Moses is born and exposed on the bank of the river; where he is taken
up by the daughter of Pharao, and adopted for her son. He killeth an
Egyptian, and fleeth into Madian; where he marrieth a wife.
2:1. After this there went a man of the house of Levi; and took a wife
of his own kindred.
2:2. And she conceived, and bore a son: and seeing him a goodly child,
hid him three months.
2:3. And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of
bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe
therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river’s brink,
2:4. His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be
done.
2:5. And behold the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the
river: and her maids walked by the river’s brink. And when she saw the
basket in the sedges she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was
brought,
2:6. She opened it, and seeing within it an infant crying, having
compassion on it, she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews.
2:7. And the child’s sister said to her: Shall I go, and call to thee a
Hebrew woman, to nurse the babe?
2:8. She answered: Go. The maid went and called her mother.
2:9. And Pharao’s daughter said to her: Take this child, and nurse him
for me: I will give thee thy wages. The woman took and nursed the
child: and when he was grown up, she delivered him to Pharao’s
daughter.
2:10. And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying:
Because I took him out of the water.
Moses.... Or Moyses, in the Egyptian tongue, signifies one taken or
saved out of the water.
2:11. In those days, after Moses was grown up, he went out to his
brethren: and saw their affliction, and an Egyptian striking one of the
Hebrews, his brethren.
2:12. And when he had looked about this way and that way, and saw no
one there, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
He slew the Egyptian.... This he did by a particular inspiration of
God; as a prelude to his delivering the people from their oppression
and bondage. He thought, says St. Stephen, Acts 7.25, that his brethren
understood that God by his hand would save them. But such particular
and extraordinary examples are not to be imitated.
2:13. And going out the next day, he saw two Hebrews quarrelling: and
he said to him that did the wrong: Why strikest thou thy neighbour?
2:14. But he answered: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over
us? wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? Moses
feared, and said: How is this come to be known?
2:15. And Pharao heard of this word, and sought to kill Moses: but he
fled from his sight, and abode in the land of Madian, and he sat down
by a well.
Madian.... A city and country of Arabia, which took its name from
Madian the son of Abraham, by Cetura, and was peopled by his posterity.
2:16. And the priest of Madian had seven daughters, who came to draw
water: and when the troughs were filled, desired to water their
father’s flocks.
2:17. And the shepherds came and drove them away: and Moses arose, and
defending the maids, watered their sheep.
2:18. And when they returned to Raguel their father, he said to them:
Why are ye come sooner than usual?
Raguel.... He had two names, being also called Jethro, as appears from
the first verse of the following chapter.
2:19. They answered: A man of Egypt delivered us from the hands of the
shepherds: and he drew water also with us, and gave the sheep to drink.
2:20. But he said: Where is he? why have you let the man go? call him
that he may eat bread.
2:21. And Moses swore that he would dwell with him. And he took Sephora
his daughter to wife:
2:22. And she bore him a son, whom he called Gersam, saying: I have
been a stranger in a foreign country. And she bore another, whom he
called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father, my helper, hath
delivered me out of the hand of Pharao.
Gersam.... Or Gershom. This name signifies a stranger there: as Eliezer
signifies the help of God.
2:23. Now after a long time the king of Egypt died: and the children of
Israel groaning, cried out because of the works: and their cry went up
unto God from the works.
2:24. And he heard their groaning, and remembered the covenant which he
made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
2:25. And the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and he knew
them.
Knew them.... That is, he had respect to them, he cast a merciful eye
upon them.