Bare a son - Not her firstborn; Aaron and Miriam were older than Moses. The object of the writer is simply to narrate the events which led to the Exodus, and he mentions nothing that had no direct bearing upon his purpose.

A goodly child - See the marginal references. Probably Jochebed did not call in a midwife Exodus 1:15, and she was of course cautious not to show herself to Egyptians. The hiding of the child is spoken of as an act of faith in Hebrews 11:23. It was done in the belief that God would watch over the child.

Bare a son - This certainly was not her first child, for Aaron was fourscore and three years old when Moses was but fourscore, see Exodus 7:7 : and there was a sister, probably Miriam, who was older than either; see below, Exodus 2:4, and see Numbers 26:59. Miriam and Aaron had no doubt been both born before the decree was passed for the destruction of the Hebrew male children, mentioned in the preceding chapter.

Goodly child - The text simply says כי טיב הוא ki tob hu, that he was good, which signifies that he was not only a perfect, well-formed child, but that he was very beautiful; hence the Septuagint translate the place, Ιδοντες δε αυτο αστειον, Seeing him to be beautiful, which St. Stephen interprets, Ην αστειος τῳ Θεῳ, He was comely to God, or divinely beautiful. This very circumstance was wisely ordained by the kind providence of God to be one means of his preservation. Scarcely any thing interests the heart more than the sight of a lovely babe in distress. His beauty would induce even his parents to double their exertions to save him, and was probably the sole motive which led the Egyptian princess to take such particular care of him, and to educate him as her own, which in all likelihood she would not have done had he been only an ordinary child.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son,.... Which was not her first child, nor indeed her first son, for she had both Aaron and Miriam before this: this son, which was Moses, was born, as the Jews say (t), in the thirty seventh year after the death of Levi, A. M. 2365, (or, as others, 2368,) on a Wednesday, the seventh of the month Adar, in the third hour of the day: some say it was on the twenty fourth of Nisan; but, according to Bishop Usher (u), he was born forty one years after the death of Levi, A. M. 2433, and in the year before Christ 1571:

and when she saw him that he was a goodly child; exceeding fair and beautiful, as Stephen expresses it, Acts 7:20, the Jews say (w) his form was like an angel of God, and Trogus (x), an Heathen writer, says his beautiful form recommended him: this engaged the affections of his parents to him, and who, from hence, might promise themselves that he would be a very eminent and useful person, could his life be preserved:

she hid him three months; in her bedchamber, some Jewish writers say (y); others (z), in a house under ground, that is, in the cellar; however, it was in his father's house, Acts 7:20.

(t) Shatshalet Hakabala, fol. 5. 2. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 7. 1.((u) Annal. Vet. Test. p. 18. (w) Pirke Eliezer, c. 48. fol. 57. 2.((x) Justin e Trogo, l. 36. c. 2.((y) Chronicon Mosis, fol. 3. 2. (z) Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c.48. fol. 57.2)

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

2:2 Bare a son - It seems just at the time of his birth that cruel law was made for the murder of all the male - children of the Hebrews, and many no doubt perished by the execution of it. Moses's parents had Miriam and Aaron, both elder than he, born to them before that edict came out. Probably his mother had little joy of her being with child of him, now this edict was in force. Yet this child proves the glory of his father's house. Observe the beauty of providence: just when Pharaoh's cruelty rose to this height, the deliverer was born. She hid him three months - In some private apartment of their own house, though probably with the hazard of their lives had he been discovered. It is said, Heb 11:23. That Moses's parents hid him by faith: some think they had a special revelation that the deliverer should spring from their loins; however, they believed the general promise of Israel's preservation, and in that faith hid their child.

[1] son

Moses, type of Christ the Deliverer Isa 61:1 Lk 4:18 2Cor 1:10 1Th 1:10.

(1) A divinely chosen deliverer Ex 3:7-10 Acts 7:25 Jn 3:16.

(2) Rejected by Israel he turns to the Gentiles Ex 2:11-15 Acts 7:25 18:5,6 28:17-28.

(3) During his rejection he gains a Gentile bride Ex 2:16-21 Mt 12:14-21 2Cor 11:2 Eph 5:30-32.

(4) Afterward he again appears as Israel's deliverer, and is accepted Ex 4:29-31 Rom 11:14-26 Acts 15:14-17.

(5) Officially, Moses typifies Christ as Prophet Acts 3:22,23. Advocate Ex 32:31-35 1Jn 2:1,2, Intercessor Ex 17:1-6 Heb 7:25 and Leader, or King Dt 33:4,5 Isa 55:4 Heb 2:10 while, in relation to the house of God, he is in contrast with Christ. Moses was faithful as a servant over another's house; Christ as a Son over His own house Heb 3:5,6.

2. the woman . bare a son, &c.-Some extraordinary appearance of remarkable comeliness led his parents to augur his future greatness. Beauty was regarded by the ancients as a mark of the divine favor.

hid him three months-The parents were a pious couple, and the measures they took were prompted not only by parental attachment, but by a strong faith in the blessing of God prospering their endeavors to save the infant.

2:1-4 Observe the order of Providence: just at the time when Pharaoh's cruelty rose to its height by ordering the Hebrew children to be drowned, the deliverer was born. When men are contriving the ruin of the church, God is preparing for its salvation. The parents of Moses saw he was a goodly child. A lively faith can take encouragement from the least hint of the Divine favour. It is said, Heb 11:23, that the parents of Moses hid him by faith; they had the promise that Israel should be preserved, which they relied upon. Faith in God's promise quickens to the use of lawful means for obtaining mercy. Duty is ours, events are God's. Faith in God will set us above the fear of man. At three months' end, when they could not hide the infant any longer, they put him in an ark of bulrushes by the river's brink, and set his sister to watch. And if the weak affection of a mother were thus careful, what shall we think of Him, whose love, whose compassion is, as himself, boundless. Moses never had a stronger protection about him, no, not when all the Israelites were round his tent in the wilderness, than now, when he lay alone, a helpless babe upon the waves. No water, no Egyptian can hurt him. When we seem most neglected and forlorn, God is most present with us.