Exodus 2: Drawn From the Water
A Levite child is hidden, rescued from the river by Pharaoh's daughter, and grows to flee Egypt, while God hears Israel's groaning.
Exodus 2 (WEB)
1 A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.
2 The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.
4 His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.
5 Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her handmaid to get it.
6 She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The maiden went and called the child’s mother.
9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child, and nursed it.
10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
11 In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.
12 He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”
14 He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17 The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”
19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.”
20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”
21 Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.
22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”
23 In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them.
Exodus 2 (KJV)
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.
Exodus 2 (ASV)
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 she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it.
6 And she opened it, and 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 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 maiden 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 said, Because I drew him out of the water.
11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 And he went out the second day, and, behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving 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? thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely the 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 moreover he drew water 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 a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.
23 And it came to pass in the course of those many days, 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 saw the children of Israel, and God took knowledge of them.
Summary
Amid Pharaoh's death sentence, a man and woman of the house of Levi have a son, and the mother hides him three months. When she can hide him no longer, she places him in a tar-coated papyrus basket among the reeds by the river, with his sister watching nearby. Pharaoh's daughter comes to bathe, finds the crying child, has compassion on him, and recognizes him as a Hebrew. The sister boldly offers to fetch a Hebrew nurse, and so the baby's own mother is paid to nurse her son until he is grown and becomes the princess's son, named Moses, drawn out of the water. When Moses is grown, he goes out to his brothers, sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and kills the Egyptian, hiding him in the sand. The next day his deed is known, Pharaoh seeks to kill him, and Moses flees to Midian, where he helps the daughters of Reuel at a well and settles down, marrying Zipporah and naming his son Gershom. The chapter ends with the king of Egypt dying while Israel groans under bondage, and God hearing their cry and remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Main Characters
- Moses — The Levite child hidden from Pharaoh, drawn from the river, raised in the palace, who flees to Midian after killing an Egyptian and tending the oppressed.
- Moses' mother and sister — A Levite mother who hides and then entrusts her son to the river, and a watchful sister whose courage secures the baby's safety and nursing.
- Pharaoh's daughter — An Egyptian princess who shows compassion on a Hebrew baby, adopts him as her own, and unwittingly preserves Israel's deliverer.
- Yahweh (the LORD) / God — The God who hears Israel's groaning under bondage and remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Key Verse
Exodus 2:24 (WEB)
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Lessons Learned
- God works his saving purposes through ordinary acts of faith and courage.
- The Lord can use even his enemies' households to protect and provide for his people.
- Zeal without God's timing leads to failure; Moses' impulsive rescue ends in flight.
- God hears the cry of the oppressed and acts because he remembers his covenant.
- Faith acts in the face of fear. When she could no longer hide him, his mother “took a papyrus basket for him” and trusted God with the river (Exodus 2:3, WEB). Faith does the next faithful thing and leaves the rest to God.
- God overrules even hostile powers. Pharaoh's own daughter “had compassion on him” (Exodus 2:6, WEB) and raised the very deliverer her father sought to destroy. God turns the schemes of the powerful to serve his ends.
- Human effort apart from God's timing fails. Moses takes deliverance into his own hands and kills an Egyptian (Exodus 2:12), only to flee in fear. Rescue will come God's way, in God's time.
- God remembers his covenant. “God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24, WEB). His past promises guarantee his coming action.
- What acts of faith and courage do the women in this chapter display, and what is the result?
- How does God use Pharaoh's own household to preserve Moses' life?
- Why do you think Moses' attempt to defend his people goes so wrong?
- What is the significance of the statement that God “heard,” “remembered,” “saw,” and “was concerned” (2:24-25)?
- Where are you tempted to force a solution on your own rather than wait for God's timing?
- Moses' mother hides him and entrusts him to the river; his sister watches and arranges for his own mother to nurse him (2:2-9). Their quiet, risky faith preserves the deliverer, showing how God advances his plan through faithful, seemingly small choices.
- Pharaoh decreed death for Hebrew boys, yet his daughter rescues one, names him, and raises him in the palace (2:5-10). God sovereignly uses the household of Israel's oppressor to shelter and shape the man who will lead Israel out.
- Moses rightly cares about injustice but acts in his own strength, killing the Egyptian and hiding the body (2:11-12). When the deed is exposed he flees in fear. Right zeal pursued the wrong way leaves him in exile for decades until God calls him.
- The fourfold description—God heard, remembered, saw, and was concerned—shows that deliverance flows from God's covenant love, not Israel's worthiness (2:24-25). It assures us he is never indifferent to his people's suffering.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall times they grasped for control instead of trusting God's timing. As leader, hold up both Moses' good desire and his flawed method, and encourage patient, prayerful dependence.