Exodus 2:1-10
Summary for Exod 2:1-25: 2:1-25 a Chapter 1 b established the need for rescue; ch 2 c 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 d The man and woman were named Amram and Jochebed (6:20 e).• Levi was Jacob’s third son by his wife Leah (Gen 29:34 f).
2:2 g a special baby (literally he was good): This is probably a reference to his appearance: He was a “perfect” baby.
2:3 h 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 i 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 j 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 k 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 l).
• 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.”
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