Exodus Chapter 2

At a Glance

  • Exodus 2 follows the birth and early life of Moses.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • Exodus 2 sits at the hinge between the premature heroism and the later, more defined leadership of Moses.
  • - Divine preservation and risky courage: the infant Moses is saved to become a deliverer.
  • - Identity and vocation under shifting loyalties: Moses’ Hebrew roots and Egyptian exposure shape his calling.

EXODUS CHAPTER 2

Chapter Overview

Exodus 2 follows the birth and early life of Moses. A Levi couple conceives a son who is hidden for three months and placed in an ark along the Nile to save him from Pharaoh’s infanticide. Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the infant, spares him, and hires his mother to nurse him, thereby preserving his Hebrew ties while integrating him into Egyptian royalty. The narrative then accelerates into Moses’ adult conscience: he witnesses an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and kills the Egyptian, an act that marks a controversial call toward justice. When Moses intervenes a second time among Hebrews, his leadership claim is questioned, revealing his own uncertainty and fear of uncovering his identity. Fleeing to Midian after killing an Egyptian, Moses begins a new life as a shepherd. The chapter ends with a sense of divine timing: in the midst of personal exile, the potential leader begins to sense a calling that will later erupt in a dramatic encounter at the burning bush.

Historical & Literary Context

Exodus 2 sits at the hinge between the premature heroism and the later, more defined leadership of Moses. The genre blends intimate family drama, origin myth, and a seedbed for prophetic vocation. Written tradition emphasizes God’s care for the vulnerable (the infant saved from massacre) and the moral ambiguity of human actions in the process of divine providence. The Midianite setting introduces a gentile environment where Moses’ future ministry will be formed, including a new family and identity—elements that broaden the scope from a single deliverance to a future leader shaped by exile, responsibility, and obedience to God.

Key Themes

- Divine preservation and risky courage: the infant Moses is saved to become a deliverer.

- Identity and vocation under shifting loyalties: Moses’ Hebrew roots and Egyptian exposure shape his calling.

- Mercy and justice: Moses acts decisively against oppression, yet his actions are morally complex.

- The cost of leadership: Moses’ early life foreshadows the burdens and uncertainties of leading God’s people.

- Preparation in exile: Moses’ time in Midian becomes the crucible for his future role.

Modern Application

Exodus 2 speaks to contemporary readers about integrity in the face of injustice and the formation of leadership through life’s dislocations. It invites reflection on how personal identity is navigated when loyalties pull in different directions (family, faith, culture). The infant rescue story can inspire acts of care for the vulnerable, especially children at risk. Moses’ foiled first acts—righteous but risky—remind us that leadership often begins with imperfect intentions, requiring dependence on God’s guidance rather than personal prowess. The shepherding chapter also highlights the value of patient preparation: leadership can be formed in ordinary, even seemingly mundane seasons (like tending flocks) before God calls us to extraordinary work. Communities today can find hope in the notion that God can raise leaders from places of exile and ordinary life, turning personal deserts into a launchpad for destiny.

Cross-References: 1) Genesis 37-50 (Joseph’s rise under oppression), 2) Acts 7:20-36 (Moses’ call), 3) Hebrews 11:23-29 (by faith, Moses’ leadership), 4) Luke 4:16-30 (recognition of prophetic call in familiar settings)

Recommended Personas: Moses (central leadership and vocation), Jethro (learning from a foreign culture and pastoral wisdom), Miriam and Aaron (family dynamics in leadership)

Chapter Text

1

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

2

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three 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 in the flags by the river’s brink.

4

And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

5

And the daughter of Pharaoh 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.

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.

10

And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

11

And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: 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 slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

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 smitest thou thy fellow?

14

And he said, Who made thee a prince 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 slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

16

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, 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 Reuel 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 Zipporah his daughter.

22

And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

23

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

24

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Discuss This Chapter with Biblical Personas

Explore Exodus Chapter 2 with Biblical figures who can provide unique perspectives grounded in Scripture.

Ask Apostle PaulAsk MosesAsk King DavidAsk Jesus Christ
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