*H After this there went a man of the house of Levi; and took a wife of his own kindred.
Ver. 1. After this. In process of time, without reference to what immediately precedes. The Heb. and Sept. omit these words. H. — The marriage of Amram, grandson of Levi, with his aunt or cousin, had taken place before the persecution. Tostat and others suppose, that people were not then forbidden to marry their aunts. But it is probable Jochabed was only the grand-daughter of Levi, and the daughter of one of Amram's brothers, as the Sept. insinuate. Otherwise their ages would have been very disproportionate. See C. vi. 20. C.
*H And she conceived, and bore a son: and seeing him a goodly child, hid him three months.
Ver. 2. Goodly. Handsome, elegant. Heb. xi. 23; agreeable to God. Act. vii. 20. Josephus says, Amram had been assured by God that the child should be the deliverer of his people. Yet he neglects not to use every prudent precaution. W. — Months. Heb. moons; whence some erroneously infer, that the Hebrew year was not solar. C.
* Footnote * Hebrews 11 : 23
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents: because they saw he was a comely babe, and they feared not the king's edict.*H And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river's brink,
Ver. 3. Bulrushes, or paper plant, growing on the banks of the Nile. Such little vessels were used in Egypt in Lucan's time. Conseritur bibula Memphitis cymba papyro. M. — Sedges, to prevent it from being carried away by the stream. Cajetan thinks the Hebrews did not drown their children; but by thus exposing them, abandoned them to the king's use. Act. vii. 19.
*H His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be done.
Ver. 4. His sister, Mary, who was born at the beginning of this persecution, and was therefore called bitterness. H. — She was about 12 years old. M.
*H And behold the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the river: and her maids walked by the river's brink. And when she saw the basket in the sedges she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was brought,
Ver. 5. Daughter, and sole heiress. She is called Thermut by Josephus, and Meris by Artapanus. She was going to bathe, or to purify herself, according to the custom of the country; or perhaps she was going to wash linen, as Nausicrae, the daughter of Alcinous, was doing, when she met Ulysses. C.
*H She opened it, and seeing within it an infant crying, having compassion on it, she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews.
Ver. 6. Hebrews, against whom the persecution raged. She saw it had received circumcision. Theod. q. in Ex.
*H And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: Because I took him out of the water.
Ver. 10. Moses, or Moyses, in the Egyptian tongue, signifies one taken or saved out of the water. Ch. — Mo, signifies water in the Egyptian tongue; Mosse, "he drew out," in Hebrew. Philo believes that the princess feigned him to be her own child. Moses denied that he was, and would not take advantage of this adoption, Heb. xi. 24. He was grown up, and had been well instructed by his parents, v. 9. He afterwards became well versed in all the sciences, (Act. vii. 22,) rejecting what was idle and superstitious. Josephus assures us he became a great conqueror. C.
*H And when he had looked about this way and that way, and saw no one there, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
Ver. 12. He slew the Egyptian. This he did by a particular inspiration of God; as a prelude to his delivering the people from their oppression and bondage. He thought, says S. Stephen, (Acts vii. 25,) that his brethren understood that God by his hand would save them. But such particular and extraordinary examples are not to be imitated. Ch. — He was inspired, on this occasion, to stand up in defence of the innocent. M. S. Tho. ii. 2. q. 60. — The laws of Egypt required every person to protect the oppressed; or, if unable to do it, he was to call in the aid of the magistrate. Diod. i. C. — Moses looked round to see if there was any help near. He was 40 years old when he was forced to flee.
*H But he answered: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us? wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? Moses feared, and said: How is this come to be known?
Ver. 14. Feared. S. Paul, (Heb. xi. 27,) is speaking of his leaving Egypt, at the head of the people, when he says, not fearing the fierceness of the king. Without being dismayed on this occasion, by the unexpected discovery of what he had done, (which was perhaps undesignedly made public by the Hebrew whom he had rescued) he resolves not to tempt God. H.
*H And Pharao heard of this word, and sought to kill Moses: but he fled from his sight, and abode in the land of Madian, and he sat down by a well.
Ver. 15. Madian. A city and country of Arabia, which took its name from Madian the son of Abraham, by Cetura, and was peopled by his posterity. Ch. — There were, perhaps, some of the descendants of Cham, by his son Chus, intermixed with them; (H.) and hence Aaron reproaches the wife of Moses for being a Chusite. Num. xii. 1. Jethro was a Cinean, descended from the same stock.
*H And the priest of Madian had seven daughters, who came to draw water: and when the troughs were filled, desired to water their father's flocks.
Ver. 16. Priest. Hebrew cohen, (or cén,) means also a prince, as the Chal. has it. When put in this manner, with the name of a place, it is generally taken in this sense. But formerly kings were also priests. Jethro served the true God, like Job, in the midst of a perverse generation, and offered sacrifice to him, when he joined the camp of the Israelites. Ex. xviii. 11. C.
*H And when they returned to Raguel their father, he said to them: Why are ye come sooner than usual?
Ver. 18. Raguel. He had two names, being also called Jethro, as appears from the first verse of the following chapter. Ch. — He is also called Hobab and Ceni. Num. x. ii. Jud. i. 16. Perhaps Raguel was father of Jethro. Drusius.
*H And Moses swore that he would dwell with him. And he took Sephora his daughter to wife:
Ver. 21. Swore. Heb. Goel is rendered "was willing." — Sym. has "He conjured Moses;" and Theod. "Moses began to dwell." The Sept. neglect the word entirely. "But Moses took up his abode."
* Footnote * 1_Paralipomenon 23 : 15
The sons of Moses were Gersom and Eliezer:*H And she bore him a son, whom he called Gersam, saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country. And she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father, my helper, hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao.
Ver. 22. Gersam, or Gershom. This name signifies, a stranger there: as Eliezer signifies the help of God. Ch. — And she, &c. is wanting both in Heb. and Chal. but found in the Complut. edit. of the Sept. It occurs (C. xviii. 4,) and we might naturally expect to find it in this place. C.
*H Now after a long time the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel groaning, cried out because of the works: and their cry went up unto God from the works.
Ver. 23. Died in the year 2494. His successor, Amenophis, treading in his footsteps, was drowned 19 years afterwards. Usher.
*H And the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and he knew them.
Ver. 25. Knew them; that is, he had respect to them, he cast a merciful eye upon them. Ch. — Heb. "he had regard for them;" and, as some Latin copies read, delivered them. C.