Exodus 2:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman.

NIV: Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,

NASB: Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.

CSB: Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.

NLT: About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married.

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

NKJV: And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.

Exodus 2:1–10 provides the account of the arrival of Moses. This verse presents the context of his birth. His parents were both Levites, descendants of Levi the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac the son of Abraham, the man God promised to bless with a people who would become a nation (Genesis 12:1–3). The birth of their children took place within the expected context of marriage (Genesis 2).

Moses' parents are named in Exodus 6:20 as Amram and Jochebed. Amram lived 137 years, and was the son of Kohath who was the son of Levi (Exodus 6:16–20). The mother of Moses, Jochebed, was noted as Amram's "father's sister" or one of his aunts, though this may also refer more generally to a relative. Moses was not their only child or oldest child, though this passage only focuses on Moses. In Exodus 2:4 the older sister of Moses, later identified as Miriam, is described as following Moses to make sure he was safe. Exodus 4:14 first introduces his brother, Aaron.

Exodus 2:1–10 describes the birth and early life of Moses. His mother defies the order to kill Hebrew boys and hides her son. Once he becomes too old to conceal, she places him in a basket on the Nile. Apparently, this was a deliberate attempt to have Moses adopted, as Moses' older sister is stationed nearby, watching. Pharaoh's daughter finds the baby, and winds up hiring Moses' own mother to be his wet nurse. Once weaned, Moses is sent back to the Egyptian princess, gaining the benefits of a royal education and upbringing.

Amid an order from Pharaoh to murder newborn Hebrew boys, Moses' mother places him in a basket along the side of the river, staging her daughter there to observe. The Egyptian king's daughter sees the baby and has pity. Thanks to the presence of Moses' sister, the princess winds up paying Moses' own mother to wean him. After this, he is raised in the home of Egypt's royal family. As an adult, Moses unsuccessfully attempts to hide his murder of an abusive Egyptian and flees to Midian as an exile. As Moses builds a family abroad, Israel cries out to God for rescue from the brutality of Egyptian slavery.

Exodus chapter 2 introduces the character of Moses, after describing the plight of Israel under Egyptian slavery. This passage provides a few interesting ironies. Primarily, the Egyptian king attempts to oppress Israel through infanticide; this very command leads to his own daughter adopting an abandoned Hebrew boy—Moses. She provides him with support and education, essentially raising the future liberator of the very people her father seeks to control. After chapter 2 establishes Moses' exile from Egypt, chapter 3 will begin narrating his call to lead the nation of Israel out of captivity under the Pharaoh.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.

Accessed 5/2/2024 8:22:51 AM