1:8 there arose a new king. This king is either to be identified as one of the Hyksos kings (see Introduction) during a period of political disintegration, or as Pharaoh Amose I, founder of what archeologists have designated as the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom period in Egyptian history. It is probably best to take this new king, who knew not Joseph, as a Hyksos ruler. Furthermore, the term “arose” signifies “rose against,” which accords well with a foreign seizure of the Egyptian throne. The Hyksos (ca. 1730–1570 B.C.) came from outside Egypt (cf. Acts 7:18).
1:9–12 Another summary of a fairly lengthy period of time, as indicated by the population continuing to grow in spite of increasing hardship imposed on Israel.
1:9 the people. An Egyptian pharaoh designated Israel as a nation, marking the first time the term “people” or “nation” is used of them.
1:10, 11 join our enemies…set taskmasters over them. Israel was assessed both as a threat to national security and as an economic asset—slavery would, therefore, control the danger and maximize their usefulness.
1:11 supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. Places where both provisions and military hardware were stored. Archeological identification has not been finally definitive, with some 3 to 5 options being put forward for them. Pithom is usually taken as a center of solar worship in northern Egypt, and Raamses as Qantir in the eastern delta region. In addition, the city might very well have been re-named under the reign of the later, powerful pharaoh, and that name was better known to Israel later on (cf. the case of Laish, or Leshem, renamed Dan in Gen. 14:14, Josh. 19:47, and Judg. 18:29).
1:13 the Egyptians. The native inhabitants continued to enslave Israel. Between vv. 12 and 13 a major change in Egyptian history took place—the Hyksos were driven out (ca. 1570 B.C.).
1:14 hard bondage—in mortar, in brick. Archeologists have uncovered reliefs and paintings confirming the Egyptian practice of imposing forced labor on prisoners and slaves. These paintings also show foremen and guards watching construction work while scribes registered data on tablets.
1:15–17 the midwives feared God. These brave, older women reverenced their God and thus obeyed Him and not man. They obviously understood that children were a gift from God and that murder was wrong. The two midwives mentioned by name were probably the leading representatives of their profession, for it is unlikely that such a burgeoning population had only two midwives to deal with all the births.
1:15, 16 The failure of rigorous bondage to suppress population growth necessitated that different measures be taken; hence, the royal order to the Hebrew midwives to murder male infants at birth.
1:16 birthstools. Lit. “two stones” on which the women sat to deliver.
1:19, 20 Rather than trying to argue for a justifiable lie on the part of midwives seeking to protect God’s people, take it as a statement of what was true: God was directly involved in this affair of birth and national growth. That’s the key to understanding why no decree of Pharaoh would work out as he intended it, and why Hebrew women were so healthy and gave birth with ease.
1:22 The failure of the extermination program demanded of the midwives finally caused Pharaoh to demand that all his subjects get involved in murdering newborn boys.
Exodus 2
2:1, 2 Since Moses was born soon after the general decree of 1:22 was given (ca. 1525 B.C.), the issuer of the decree was Thutmose I.
2:3, 4 The careful actions of Moses’ mother to construct the ark of bulrushes, to set Moses afloat close to the royal bathing place, and to have his sister watch to see what would happen, indicate a hope that something would work out right for the child.
2:5 the daughter of Pharaoh. Identified possibly as Hatshepsut or another princess; in either case a princess whom God providentially used to override Pharaoh’s death decree and protect the life of His chosen leader for the Israelites.
2:10 became her son. The position of “son” undoubtedly granted Moses special privileges belonging to nobility, but none of these persuaded Moses to relinquish his native origin. Rather, as the NT advises, his spiritual maturity was such that when he came of age, “he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter” (Heb. 11:24). The formal education in the court of that time meant that Moses would have learned reading, writing, arithmetic, and perhaps one or more of the languages of Canaan. He would also have participated in various outdoor sports, e.g., archery and horseback riding, two favorites of the 18th Dynasty court.
2:11 when Moses was grown. The narrative skips over all details of Moses’ life as the adopted son of a princess prior to the event which led to his flight into Midian.
2:11, 12, 16–21 Two injustices aroused Moses’ indignation with different consequences: one resulted in his leaving home, having killed an Egyptian who beat an Israelite; the other resulted in his finding a new home as an Egyptian who helped the Midianite daughters of Reuel, and in his finding a wife. Undoubtedly, Reuel and his family soon discovered Moses was not really an Egyptian.
2:14 Cf. Acts 7:27, 28, 35.
2:15 Midian. The Midianites, who were descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:1–4), settled in the Arabian Peninsula along the eastern shore of the Gulf of Aqabah.
2:18 Reuel. He was also known as Jethro (3:1), who may very well have been a worshiper of the true God (cf. 18:12–23), notwithstanding his being also the priest of Midian.
2:21–23 The narrative skips over the unimportant details of this 40 year period and moves the record quickly to the finding of a new home and family and to the moment when Moses returned to his people.
Ex. 2:22
Moses’ Flight and Return to Egypt
2:23–25 The hardship imposed upon Israel finally brought forth a collective cry for relief. The response of God is presented in 4 words: “heard,” “remembered,” “looked upon,” and “acknowledged.” This signaled that a response was forthcoming.
2:24 remembered His covenant. The unilateral covenant God made with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3; 15:1–21; 17:1–22) and confirmed with Isaac (Gen. 26:2–5) and with Jacob (Gen. 28:10–15; 35:9–15) specifically promised a geographically recognizable territory to the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Through them, too, the world would be blessed.
Exodus 3
3:1 Moses was tending the flock. Moses worked as a shepherd while living with his father-in-law, a life and occupation quite different from the privilege and prestige associated with his life in Pharaoh’s court. Horeb. An alternative name for Mt. Sinai (cf. 19:11; Deut. 4:10). Traditionally, this mountain has been identified with Jebel Musa, “the mountain of Moses.” “Horeb” is the Heb. for the non-Semitic place-name, Sinai, located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. the mountain of God. This is known as such because of what took place there later in Israel’s history. This name for the mountain suggests that the book of Exodus was written by Moses after the events at Sinai. Others suggest that it was already known as a sacred mountain prior to the call of Moses; but it seems best to relate the name to what God did for Israel there.
3:2–4 Moses’ attention was drawn to a most unusual sight, that of a burning bush which was not being consumed by the fire within. A supernatural event is the only viable explanation. Natural explanations of certain types of flowers with gaseous pods or oil glands fail, in that, after 40 years of work in the desert, Moses would surely have ignored something normal. This was so different that it aroused his curiosity and demanded further examination. God was in the bush speaking, clearly a miraculous event.
3:2 The Angel of the LORD. Lit. “messenger of Yahweh” who, in context, turns out to be the LORD Himself talking to Moses (cf. Acts 7:30).
3:5–10 Cf. Acts 7:33, 34.
3:5 Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off. A sign of reverence in a holy place, one set apart from the norm because God was present there. These commands prevented Moses from rashly intruding, unprepared, into God’s presence.
3:6 I am the God of your father. God’s opening words, although import
ant for Moses to hear, point the reader back to 2:24—showing that the God of Israel has remembered His people and has begun to take action (cf. Matt. 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 3:13; 7:32). Moses hid his face. A fitting reaction of reverent fear in the presence of the Divine was modeled by Moses.
3:7, 8 I have surely seen…have heard. An emphasis on God’s having been well aware of the desperate situation of Israel. The result: He promised to deliver them from Egyptian oppression. Here, and in the next two verses, the repetitive manner in describing what God saw and would do, served to underscore all the more His personal involvement in the history of His people whom He had sent into Egypt.
3:8 to a good and large land, to a land…to the place. Three descriptions of the land to which Israel was going to be taken emphatically underscored the land promise of the Abrahamic Covenant. flowing with milk and honey. A formal and graphic way of describing a fertile land of bounteous provision. of the Canaanites and the Hittites. A specific identification of the territory to which Israel was going; her Promised Land was currently inhabited by other peoples.
3:10 I will send you. The divine summons made Moses both leader/deliverer of Israel and ambassador of God before Pharaoh.
3:11 Who am I…? The first response is an objection from Moses to the divine summons, an expression of inadequacy for such a serious mission. It sounded reasonable, for after 40 years of absence from Egypt, what could he, a mere shepherd in Midian, do upon return?
3:12 I will certainly be with you. The divine promise, one given also to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, should have been sufficient to quell all the chosen agent’s fears and sense of inadequacy for the task. you shall serve God on this mountain. A second divine promise signified the future success of the mission, suggesting that Israel would not be delivered simply out of bondage and oppression, but rescued to worship (cf. Acts 7:7).
3:13 Then Moses said. Was Moses at this point crossing the line from reasonable inquiry to unreasonable doubt? God’s patient replies instructing Moses on what He would do and what the results would be, including Israel’s being viewed with favor by the Egyptians (3:21), ought to caution the reader from hastily classifying Moses’ attitude as altogether wrong from the very beginning of the interaction between him and the LORD. A response of divine anger comes only in 4:14 at the very end of Moses’ questions and objections. See note on 4:1. What is His name? Moses raised a second objection. Israel might ask for God’s name in validation of Moses’ declaration that he had been sent by the God of their fathers. Significantly, the question was not “Who is this God?” The Hebrews understood the name Yahweh had been known to the patriarchs (which Genesis well indicates). Asking “what” meant they sought for the relevancy of the name to their circumstances. “Who?” sought after title, name, and identity, whereas “What?” inquired into the character, quality, or essence of a person.
3:14 I AM WHO I AM. This name for God points to His self-existence and eternality; it denotes “I am the One who is/will be,” which is decidedly the best and most contextually suitable option from a number of theories about its meaning and etymological source. The significance in relation to “God of your fathers” is immediately discernible: He’s the same God throughout the ages! The consonants from the Heb. word Yhwh, combined with the vowels from the divine name Adonai (Master or Lord), gave rise to the name “Jehovah” in English. Since the name Yahweh was considered so sacred that it should not be pronounced, the Massoretes inserted the vowels from Adonai to remind themselves to pronounce it when reading instead of saying Yahweh. Technically, this combination of consonants is known as the “tetragrammaton.”
3:15–22 Having provided Moses with His name in response to his second inquiry, God then furnished him with two speeches, one for Israel’s elders (vv. 16, 17) and one for Pharaoh (v. 18b). Also included was notification of the elders’ positive response to Moses’ report (v. 18a), of Pharaoh’s refusal to grant them their request (v. 19), of God’s miraculous, judgmental reaction (v. 20), and of Israel’s plundering of the Egyptians, who found themselves responding favorably to the departing nation’s request for silver, gold, and clothing (vv. 21, 22). The last of these harkens back to God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would come out of the land of their affliction with great possessions (Gen. 15:14).
3:15 Cf. Matt. 22:23; Mark 12:26; Acts 3:13.
3:16 elders. Lit. “bearded ones,” which indicated the age and wisdom needed to lead.
3:17 land of. See notes on 3:8.
3:18 three days’ journey. The request for a 3 day journey to worship, in the light of 1) direct promises of deliverance from Egypt, 2) worship at Horeb, and 3) entrance into Canaan, was not a ruse to get out and then not return, but an initial, moderate request to highlight the intransigence of Pharaoh—he just would not let these slaves leave under any conditions (v. 19)!
3:22 See note on 12:36.
Exodus 4
4:1 Then Moses answered and said. In a third objection, Moses gave an unworthy response, after the lengthy explanation by God to Moses in 3:14–22. At this point, the hypothetical situation proposed became more objection than reasonable inquiry.
4:2–9 In response to the hypothetical situation of Israel’s rejecting God as having appeared to him, Moses was given 3 signs to accredit him as the chosen spokesman and leader. Note the purpose stated: “That they may believe that the LORD God…appeared to you” (v. 5). Two of these signs personally involved Moses right then and there—the rod to snake and back, the hand leprous and healed. No matter what the situation Moses could envision himself facing, God had sufficient resources to authenticate His man, and Moses was not to think otherwise.
4:10 I am not eloquent. With his fourth argument, Moses focused on his speech disability, describing himself lit. as not being “a man of words,” as being “heavy in mouth and heavy in tongue,” i.e., unable to articulate his thoughts in fluent, flowing speech. An ancient document, The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant, suggests that eloquence was important in Egyptian culture, something which Moses would have well known from his time in the court. neither before nor since You have spoken. This is a pointed and inappropriate, if not impolite, criticism that somehow in all the discussion God had overlooked Moses’ speech disability. Unless this disability changed, Moses believed that he could not undertake the assigned task (cf. 6:12).
4:11, 12 Who has made man’s mouth? Three rhetorical questions from God shut the door on any complaints or criticisms about being clumsy of speech. The follow-up command, “Therefore, go!” including its promise of divine help in speech forbade all such objections.
4:13–16 Moses’ fifth and final statement, notwithstanding the opening supplication, “O my Lord,” was a polite way of bluntly saying, “Choose someone else, not me!” The anger of God toward this overt expression of reluctance was appropriate, yet the LORD still provided another way for His plan to move forward unhindered. Providentially (v. 27), Aaron would meet his brother Moses, and positively respond to being the spokesman.
4:15 and I will teach you. The plural pronoun “you” means that God had promised to assist both of them in their newly appointed duties.
4:16 you shall be to him as God. Aaron would speak to the people for Moses, even as Moses would speak to Aaron for the LORD.
4:17 this rod…with which you shall do the signs. Moses, despite God’s anger at his unwillingness, retained superiority in that he had the instrument by which miracles would be done so that it was identified as “the rod of God” (v. 20).
4:18 Please let me go. Courtesy toward the father-in-law for which he worked was not overlooked because of the divine call to service as national leader. Exactly how much was explained of the encounter at the burning bush remains unknown, but the purpose for the return, “and see whether they are still alive,” suggests that specific details of the call for him to be leader/deliverer were left unsaid, in contrast to the full explanation given to Aaron (v. 28).
4:20 sons. Gershom (2:22)
and Eliezer (18:4).
4:21 I will harden his heart. The LORD’s personal and direct involvement in the affairs of men so that His purposes might be done is revealed as God informed Moses what would take place. Pharaoh was also warned that his own refusal would bring judgment on him (v. 23). Previously Moses had been told that God was certain of Pharaoh’s refusal (3:19). This interplay between God’s hardening and Pharaoh’s hardening his heart must be kept in balance. Ten times (4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17) the historical record notes specifically that God hardened the king’s heart, and ten times (7:13, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34, 35; 13:15) the record indicates the king hardened his own heart. The Apostle Paul used this hardening as an example of God’s inscrutable will and absolute power to intervene as He chooses, yet obviously never without loss of personal responsibility for actions taken (Rom. 9:16–18). The theological conundrum posed by such interplay of God’s acting and Pharaoh’s acting can only be resolved by accepting the record as it stands and by taking refuge in the omniscience and omnipotence of the God who planned and brought about His deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and in so doing also judged Pharaoh’s sinfulness. See note at 9:12.
4:22 My son, My firstborn. To the ancient Egyptians, the firstborn son was special and sacred, and the Pharaoh considered himself the only son of the gods. Now he heard of a whole nation designated as God’s firstborn son, meaning “declared and treated as first in rank, preeminent, with the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being actually the firstborn.” The LORD pointedly referred to the nation collectively in the singular in order to show that He was a father in what He would do, i.e., bring a nation into existence, then nurture and lead him (cf. Deut. 14:1, 2). Divine sonship, as in the pagan world’s perverted concept of a sexual union between the gods and women, was never so much as hinted at in the way God used the term to express His relationship with Israel, who were His people, a treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (cf. 6:7; 19:4–6).
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 47