Focused Passage

Exodus 2:16-22

The Birth, Preservation, and Exile of Moses

Moses is born under a death decree, preserved through providence, raised in Pharaoh's household, exiled after failed intervention, and positioned in Midian while God hears Israel's groaning and remembers His covenant.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.

17 And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.

18 When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

20 “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

22 And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

Now the priest וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן H3548 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct of Midian מִדְיָ֖ן H4080 Noun - proper - masculine singular had seven שֶׁ֣בַע H7651 Number - feminine singular daughters בָּנ֑וֹת H1323 Noun - feminine plural and they came וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural to draw water וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה H1802 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural and fill וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙ H4390 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the troughs הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים H7298 Article | Noun - masculine plural to water לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת H8248 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct their father’s אֲבִיהֶֽן׃ H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine plural flock צֹ֥אן H6629 Noun - common singular construct
Verse 17

Original words

And when some shepherds הָרֹעִ֖ים H7462 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural came along וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural and drove them away וַיְגָרְשׁ֑וּם H1644 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural Moses מֹשֶׁה֙ H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular rose up וַיָּ֤קָם H6965 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to help them וַיּ֣וֹשִׁעָ֔ן H3467 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine plural and watered וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ H8248 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker their flock צֹאנָֽם׃ H6629 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 18

Original words

When [the daughters] returned וַתָּבֹ֕אנָה H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition their father אֲבִיהֶ֑ן H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine plural Reuel רְעוּאֵ֖ל H7467 Noun - proper - masculine singular he asked them וַיֹּ֕אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Why מַדּ֛וּעַ H4069 Interrogative have you returned בֹּ֖א H935 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct so early מִהַרְתֶּ֥ן H4116 Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person feminine plural today הַיּֽוֹם׃ H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Reuel was also called Jethro; see Exodus 3:1.
Verse 19

Original words

An Egyptian מִצְרִ֔י H4713 Noun - proper - masculine singular rescued us הִצִּילָ֖נוּ H5337 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural from מִיַּ֣ד H3027 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct the shepherds הָרֹעִ֑ים H7462 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural they replied וַתֹּאמַ֕רְןָ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural . . . אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular He even וְגַם־ H1571 Conjunction drew water דָּלֹ֤ה H1802 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . דָלָה֙ H1802 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular for us לָ֔נוּ Preposition | first person common plural and watered וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ H8248 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the flock הַצֹּֽאן׃ H6629 Article | Noun - common singular
Verse 20

Original words

So where is he וְאַיּ֑וֹ H335 Conjunctive waw | Interrogative | third person masculine singular [their father] asked וַיֹּ֥אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition . . . בְּנֹתָ֖יו H1323 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular Why לָ֤מָּה H4100 Preposition-l | Interrogative . . . זֶּה֙ H2088 Pronoun - masculine singular did you leave the man הָאִ֔ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular behind עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ן H5800 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Invite קִרְאֶ֥ן H7121 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine plural him ל֖וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular to have something to eat וְיֹ֥אכַל H398 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . לָֽחֶם׃ H3899 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

Moses מֹשֶׁ֖ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular agreed וַיּ֥וֹאֶל H2974 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to stay לָשֶׁ֣בֶת H3427 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct with אֶת־ H854 Preposition the man הָאִ֑ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular and he gave וַיִּתֵּ֛ן H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker his daughter בִתּ֖וֹ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Zipporah צִפֹּרָ֥ה H6855 Noun - proper - feminine singular to Moses in marriage לְמֹשֶֽׁה׃ H4872 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

And she gave birth to וַתֵּ֣לֶד H3205 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular a son בֵּ֔ן H1121 Noun - masculine singular and [Moses] named him וַיִּקְרָ֥א H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker . . . שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Gershom גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם H1647 Noun - proper - masculine singular - כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction saying אָמַ֔ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular I have become הָיִ֔יתִי H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular a foreigner גֵּ֣ר H1616 Noun - masculine singular in a foreign נָכְרִיָּֽה׃פ H5237 Adjective - feminine singular land בְּאֶ֖רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for foreigner.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.