14.
37 That is, made, or established.
25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and 38God had respect unto them.
38 Hebr. He knew, that is, took pity on them.