Albert Barnes

These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:

“Now - Literally, “And,” indicating a close connection with the preceding narrative. In fact this chapter contains a fulfillment of the predictions recorded in Gen 46:3 and in Gen 15:13.”

but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

“In no province does the population increase so rapidly as in that which was occupied by the Israelites. See the note at Gen 47:6. At present it has more flocks and herds than any province in Egypt, and more fishermen, though many villages are deserted.”

So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

“Taskmasters - The Egyptian “Chiefs of tributes.” They were men of rank, superintendents of the public works, such as are often represented on Egyptian monuments, and carefully distinguished from the subordinate overseers.”

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

“Hebrew midwifes - Or “midwives of the Hebrew women.” This measure at once attested the inefficacy of the former measures, and was the direct cause of the event which issued in the deliverance of Israel, namely, the exposure of Moses.”

And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

“Made them houses - i. e. they married Hebrews and became mothers in Israel. The expression is proverbial. See the margin reference.”

But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch.

“The ark was made of the papyrus which was commonly used by the Egyptians for light and swift boats. The species is no longer found in the Nile below Nubia.”

Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.

“The traditions which give a name to the daughter of Pharaoh are merely conjectural. Egyptian princesses held a very high and almost independent position under the ancient and middle empire, with a separate household and numerous officials.”

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor.

“Went out unto his brethren - At the end of 40 years. The Egyptian princess had not concealed from him the fact of his belonging to the oppressed race, nor is it likely that she had debarred him from contact with his foster-mother and her…”

After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

“The slaying of the Egyptian is not to be justified, or attributed to a divine inspiration, but it is to be judged with reference to the provocation, the impetuosity of Moses’ natural character, perhaps also to the habits developed by his training at the court…”

The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?”

“Thy fellow - “Thy neighbor.” the reproof was that of a legislator who established moral obligations on a recognized principle. Hence, in the following verse, the offender is represented as feeling that the position claimed by Moses was that of a Judge.”

When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.

“No Egyptian king would have left; such an offence unpunished. But the position of Moses, as an adopted son of a princess, made it necessary even for a despotic sovereign to take unusual precautions.”

After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.

“In process of time - Nearly forty years Act 7:30. This verse marks the beginning of another section. We now enter at once upon the history of the Exodus.”

Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.

“Jethro his father-in-law - Or “brother-in-law.” The word in the Hebrew is a word signifying relative by marriage. When Moses arrived in Midian, Reuel was an elderly man Exo 2:16; 40 years later (Exo 2:23 note), Reuel’s son, Jethro, had probably succeeded him.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

“Put off thy shoes - The reverence due to holy places thus rests upon God’s own command. The custom itself is well known from the observances of the temple, it was almost universally adopted by the ancients, and is retained in the East.”

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt.

“Taskmasters - Oppressors. A different word from that in Exo 1:11. I know - The expression implies personal feeling, tenderness, and compassion (compare Exo 2:25 margin).”

But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

“Who am I - These words indicate humility (compare Num 12:3), not fear. He feared failure, owing to incompetency, especially in the power of expression.”

Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is…

“What is his name - The meaning of this question is evidently: “By which name shall I tell them that the promise is confirmed?” Each name of the Deity represented some aspect or manifestation of His attributes (compare the introduction to Genesis).”

God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to…

“The Lord God ... - Better, Jehovah יהוה yehovâh, God of your fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. It corresponds exactly to the preceding verse, the words “I am” and “Jehovah” (Yahweh) being equivalent.”

But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.

“No, not - See the marginal rendering. Others explain it to mean, Pharaoh will not let the people go even when severely smitten.”

“Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it.

“A serpent - This miracle had a meaning which Moses could not mistake. The serpent was probably the basilisk or Uraeus, the Cobra. This was the symbol of royal and divine power on the diadem of every Pharaoh.”

The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power.

“I will harden - Calamities which do not subdue the heart harden it. In the case of Pharaoh, the hardening was at once a righteous judgment, and a natural result of a long series of oppressions and cruelties.”

Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,

“My firstborn - The expression would be perfectly intelligible to Pharaoh, whose official designation was “son of Ra.” In numberless inscriptions the Pharaohs are styled “own sons” or “beloved sons” of the deity.”

But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.

“Sharp stone - Not “knife,” as in the margin. Zipporah used a piece of flint, in accordance with the usage of the patriarchs.”

So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)

“So he let him go - i. e. God withdrew His visitation from Moses. Moses sent Zipporah and her children back to Jethro before he went to Egypt, Exo 18:2. The journey would have been delayed had he waited for the healing of the child.”

Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,

“All the elders - The Israelites retained their own national organization; their affairs were administered by their own elders, who called a public assembly Exo 4:31 to hear the message brought by Moses and Aaron.”