Exodus 2 2

Exodus 2:2 kjv

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

Exodus 2:2 nkjv

So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.

Exodus 2:2 niv

and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.

Exodus 2:2 esv

The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

Exodus 2:2 nlt

The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.

Exodus 2 verses

Exodus 2 2 Meaning

Exodus 2:2 details the courageous and faith-filled actions of Moses' mother immediately after his birth. In defiance of Pharaoh's decree to kill all male Hebrew infants, she perceived her son as exceptional—literally "good" or "beautiful" in a significant sense—and made the profound decision to conceal him, at immense personal risk, for a period of three months. This act of hidden protection was a crucial step in God's divine plan to raise up a deliverer for Israel.

Exodus 2 2 Context

Exodus 2:2 directly follows Pharaoh's desperate and wicked decree to annihilate all male Hebrew infants by casting them into the Nile River (Exod 1:22). This was the culmination of his fear and oppression against the rapidly growing Israelite population. The verse takes place within the period of intense Egyptian slavery and highlights the grave danger faced by every Hebrew family expecting a son. It sets the immediate stage for the birth and early preservation of Moses, God's chosen deliverer.

Exodus 2 2 Word analysis

• The woman: Though unnamed in this immediate verse, she is later identified as Jochebed (Exod 6:20). Her anonymity here underscores the universality of this courageous mother's act amidst a terrorizing decree, representing all Israelite mothers facing this horror.

• conceived and bore a son: This highlights the natural yet miraculous continuation of life in the face of death-decreeing authority. Despite the decree, God allowed a Hebrew male to be born, showing His sovereignty.

• and when she saw that he was a fine child:

  • Original Hebrew: כִּי־טוֹב הוּא (ki-tov hu), literally "that he was good/beautiful." The Hebrew word tov (טוֹב) carries a rich meaning, not limited to mere physical aesthetics. It encompasses goodness, wellness, quality, desirability, and perhaps even divine approval or destiny, akin to God seeing His creation as "good" in Genesis 1.
  • This "seeing" implies more than superficial observation; it suggests a profound discernment, possibly a spiritual insight from the parents (as alluded to in Heb 11:23, where they perceived he was "no ordinary child" or "beautiful to God" in Acts 7:20), indicating God's special hand upon him.

• she hid him three months:

  • Original Hebrew: וַתִּצְפְּנֵהוּ (va-tits'p'nehu) from the root צָפַן (tsaphan), meaning to hide, conceal, store up, or treasure. This denotes a deliberate, proactive, and potentially perilous act of concealment. It was not merely putting him out of sight, but actively protecting him with great care.
  • "Three months" signifies the critical period during which she could successfully conceal a developing infant while his cries remained somewhat controllable. It marks a period of intense risk, secrecy, and parental dedication, demonstrating extraordinary faith and courage in defiance of Pharaoh's command. This time period would become a symbolic threshold for Moses' life, mirroring Jesus' hidden years before His ministry.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child": This phrase links the miraculous act of birth to a divine recognition by the mother. Her "seeing" is pivotal; it transforms a potentially doomed life into one worthy of extraordinary measures of protection. This immediate post-birth perception sparks the daring actions.
  • "she hid him three months": This demonstrates a clear act of faith and civil disobedience. The sustained "three months" underscores the immense challenge and continuous risk taken by the family to defy the most powerful ruler of their time, all to preserve the life of a single, crucial infant destined for greatness. It highlights their conviction that this child's life was divinely ordained to be protected.

Exodus 2 2 Bonus section

• The parallel between Pharaoh's decree to kill the Hebrew male infants and King Herod's decree to kill baby boys in Bethlehem (Matt 2:16) underscores a recurring demonic pattern of attempting to eliminate God's chosen deliverers at their birth. In both cases, God provided miraculous means of protection through faithful parental intervention.
• The hiding of Moses for "three months" echoes a broader theme of divine preparation through a period of obscurity or concealment before a powerful revelation or anointing. For example, Jesus spent approximately 30 years hidden before His public ministry.
• The word tov (good/beautiful) here connects to the broader biblical concept of discerning what is of value in God's eyes, not just human ones (1 Sam 16:7). Moses' parents saw something spiritually significant, prompting their risk. This teaches that true beauty often lies in God's chosen purpose rather than external appearance.

Exodus 2 2 Commentary

Exodus 2:2 is a profound testament to the power of parental faith and divine providence in the face of overwhelming oppression. In a context where life was brutally cheap for Hebrew males, Jochebed's choice to hide her newborn son, Moses, was an act of profound courage and defiance. Her perception that he was "a fine child" was likely more than a mother's bias; it was a spiritual discernment that God had a special purpose for him, despite Pharaoh's decree.

This verse exemplifies righteous civil disobedience, prioritizing God's will to preserve life over the murderous commands of a human ruler. It foreshadows a consistent biblical theme where God's purposes are not thwarted by human wickedness, but rather advanced through unexpected and often hidden means. The "three months" of hiding speak of incredible dedication and faith under pressure, setting the stage for Moses' miraculous deliverance and the grand narrative of the Exodus. It reveals how God uses seemingly small, vulnerable acts of faithfulness to launch the greatest works of salvation history.