Exodus 2

1 Now a man [from the tribe, a male person] of the house [family, dwelling place] of Levi [a son of Jacob and Leah] married [took to wife, became husband of] a daughter [a female child, a woman] of Levi [a descendant of the Levite tribe], word study 2 and she [the woman] conceived [to become pregnant] and gave birth [to beget] to a son [a male child]. When she saw [to look after] that he [the baby] was a [goodly, pleasant] beautiful [lovely, fair] child [baby boy], she hid [to treasure] him for three [thrice] months [lunar cycles]. word study 3 But when she could no longer [be able to, have the power to] hide him, she got him a papyrus basket [ark of bulrushes, made from reeds] and coated it with tar [slime, bitumen] and pitch [a sticky substance]. Then she placed the child [youth, young one] in the basket and set it among the reeds [flags, water plants] along the bank [edge, brink] of the Nile [stream, river]. word study 4 And his sister [a biological sibling, a close relative] stood [to stand firmly, to present oneself] at a distance [far away, physically or in time] to see [to know, to learn, to perceive] what [in what manner, to what extent] would happen [be done, come to pass] to him [her brother, the one she was watching]. word study 5 Soon the daughter [child, female descendant] of Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful ruler] went down [to a lower place, descended] to bathe [wash, cleanse] in the Nile [a major river, a life-giving waterway], and her attendants [maidservants, female servants] were walking [going, proceeding] along the riverbank [the side of the river, the shore]. And when she saw [perceived, noticed] the basket [ark, a small vessel] among the reeds [water plants, bulrushes], she sent [dispatched, commanded] her maidservant [female slave, servant-girl] to retrieve [get, take] it. word study 6 When she opened [and saw inside] it, she saw the child [a young one, an infant], and behold [look, take notice], the little boy [youth, a young person] was crying [weeping, shedding tears]. So she had compassion [pity, sympathy] on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew [a descendant of Eber] children [youth, young ones].” word study 7 Then his sister [a close relative, a biological sibling] said to Pharaoh’s daughter [the king of Egypt’s female child], “Shall I go [to walk, to move from one place to another] and call [to summon, to invite] one of the Hebrew [a descendant of Eber] women [a female person, a wife] to nurse [to suckle, to give milk] the child [a young person, a youth] for you [on your behalf, for your benefit]?” word study 8 “Go ahead [proceed, yes, go and do that],” Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt] daughter [a female child or woman] told her. And the girl [maiden, a young, unmarried woman] went [to walk, to move from one place to another] and called [to call out to someone] the boy’s [youth, a young person] mother [a female parent, the one who nourishes]. word study 9 Pharaoh’s daughter [the king’s female child, a woman of royal birth] said to her, “Take this child [youth, young one] and nurse him [suckle, give milk to] for me, and I will pay your wages [compensation, payment for work].” So the woman [female person, mother] took the boy [youth, child] and nursed him [cared for, nurtured]. word study 10 When the child [youth, young person] had grown [to magnify, become great] older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt] daughter, and he became her son [a male descendant, adopted as her own]. She named him Moses [the one drawn out, rescued] and explained, “I drew [pulled out, rescued] him out of the water [a source of refreshment].” word study 11 One day [in those days, when the time had come], after Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] had grown up [magnified, become great], he went out [came forth, exited] to his own people [his brethren, relatives] and observed [saw, looked on] their hard labor [burdens, forced servitude, compulsory work]. He saw [beheld, looked upon] an Egyptian [a man from the land of Egypt] beating [striking, smiting] a Hebrew [a descendant of Eber], one of his own people [his brother, a close relative]. word study 12 After looking [this way and that way, around] this way and that and seeing [with careful observation, to perceive] no one [no man, any person], he struck down [slew, smote] the Egyptian [a man from Egypt] and hid [concealed, buried] his body [him] in the sand [the desert ground, sandy particles]. word study 13 The next day [following day, day after] Moses went out [came forth, emerged] and saw two [a pair of] Hebrews [descendants of Eber, Israelites] fighting [striving, quarrelling]. He asked the one in the wrong [who did the wrong, wicked one], “Why are you attacking [smiting, striking] your companion [neighbor, fellow Hebrew]?” word study 14 But the man replied, “Who [inquiring about identity] made you ruler and judge [one who governs, decides] over us? Are you planning [intending, thinking] to kill me as you killed the Egyptian [a man from Egypt]? ” Then Moses was afraid [feared, stood in awe] and thought, “This thing I have done [the action, the deed] has surely [certainly, truly] become known [revealed, disclosed].” word study 15 When Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] heard about this matter [thing, word, or affair], he sought [tried, attempted] to kill [slay, destroy] Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant]. But Moses fled [ran away quickly, escaped] from Pharaoh [the face of the king] and settled [dwelt, lived] in the land [country, territory] of Midian [a region, a tribe], where he sat down [remained, rested] beside a well [a water source, a spring]. word study 16 Now the priest [spiritual leader, one who offers gifts to God] of Midian [a son of Abraham, his country, and descendants] had seven daughters, and they came [approached, drew near] to draw [pull up, deliver] water and fill [make full, complete] the troughs [channels for water, gutters] to water [give a drink, nourish] their father’s [parent, ancestor, spiritual guide] flock [a group of sheep or goats, people under care]. word study 17 And when some shepherds [keepers of the sheep, pastoral caretakers] came along and drove them away [expelled, forced to leave], Moses [the Israelite leader, deliverer] rose up [stood up, arose] to help them [rescue, defend] and watered [gave drink to, hydrated] their flock [sheep, figurative people]. word study 18 When the daughters returned [came back quickly, hastened] to their father Reuel [Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law], he asked them, “Why [for what reason, how] have you returned [come back, arrived] so early [soon, quickly] today [in this day, at this time]?” word study 19 “An [from the land of Egypt] Egyptian rescued [delivered, saved from harm] us from the shepherds [those who care for and tend to flocks],” they replied. “He even [also, moreover] drew [pulled up, extracted] water for us and watered [gave drink to, refreshed] the flock [a group of sheep or goats, under the care of a shepherd].” word study 20 “So [where is he now] where is he?” their father [Reuel, the priest of Midian] asked. “Why [for what reason, why is it that] did you leave the man [this individual, the Hebrew] behind? Invite [call, summon] him to have [partake, eat] something to eat [bread, food, a meal].” word study 21 Moses [was willing, consented] agreed to stay [dwell, remain] with the man [Jethro, his father-in-law], and he gave [presented, bestowed] his daughter [child, offspring] Zipporah [bird] to Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet] in marriage [as his wife, to be his companion]. word study 22 And she gave birth [bore a son] to a son [a male child, descendant], and Moses named [called] him Gershom [a sojourner, stranger], saying, “I have become [been] a foreigner [sojourner, stranger] in a foreign [strange, unfamiliar] land [country, territory].” word study 23 After [a long period of time, many years] a long time, the king [ruler, monarch] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] died [passed away, came to an end]. The Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] groaned [sighed, mourned] and cried out [cried out for help, loudly expressed their distress] under their burden [heavy load, oppressive weight] of slavery [bondage, servitude], and their cry [desperate call, heartfelt plea] for deliverance [liberation, rescue] from bondage [slavery, captivity] ascended [went up, rose] to God [Elohim, the supreme God]. word study 24 So God [Elohim, the supreme God] heard [listened attentively to, gave heed to] their groaning [deep sighs, expressions of sadness], and He remembered [recalled, did not forget] His covenant [promise, agreement] with Abraham [the father of many nations], Isaac [he laughs], and Jacob [the supplanter]. word study 25 God [Elohim, the supreme Provider] saw [looked upon with care, had respect unto] the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] and took notice [knew, was concerned about, had knowledge of]. word study