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15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.

So Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian and sat down by a well.(A) 16 The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defense and watered their flock.(B) 18 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”(C) 19 They said, “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to share a meal.”(D) 21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.(E) 22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,[a] for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.”(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.22 In Heb Gershom resembles the word for alien

Moses Flees to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh, settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. 16 Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father’s sheep. 17 Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep. 18 When they returned to their father Reuel,[a] he asked, “Why have you returned so quickly today?”

19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,”[b] they replied, “and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep!”

20 “Then where is he?” He asked his daughters. “Why did you leave the man behind? Go invite him to have something to eat.”[c]

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.[d] 22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses[e] named him Gershom,[f] because he used to say, “I became an alien in a foreign land.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:18 I.e. another name for Jethro
  2. Exodus 2:19 Lit. the hand of the shepherds
  3. Exodus 2:20 Lit. to eat bread
  4. Exodus 2:21 The Heb. lacks in marriage
  5. Exodus 2:22 Lit. he
  6. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like Heb. for alien