The primary focus of Exodus Chapter 2 is centered around the birth of Moses and much of his life until he reaches the point of being middle-aged.
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The Birth of Moses
The chapter begins with the birth of Moses. Due to Pharaoh’s decree, however, Moses’ mother had to hide him so he would not be killed with the other newborn males. She hid him for three months to protect him from the Egyptians.
But when hiding him was no longer possible, she put him in a covered basket and placed it at the bank of the Nile River. The baby’s sister, Miriam, watched him from afar to see what would occur next.
Pharaoh’s Daughter Finds Baby Moses
By chance, the daughter of Pharaoh chose to bathe that day and spotted the basket right away. As she inspected it, she was astonished to find the child, who appeared to be of Hebrew descent.
She took pity upon the crying infant. After witnessing these events, Miriam rushed to Pharaoh’s daughter and offered to bring a Hebrew nurse to care for him. This nurse, of course, was Jochebed, the actual mother of the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter advised Jochebed that if she agreed to care for the baby, she would be paid for her efforts.
Moses Grows Up
Exodus Chapter 2 continues with Moses grown and delivered to Pharaoh’s daughter. She adopted him and raised him as her own son. She named him Moses, which is of Egyptian derivation meaning “out of the water.” He was raised to adulthood knowing the whole time that he was Hebrew.
Moses Kills an Egyptian
At the age of 40, Moses went to view the many Hebrew laborers who toiled in the land. He encountered an Egyptian beating one of them so he jumped in and killed the Egyptian. He did not know anyone saw him until the next day when he noticed two Hebrew men fighting each other.
When he questioned them as to why they were fighting, one of them told Moses that he should not judge them. The man then asked if Moses intended to kill them like he killed the Egyptian the day before. At this, Moses realized that people saw him kill the Egyptian.
Moses Flees to Midian
When Pharaoh heard that Moses killed an Egyptian, Moses was forced to flee to Midian. While he was there, Moses met the daughters of the priest of Midian and assisted them in extracting water from a well, even after shepherds attempted to stop them.
Upon learning of Moses’ kind deed, the priest Reuel offered the hand of one of his daughters to Moses. They got married and bore a male child. They named him Gershom.
Exodus Chapter 2 concludes with the death of the current Pharaoh and God’s recognition of His covenant with the Israelites.
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Exodus 2 (King James Version)
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.