Exodus 1:8-22
Summary for Exod 1:8-10: 1:8-10 a From about 1650 until about 1550 BC, the northern part of Egypt, where the Israelites lived, was ruled by Semitic invaders that the Egyptians called “shepherd kings,” or Hyksos. Many scholars believe that these kings were sympathetic to the Israelites and that the Israelites may even have been allied with them. It is easy to imagine that, when these invaders were finally expelled about 1540 BC, the new rulers (Egypt’s 18th Dynasty) were very suspicious of any Semites, including the Israelites, who remained in the country.1:10 b The people whom Pharaoh referred to as our enemies would almost certainly have been the remnants of the Hyksos (see study note on 1:8-10).
1:11 c Pithom and Rameses have been identified with the modern cities of Tell el-Maskhutah and Qantir, which archaeology shows to have been built during the Late Bronze period (1550–1250 BC), the same period in which the Israelites were present.
1:12 d In spite of the concerted Egyptian oppression, the Israelites multiplied and spread; God was keeping his promise about giving Abraham many descendants (Gen 15:5 e).
1:14 f The only stone that the Egyptians could obtain for building purposes came from the far south of the country. Therefore, in the north where the Hebrews were settled, only the most important state and religious buildings were made of stone. The rest were constructed with mortar and bricks made of durable clay with a binder such as seashells or straw mixed in. After being sun-dried in a form, these materials were surprisingly durable—especially in a land such as Egypt, where there was little rainfall or humidity.
1:15 g Pharaoh is a title for the Egyptian ruler, not a personal name.
• The origins of the word Hebrew are unclear. As used by the Egyptians and Philistines in reference to the Israelites, it was apparently a derogatory term for a despised underclass.
• Whatever the number of Hebrew people (see study note on 12:37), there were clearly more than two midwives for the whole nation. Probably the two named here, Shiphrah and Puah, are representatives of the whole group. The differences between Pharaoh and the midwives are dramatic. He had great political and military power; they had none. He had great official prestige; they had very little. He was a man; they were women. He was of the ruling people; they were slaves. He was rich; they were poor. They could easily have been cowed into obedience, but they were not.
1:16 h watch as they deliver (literally look upon the two stones): The Hebrew might refer to a birthstool or genitalia.
• If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live: Such selective genocide would not completely deprive the Egyptians of a free labor source. When grown, the girls would be married to slaves from other people groups, effectively destroying Hebrew cohesion while keeping the supply of slaves as high as possible.
1:17 i The midwives ... refused to obey the mighty Egyptian king because they feared God more than they feared Pharaoh (1:21 j). Fear of the Lord (reverent awe of him as the almighty Creator and Judge) is the foundation of true knowledge and of wisdom (Prov 1:7 k; 9:10 l). The Lord is a friend to those who fear him (Ps 25:14 m). The midwives understood that the Lord has more power than any human being.
1:19 n It might trouble us that the midwives were not candid in giving their main reason for keeping the boy babies alive. Comprehensive honesty is less important to God than absolute faithfulness to him and to his believing community.
Summary for Exod 1:20-21: 1:20-21 o he gave them families: For most of history, children have had the worthy goal of growing up to raise a family. God graciously granted the universal wish of these women who served him courageously and faithfully.
Exodus 2
Summary for Exod 2:1-25: 2:1-25 p Chapter 1 q established the need for rescue; ch 2 r describes the preparation of Moses, the rescuer. God used the destruction of the Hebrew boy babies to ensure that the rescuer would be trained (see study note on 2:10) for his task. 2:1 s The man and woman were named Amram and Jochebed (6:20 t).• Levi was Jacob’s third son by his wife Leah (Gen 29:34 u).
2:2 v a special baby (literally he was good): This is probably a reference to his appearance: He was a “perfect” baby.
2:3 w Papyrus reeds grew plentifully along the many streams into which the Nile River divided in the delta region of northern Egypt. They were light and flexible, well-suited for basket weaving. It is possible that Moses’ mother placed the basket in the water exactly where it was most likely to be found by the Egyptian princess.
Summary for Exod 2:5-6: 2:5-6 x Much like the Ganges River in modern India, the Nile was understood by the Egyptians to be a goddess who had life-giving and healing properties. When Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, she was not merely washing but completing her morning devotions. The discovery of the baby floating on the river, in the embrace of the Nile goddess (as she saw it), would be very significant to her. It is also natural for a young woman to feel sorry for a crying baby. The combination of factors may account for her rescuing the child, though she recognized that he was Hebrew (Hebrews and Egyptians practiced circumcision differently).
Summary for Exod 2:7-9: 2:7-9 y It is evidence of God’s grace and sovereignty that Pharaoh’s daughter ironically paid Moses’ mother to nurse her own baby rather than having him killed according to Pharaoh’s command. The narrator seems to imply that the princess realized who the baby’s mother was (since she didn’t ask any embarrassing questions). If so, the two women chose to understand each other while maintaining a legal fiction. Moses was saved because God was at work, not because anyone was fooled.
2:10 z God not only saved Moses’ life for his future calling, he also arranged for him to receive administrative, military, and leadership training from the oppressors of his people. A pharaoh was expected to sire as many children as was physically possible to prove his power. Male offspring were placed in civil and military positions. It is very likely that the adopted son of a princess would have had such experiences (see Acts 7:22 aa).
• Moses: The princess gave the child an Egyptian name that is found in the full names of many prominent Egyptians, including the 18th Dynasty pharaohs named Ahmose (1550–1525 BC) and Thutmose (1504–1390 BC). By naming the child Moses (meaning “to give birth”), the princess was perhaps saying that the Nile, revered as a source of life, had given birth to the baby. The Israelites drew a connection between the name Moses and the similar sounding Hebrew term mashah, which means “to lift out.”
Summary for Exod 2:11-15: 2:11-15 ab This section addresses Moses’ first abortive attempt to rescue Israel in his own strength. This incident shows Moses’ courage and decisiveness, but it also shows his tendency to assume the responsibility himself, which would later have tragic effects in his life (Num 20:1-13 ac). Moses’ concern for his people’s welfare was good; his timing and manner did not accord with God’s plan.
Summary for Exod 2:11-12: 2:11-12 ad Moses had a privileged upbringing as compared with the toil and hardship of his own people, the Hebrews, but he was willing to identify with them and help them to the point of jeopardizing his own privileges.
2:13 ae Moses, who had put himself at risk to prevent an Egyptian from beating a Hebrew, must have been especially angered to see a Hebrew beating up a fellow Hebrew.
2:14 af The arrogant response of the Hebrew man, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge?” foreshadows how the rest of the Hebrews would respond to Moses in later years—they would not thank him for his efforts on their behalf. If Moses were to succeed, he would have to depend solely on a sense of his divine calling.
2:15 ag Moses fled: By trying to rescue Israel himself rather than through God’s help, Moses made himself a fugitive rather than a leader in Egypt, forestalling God’s purposes for him. Moses’ life was drastically changed as a consequence of his actions (cp. Num 20:9-13 ah; Deut 3:23-29 ai).
• Midian was located on both sides of the Gulf of Aqaba—in the southern Sinai Peninsula and on the western edge of the Arabian Peninsula. A major trade route from southern Arabia passed through this dry and barren area. Its people seem to have been nomadic shepherds and traders (see Gen 37:28 aj). It was a good place for a fugitive to disappear.
Summary for Exod 2:16-25: 2:16-25 ak This passage further reveals Moses’ concern for the oppressed and tells of his transition to a new land (2:18-22 al). He married, had a child, and lived there for forty years (Acts 7:30 am). From a human perspective, there was no way for the Israelites to be rescued through Moses, but it is the divine perspective that matters. The end of this section (Exod 2:23-25 an) tells us that God had not forgotten his people; he was only waiting for the time to act (2:25 ao). 2:16 ap The priest of Midian was named Reuel (2:18 aq), but later he is called Jethro (18:1 ar). It was common for a person to have both an official name and a personal name, though in this case it is not clear which is which. Perhaps, like Melchizedek (Gen 14:18 as), he represented an indigenous religious class that had not fallen prey to a pagan religion. Reuel’s actions in bringing an offering and sacrifices to God (Exod 18:12 at) suggest that this was so.
2:17 au rescued: Now a stranger in a strange land, Moses still could not stand by and allow oppression to continue—he was, by nature, a rescuer. The NLT has captured the correct sense of the Hebrew word, sometimes translated deliver or save.
Summary for Exod 2:18-20: 2:18-20 av The father of seven daughters was not about to leave a generous and courageous male—excellent husband material—unaccounted for! We see here the well-known hospitality (see also Gen 18:1-8 aw) that characterizes the residents of this region to this day.
Summary for Exod 2:24-25: 2:24-25 ax The verbs here speak of a God who is sensitive to his people’s needs (heard ... looked down), who is faithful and reliable (remembered his covenant promise), and who accepts his obligations in a relationship (knew it was time to act).
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