Exodus 2

King James Version

Full text for Exodus Chapter 2

1¶ And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took [to wife] a daughter of Levi.

2And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he [was a] goodly [child], she hid him three months.

3And 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.

4And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

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.

6And 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.

7Then 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?

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, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

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.

12And 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.

13And 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?

14And 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.

15Now 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.

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.

17And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How [is it that] ye are come so soon to day?

19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew [water] enough for us, and watered the flock.

20And 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.

21And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

22And she bare [him] a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

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.

24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto [them].

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Exodus 2 recounts the birth of Moses, his miraculous rescue from the Nile by Pharaoh's daughter, and his adoption into the Egyptian royal household. Later, Moses flees Egypt after killing an Egyptian, finding refuge in Midian where he marries Zipporah. The chapter concludes with the Israelites' continued suffering under bondage and God's remembrance of His covenant with their forefathers.

Medium Summary

The chapter details the birth of Moses to Levite parents, who hide him for three months before placing him in an ark on the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter discovers the infant, has compassion, and adopts him, with Moses' own mother unknowingly serving as his nurse. As an adult, Moses kills an Egyptian who was smiting a Hebrew, and upon this act becoming known, he flees Pharaoh's wrath to Midian. There, he assists the daughters of Reuel, the priest of Midian, and subsequently marries Zipporah, having a son named Gershom. The chapter ends with the death of the Egyptian king and the children of Israel crying out to God from their bondage, prompting God to remember His covenant.

Long Summary

Exodus 2 begins with the birth of Moses to a man and woman of the house of Levi, who hide their goodly son for three months. Unable to conceal him longer, his mother places him in a pitch-sealed ark of bulrushes among the flags by the river's brink, while his sister watches from afar. Pharaoh's daughter, coming to wash at the river, discovers the weeping babe in the ark, and filled with compassion, recognizes him as one of the Hebrews' children. Moses' sister cleverly offers to find a Hebrew nurse, leading to his own mother being hired to nurse him for Pharaoh's daughter. After the child grew, he was brought to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him and named him Moses, signifying "drawn out of the water." When Moses was grown, he went out among his Hebrew brethren and, witnessing an Egyptian smiting one of them, slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day, he intervened in a dispute between two Hebrews, but his act of killing the Egyptian was revealed, causing Moses to fear. Upon Pharaoh hearing of this, he sought to slay Moses, who then fled to the land of Midian and sat by a well. There, he encountered the seven daughters of the priest of Midian, Reuel, and helped them water their flock after shepherds drove them away. Reuel, grateful for Moses' assistance, invited him to dwell with them and gave him Zipporah, his daughter, to wife. Zipporah bore Moses a son, Gershom, meaning "a stranger in a strange land." The chapter concludes by noting the death of the king of Egypt and the continued, severe bondage of the children of Israel. Their groaning and cries ascended to God, who heard them, remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and looked upon them with respect.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Preservation of MosesMoses' survival from Pharaoh's decree through his mother's ingenuity and Pharaoh's daughter's compassion demonstrates God's providential care for his chosen deliverer.
  • Moses' Identity and ActionMoses' awareness of his Hebrew heritage leads him to kill an Egyptian oppressor, an act that forces his flight from Egypt.
  • Exile and New BeginningsMoses' flight to Midian provides him refuge, where he establishes a family and begins a new life as a shepherd, away from the Egyptian court.
  • God's Remembrance of CovenantDespite the prolonged suffering of the Israelites under bondage, God hears their cries and remembers His sacred covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, signaling impending divine intervention.
  • Compassion and AdoptionPharaoh's daughter's act of compassion towards the Hebrew infant leads to his adoption into the royal household, providing Moses with a unique upbringing and education.
  • Consequences of ViolenceMoses' act of slaying the Egyptian, though perhaps intended as justice, leads to his exposure and flight, illustrating the immediate repercussions of his actions.
  • Hospitality in MidianMoses receives hospitality from Reuel, the priest of Midian, which leads to his marriage to Zipporah and the establishment of his family in a foreign land.