Exodus 2:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

NIV: Yes, go,' she answered. So the girl went and got the baby's mother.

NASB: Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, 'Go ahead.' So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

CSB: "Go," Pharaoh's daughter told her. So the girl went and called the boy's mother.

NLT: Yes, do!' the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother.

KJV: And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

NKJV: And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother.

In the prior verses, Moses has been hidden in a basket to protect him from a murderous law (Exodus 1:22). He is discovered by the Egyptian king's own daughter, who expresses her sympathy (Exodus 2:6). Moses' sister, Miriam, pops up and suggests that the infant be given to a Hebrew wet nurse (Exodus 2:7). Pharaoh's daughter agrees to Miriam's suggestion. Miriam then brings her mother—also the newly discovered infant's mother—to Pharaoh's daughter. In this most unlikely situation, Miriam would introduce the adoptive mother of Moses to his birth mother without her knowledge. Miriam's role is so important that Micah 6:4 later remembers her as someone God raised up to help free the Jewish people from bondage. Without her involvement, Moses' life would have been drastically different.

Much is unknown about the early years of Moses. However, it is clear he later knew who his sister and brother were. Exodus gives no indication that Moses or anyone in his adoptive Egyptian family were confused about his heritage. The names of Moses' parents are also recorded in Scripture. His entire family was involved in rescuing him from early death: "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict" (Hebrews 11:23). Unless Moses' father was very old when Moses was born, his long life indicates he also participated in the exodus and died in the wilderness (Exodus 6:20). One Jewish tradition says his father Amram lived long enough to see Moses' great-grandchildren.

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.