Old Testament Commentary - Exodus 2

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 2 Moses is born to Levite parents; raised by Pharoah's daughter; in defense of an Israelite he slays an Egyptian; flees to Midian; and marries Zipporah—Israel in bondage cries to the Lord.
1 AND there went a man of the house of ^aLevi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived, and bare a ^ason: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him ^bthree months. 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 ^ain the flags by the river's brink.		1^a OR consecrate or set apart. ^b Lev. 21:10 (10-15) ^c OR young bull (also vv. 3, 10-12, 14, 36).; Lev. 8:2; 1 Chr. 13:9 2^a Lev. 2:4 ^b HEB mingled OR smeared
4 And his ^asister stood afar off, ^bto wit what would be done to him. 5 ¶ And the daughter of Pharaoh^a 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. 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.	5^a the daughter of Pharaoh Who was this 'daughter of Pharaoh'? When the Lord spoke directly to Joseph of Egpyt conveying to him those blessing and promises which would come by him and his seed unto Israel, Joseph was told of Moses that, '... for a seer will I raise up to deliver my people out of the land of Egypt; and he shall be called Moses. And by this name he shall know that he is of thy house; for he shall be nursed by the king's daughter, and shall be called her son.'(JST Genesis 50:29) Now the name Moses is a Hebrew name given the child by the King's [Pharaoh's] daughter. Why would she give him a Hebrew name? And why would the Lord state that by that Hebrew name Moses would know that he is of thy [Joseph's] house; for [because] he shall be nursed by the king's [Pharaoh's] daughter, and shall be called her son'? This seems to imply not only that the King's daughter was Hebrew but also that by her adopting Moses, Moses would come to know that he was then considered to be of the house of Joseph. What is the possiblility that the Pharaoh who ordered the killing of the Hebrew children was a descendant of Joseph of Egypt? Some generations had passed and a 'great' grandson of Joseph may well 'not have known Joseph' and by his ancester, perhaps a grandson of Joseph, having married into the Hyksos Pharaoh family, for indeed Joseph dwelt in the house of Pharaoh and would be so intreated in his position to possibly have a 'son' married into the royal family—then could a descendant of Joseph been that Pharaoh in the days of Moses? Certainly that Pharaoh was set against the shepherd Hebrews for the influence of the house of Pharaoh would have looked down upon them. And that influence of the royal house of which this son would have been a member of, may well have been stronger than his own Hebrew blood relationship to Joseph.	1^a OR consecrate or set apart. ^b Lev. 21:10 (10-15) ^c OR young bull (also vv. 3, 10-12, 14, 36).; Lev. 8:2; 1 Chr. 13:9 2^a Lev. 2:4 ^b HEB mingled OR smeared
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? 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. 9 And 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.		1^a OR consecrate or set apart. ^b Lev. 21:10 (10-15) ^c OR young bull (also vv. 3, 10-12, 14, 36).; Lev. 8:2; 1 Chr. 13:9 2^a Lev. 2:4 ^b HEB mingled OR smeared
10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto ^aPharaoh's daughter, and he became her ^ason. And she called his name ^bMoses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water^a. 11 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his ^abrethren, and looked on their ^bburdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he ^aslew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.	10^a Because I drew him out of the water By the words of her own mouth does the daughter of Pharaoh state that she spoke and understood the Hebrew language for she names the child with the name of Moses because of it Hebrew meaning. And if the implication of Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis chapter 50:29 is correct, well should she speak Hebrew for she was descended of the house of Joseph.	10^a JST Gen. 50:29; 10^a Acts 7:21; Heb. 11:24; ^b IE in Egyptian "To beget a child" and in Hebrew "To draw out". D&C 109:60-61; D&C 133:34; TG Israel, Joseph, People of ^b Septuagint; crosing his hands
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 ^asmitest thou thy fellow? 14 And he said, Who made thee a ^aprince 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. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to ^aslay Moses. But Moses ^bfled from ^cthe face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.		14^a Zechariah 10:7 (6-12); D&C 109:60-61; D&C 133:34; TG Israel, Joseph, People of ^b Septuagint; crosing his hands
16 Now the priest of ^aMidian had seven daughters: and they came and drew ^bwater, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18 And when they came to ^aReuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? 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. 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.
21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses ^aZipporah his daughter. 22 And she bare him a ^ason, and he called his name ^bGershom: for he said, I have been a ^cstranger in a strange land.
23 ¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt ^adied: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they ^bcried, and their ^ccry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God ^aheard their groaning, and God remembered his ^bcovenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, ^aand God had respect unto them.