Exodus 2:19
in Exodus 2“An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.
KJV
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
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This verse in Exodus 2
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd they said, an Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds,.... A man, who by his habit and by his speech appeared to them to be an Egyptian, and upon their inquiry he might tell them so, being born in Egypt, though of Hebrew parents: and also drew water enough for us; or "in drawing drew" (t); drew it readily, quickly and in abundance: and watered the flock; by which means their business was done, and they returned home earlier than usual. (t) דלה דלה "hauriendo bausit", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator.
This site's exposition
when they came to Reuel their father
on Exodus 2:18-20
The daughters run home and tell their father, as Rebekah did at Genesis 24:28 and Rachel at Genesis 29:12, and the stranger is called in to eat bread. They report him as an Egyptian, which is what his dress and his speech made him to a Midianite eye. The priest is Reuel here and Jethro at Exodus 3:1 and 18:1, and Numbers 10:29 names Raguel as the father of Hobab, so some read Reuel as the clan head or grandfather while others read the two names as belonging to one man.
This site's exposition
An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds
The daughters call Moses an Egyptian, and John Gill thinks his dress and speech gave that impression. They report that he rescued them and drew water for the flock. Gill notes that the Hebrew doubles the verb for drawing, meaning he drew readily and in abundance, which is why they came home early.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Wherever the Providence of God casts us we should desire and endeavour to be useful; and, when we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can. And he that is faithful in a little shall be entrusted with more. How well he was paid for his serviceableness.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
An Egyptian - They judged from his costume, or language.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאמַ֕רְןָ | vatomarna | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִצְרִ֔י | mitzri | Egyptian | H4713 → | 70 times |
| הִצִּילָ֖נוּ | hitzilanu | he rescued us | H5337 → | 212 times |
| מִיַּ֣ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הָרֹעִ֑ים | haroim | the shepherds | H7462 → | 177 times |
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| דָּלֹ֤ה | daloh | carefully <to draw> | H1802 → | 5 times |
| דָלָה֙ | dalah | he drew | H1802 → | 5 times |
| לָ֔נוּ | lanu | for <the> us | ||
| וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ | vaiyashk | and he watered | H8248 → | 61 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַצֹּֽאן׃ | hatzon | the flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
וַתֹּאמַ֕רְןָand they said
vatomarnaH559 →5305 times
אִ֣ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִצְרִ֔יEgyptian
mitzriH4713 →70 times
הִצִּילָ֖נוּhe rescued us
hitzilanuH5337 →212 times
מִיַּ֣דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
הָרֹעִ֑יםthe shepherds
haroimH7462 →177 times
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
דָּלֹ֤הcarefully <to draw>
dalohH1802 →5 times
דָלָה֙he drew
dalahH1802 →5 times
לָ֔נוּfor <the> us
lanu
וַיַּ֖שְׁקְand he watered
vaiyashkH8248 →61 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַצֹּֽאן׃the flock
hatzonH6629 →274 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 29:10As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s…
it leads to
- Exodus 2:17
And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.
- Exodus 2:17
Through
Genesis 50:11When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is…
it leads to
- Genesis 24:6
Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
- Genesis 10:15–19
And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
- Genesis 34:30
Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if…
- Genesis 50:10
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
- Deuteronomy 11:30
Are not these mountains across the Jordan, west of the road toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah opposite Gilgal near the Oak of Moreh?
- Genesis 24:6
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.