15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill(A) Moses, but Moses fled(B) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,(C) where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian(D) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water(E) and fill the troughs(F) to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue(G) and watered their flock.(H)

18 When the girls returned to Reuel(I) their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

20 “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”(J)

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah(K) to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,[a](L) saying, “I have become a foreigner(M) in a foreign land.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.

15 When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian,(A) and sat down by a well.(B)

16 Now the priest of Midian(C) had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then some shepherds arrived and drove them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18 When they returned to their father Reuel,[a](D) he asked, “Why have you come back so quickly today?”

19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

20 “So where is he?” he asked his daughters. “Why then did you leave the man behind? Invite him to eat dinner.”

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah(E) to Moses in marriage. 22 She gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom,[b] for he said, “I have been a resident alien(F) in a foreign land.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2:18 Jethro’s clan or last name was Reuel; Ex 3:1.
  2. 2:22 In Hb the name Gershom sounds like the phrase “a stranger there.”