Exodus 2:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

NIV: Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.' So the woman took the baby and nursed him.

NASB: Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.' So the woman took the child and nursed him.

CSB: Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages." So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

NLT: Take this baby and nurse him for me,' the princess told the baby’s mother. 'I will pay you for your help.' So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

Pharaoh has ordered the death of all Hebrew boys (Exodus 1:22), an order defied by Moses' mother, who instead hides him in a basket (Exodus 2:2–3). In an interesting twist, the Pharaoh's own daughter discovers the baby and feels compassion (Exodus 2:6). She speaks to the mother of Moses, and arranges for him to be weaned and brought back to her. Instead of Moses dying in the Nile River, he is rescued, adopted, and placed into the care of his own birth mother. Further, Moses' family is even compensated for their work! This was especially significant since the Jews were already slaves under Egyptian control. Pharaoh's daughter could have forced the job upon her, but instead showed favor to the mother of Moses. The entire scene reveals God's divine work during a dark time in the history of the Jewish people.

As expected, we are told, "The woman took the child and nursed him." The mother of Moses cared for him until the time he was weaned and could eat solid food. This would have been at least a year. Many children in ancient cultures were nursed until two or even three years old. The most formative time of Moses' early life remained in the arms of his own mother during a time when baby boys his age had not even been allowed to live.

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.