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| 1 And there went a man of the house of Levi,–and took a daughter of Levi. |
Went a man – Amram, which signifies "noble people." R2902:3
A daughter – Jochebed, which signifies "Jehovah is glorious." R2902:3
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| 2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son,–and she saw him, that he was, a goodly child, so she hid him three months. |
Bare a son – Moses' humble birth, as one of an enslaved race, would naturally incline him to humility. R1651:3
That he was – As a natural result of favorable pre-natal influence. R1671:3
A goodly child – Like the Apostle Paul, Moses seems to have been chosen even before he was born. R1651:1, R1671:6
Stephen says he was "exceedingly fair." (Acts 7:20) Josephus says he was so h R3987:6
Beautiful. As careful breeding affects the lower animals, so also it is potent in respect to humanity. R5251:1
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| 3 And, when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of paper-reed, and covered it over with bitumen, and with pitch,–and put therein the child, and laid it among the rushes, upon the bank of the river. |
Laid It in the flags – They probably knew of the custom of the Egyptian princess to resort to that spot, or they may have been guided by a dream. R5251:3
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| 4 Then did his sister station herself at a distance,–to see what would be done to him. |
And his sister – Miriam was born about nine years before Moses. R3987:6
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| 5 So then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe by the river, and, her maidens, were walking by the side of the river,–when she saw the ark in the midst of the rushes, and sent her handmaid, and fetched it. |
Daughter of Pharaoh – Supposed to have been Neferari, the wife of Rameses II and daughter of the preceding monarch. R2903:1
A married woman, but childless. R3988:1
At the river – Probably Memphis, near the present site of Cairo, under the shadow of the pyramids. R3988:1
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| 6 And she opened, and beheld it–even the child, and lo! a boy weeping,–so she took pity on him, and said, Of the children of the Hebrews, is, this. |
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| 7 Then said his sister unto Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call thee a nurse, of the Hebrew women,–that she may nurse for thee, the child? |
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| 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her–Go. So the maid went, and called the mother of the child. |
Pharaoh's daughter said – It is probable that the princess perceived the ruse and cooperated, believing that the little one might as well have its own mother as caretaker. R5251:4
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| 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her–Take this child, and nurse it for me, and, I, will give thee thy wages. So the woman took the child, and nursed it. |
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| 10 And the child grew, and she brought him in to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said–For, out of the water, I drew him. |
She brought him – Probably when he was 7 or 12 years old, by which time the parents would have instructed the boy in respect to the Abrahamic promises. R2903:1
Became her son – God gave Moses just the kind of education he needed for his work-earliest years under training of godly parents, the remainder of the first 40 years under the most favorable education of his day, the 40 years of retirement for mellowing and refining his character. R1651:3
His name Moses – Supposedly derived from the Coptic, Mo (water) and uses (saved out of it). Some translate "born from the water." R5251:5, R3988:2
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| 11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses grew up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens,–and saw, an Egyptian, smiting a Hebrew–of his brethren. |
When Moses was grown – Moses believed that the time had come for the deliverance. He was ready and anxious to begin that work. He knew not of his own unreadiness. F5252:3
He was 40 years old. R1651:6
That he went out – Typifying that Christ, "though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor." (2 Cor. 8:9). R4058:2
Typifying how Christ left the glory of the heavenly condition, took a bondsman's form as a man, and came to deliver his brethren from bondage. (Phil. 2:6-8 Diaglott) R4058:2
Unto his brethren – Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. (Heb. 11:24) R2909:1
He would inspire his people with confidence in him by showing them that his sympathies were with them and that he could be relied upon as their leader. R5252:3
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| 12 So he turned this way and that, and, when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. |
Slew the Egyptian – How many would be inclined to console themselves with the thought that they were not directly responsible for the injustices whose profits they enjoy. R2909:1
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| 13 And he went out on the second day, and lo! two Hebrews, striving together,–so he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore shouldest thou smite thy fellow? |
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| 14 And he said–Who hath set thee for a chief and a judge over us? To slay me, art thou thinking, as thou didst slay the Egyptian? Then was Moses afraid, and said–Surely the thing is, known! |
And he said – Typifying how Christ "came unto his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:11) R4058:2, R2909:3
Who made thee – There was no such loyalty among his brethren as he had expected. R5252:4
They had not wished his services and had rather resented his interference. R5419:1
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| 15 So Pharaoh heard this thing, and sought to slay Moses,–and Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian, and sat down by the well. |
Moses fled – Fearing for his life. It looked as though all his years of education and development had gone to waste. Moses was now thoroughly crestfallen, meek, tractable, teachable. R5252:4
But Moses, believing the promises, esteemed "the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." (Heb. 11:26) R2909:2
Often spiritual Israelites find their efforts for good rejected and coveted opportunities for the Lord turned away; yet these very lessons fit us for future usefulness. R2909:5
The land of Midian – Typifying the far country, even heaven itself, to which our Jesus went after his rejection by his people. R4058:2
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| 16 Now, the priest of Midian, had seven daughters,–and they came and drew, and filled the troughs, to water their fathers flock. |
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| 17 Then came the shepherds, and drave them away,–so Moses rose up, and succoured them, and watered their flock. |
Moses stood up – Full of the instinct of justice R5252:4
Helped them – His natural nobleness and training made him chivalrous in the defense of women. R2909:3
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| 18 Then came they in, unto Reuel their father,–and he said, Wherefore have ye so early come in, today? |
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| 19 And they said, An Egyptian, delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds,–Moreover also he, drew, for us, and watered the flock. |
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| 20 And he said unto his daughters–And where is he? wherefore is it that ye left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. |
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| 21 And Moses was well-pleased to dwell with the man,–and he gave Zipporah his daughter, to Moses. |
Content to dwell – A humble shepherd for 40 years, learning a most important lesson of meekness, of full submission to the divine will. A very severe lesson for one not yet understanding God's providences in his affairs. R5252:5, R1651:4, R2909:4
Zipporah his daughter – Typifying the Bride of Christ, chosen from among the Gentiles. R1651:6
Being an African, a black, the sons would, of course, be mulattoes. R2909:4
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| 22 And she bare a son, and he called his name, Gershom,–for he said, A, sojourner, I am, in a strange land. |
Bare him a son – Being mulatto, he would have less respect among the Israelites and there would be less tendency to establish a rulership in the family line. R2909:5
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| 23 And it came to pass, during those many days, that the king of Egypt died, and the sons of Israel sighed by reason of the servitude, and lamented,–and their cry for help went up to God, by reason of the servitude. |
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| 24 And God heard their groaning,–and God remembered his covenant, with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob; |
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| 25 so then, God looked upon the sons of Israel,–and God regarded. |
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