Exodus 2:25 kjv
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
Exodus 2:25 nkjv
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
Exodus 2:25 niv
So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
Exodus 2:25 esv
God saw the people of Israel ? and God knew.
Exodus 2:25 nlt
He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.
Exodus 2 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 2:23-24 | During that long period, the king of Egypt died… Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. | God heard, remembered, and the covenant context for His action. |
| Exod 3:7 | Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings...” | Direct parallel to seeing, hearing, and knowing suffering, preceding action. |
| Exod 3:8 | “I have come down to deliver them...” | God's immediate action resulting from seeing and knowing. |
| Exod 6:5 | Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. | Reinforces remembering the covenant as the basis for action. |
| Gen 15:13-14 | Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs... but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve...” | God's pre-knowledge and promise of judgment and deliverance. |
| Gen 22:12 | He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy... for now I know that you fear God...” | God's "knowing" as an intimate, active perception and recognition of truth. |
| Ps 139:1-4 | O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar... You know all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. | God's absolute, comprehensive, and intimate knowledge of His creation. |
| Ps 33:13-15 | The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man... He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. | God's omnipresent gaze and understanding of all humanity. |
| Ps 105:8 | He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations... | God's enduring faithfulness to His covenant promises. |
| Deut 7:7-8 | It was not because you were more numerous... that the LORD set his love on you... but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers. | God's love and faithfulness as the motivation for His intervention. |
| Isa 40:27-28 | Why do you say, O Jacob... “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator... His understanding is unsearchable. | God's unending nature and infinite, unsearchable understanding. |
| Isa 43:2 | When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you... | God's active presence and protective knowledge amidst trials. |
| Isa 63:9 | In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them... | God's deep empathy and shared suffering with His people. |
| Hos 13:5 | It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; | God's knowing implies a prior, enduring, redemptive relationship. |
| Matt 10:29-30 | Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. | God's detailed knowledge extends to all creation, signifying His care. |
| Luke 1:72 | To show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant... | God's remembering of covenant is fulfilled in the Messiah. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. | God's sovereign knowledge working for the good of His elect. |
| Rom 8:29 | For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son... | God's prior "knowing" as a relational choice, leading to predestination. |
| 1 Cor 8:3 | But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. | Being "known by God" implies a saving relationship and divine approval. |
| Gal 4:9 | But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again...? | Emphasizes that our relationship with God is founded on His knowing us. |
| Heb 4:13 | And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. | God's comprehensive vision and awareness. |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. | Christ's knowing and sympathizing with human suffering. |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer... | God's watchful care and attentiveness to His people. |
Exodus 2 verses
Exodus 2 25 Meaning
Exodus 2:25 profoundly declares God's active engagement and empathetic response to the suffering of His people, Israel, in Egypt. It signifies that God not only observed their plight but fully apprehended their condition with intimate knowledge, laying the groundwork for His imminent salvific intervention as outlined in the Abrahamic covenant. This verse encapsulates divine attentiveness and understanding, leading to deliberate action on behalf of the oppressed.
Exodus 2 25 Context
Exodus 2:25 serves as the culmination of a pivotal moment following forty years of Moses' exile in Midian. The preceding verses (2:23-24) set the stage by revealing that the Israelites' suffering under Egyptian bondage intensified, prompting them to cry out to God. Critically, these verses state that God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Verse 25, "God saw the people of Israel—and God knew," concludes this divine reception of the Israelites' distress signal. This entire passage (2:23-25) represents the divine initiative, establishing God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises despite human suffering and apparent delay, directly preceding His appearance to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3, where He outlines His plan of deliverance. Historically, this occurs at a time when Israel, a growing nation in Egypt, faced existential threat and crushing oppression, contrasting their dire circumstances with God's sovereign power and loving intention to redeem them.
Exodus 2 25 Word analysis
God (אֱלֹהִים, Elohim): This general Hebrew term for deity is used consistently in these verses (2:23-25). Here, it specifically refers to the one true God of Israel. The plural ending (
-im) suggests majesty or plenitude, emphasizing His supreme authority and singular nature amidst the many gods of Egypt. This very name appears in the creation account (Gen 1:1), underscoring His power and relationship as the Creator God, now acting as Redeemer.saw (וַיַּרְא, wa-yYar'): From the verb רָאָה (ra'ah), "to see, look, perceive, inspect, understand." This seeing is not a mere passive observation. It's an active, discerning perception. In the Bible, God "seeing" often implies a precursor to divine action or intervention. For instance, God "saw" His creation was good (Gen 1:31). Here, He sees the Israelites' affliction, demonstrating His attentiveness and recognition of their suffering, a significant act that precedes any human call, signaling His divine acknowledgment of a situation demanding response.
the people of Israel (אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, et-b'ney Yisra'el): Literally "the sons of Israel." This phrase highlights their identity as the descendants of Jacob, renamed Israel (Gen 32:28), emphasizing their covenantal relationship with God established through their patriarchs. Despite their suffering, they remain His chosen people, identified by this distinct title, ensuring God's particular attention and faithfulness to His unique promises made to this lineage.
and God (וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹהִים, wa-yYeda' Elohim): The repetition of "God" reinforces divine sovereignty and intentionality. It separates His action of "seeing" from His act of "knowing" as two distinct, yet intimately connected, aspects of His engagement, underscoring the completeness of His understanding.
knew (וַיֵּדַע, wa-yYeda'): From the verb יָדַע (yada'), "to know, be aware of, understand, recognize, be acquainted with, distinguish." This "knowing" is profound and personal, far exceeding mere intellectual recognition or factual awareness. In biblical thought, "knowing" (
yada') implies a deep, intimate, experiential, and often covenantal relationship, frequently leading to action. It conveys God's full and complete comprehension of their suffering, implying deep empathy and understanding of their plight. It's a knowing that compels a response, signaling God's comprehensive apprehension of their situation and readiness to intervene. It echoes God's intimate knowing of His chosen in passages like Ps 1:6 ("the LORD knows the way of the righteous").God saw… and God knew: This phrase emphasizes a complete divine apprehension. "Saw" implies visual observation and acknowledgment of their outward plight; "knew" suggests an internal, intimate, empathetic, and comprehensive understanding of their condition, suffering, and cries. This pairing implies not only divine omniscience but also divine compassion leading to active involvement. The structure highlights the immediacy and completeness of God's apprehension. His knowing confirms and seals His prior acts of hearing (Exod 2:23) and remembering (Exod 2:24), signaling the imminence of His saving work. This is the crucial point before His divine disclosure and command to Moses. It underscores that God is fully aware and prepared to act on behalf of His suffering people.
Exodus 2 25 Bonus section
The verbs "saw" (ra'ah) and "knew" (yada') in Hebrew frequently denote a profound involvement and subsequent action in the biblical narrative. This is not just intellectual discernment but a knowing that carries consequences and dictates intervention. The choice of Elohim throughout Exod 2:23-25 emphasizes God's universal sovereignty and His transcendence, contrasting sharply with the local or limited deities worshipped in Egypt. This is particularly significant in a polytheistic environment where many gods were invoked, yet none demonstrated the comprehensive care or capacity to intervene as the God of Israel did. This verse serves as the immediate answer to the cries in the preceding verse, connecting divine empathy with divine power and intention. It underscores the concept of God's 'divine pathos'—His capacity to be moved by and relate to human suffering, a foundational aspect of His character revealed in the Old Testament and fully realized in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, who shared in human suffering and temptations. This prepares the reader for the theophany at the burning bush where God identifies Himself by His covenant name YHWH (Exod 3:13-15), further emphasizing the personal and active nature of His involvement.
Exodus 2 25 Commentary
Exodus 2:25 is a concise yet powerful declaration of God's active, empathetic, and deliberate response to the plight of the Israelites. Following His hearing of their groaning and remembering His covenant (v.23-24), this verse signifies the completion of His divine apprehension. "God saw" highlights His attentiveness to their outward oppression, recognizing their visual distress. "And God knew" delves deeper, denoting an intimate, experiential understanding of their pain and suffering. This knowing is not a passive mental state but a profound, relational engagement that naturally culminates in action, thereby serving as the immediate divine prelude to the call of Moses and the subsequent deliverance of Israel from Egypt. It asserts God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, His profound empathy for His people, and His sovereign initiative in bringing about their salvation. This sets a precedent for how God interacts with His suffering people throughout salvation history, always aware and always ready to act for their redemption according to His perfect timing and will.
- Practical usage examples:
- For someone undergoing hardship, this verse offers assurance that God is not oblivious; He sees and knows their situation intimately.
- In times of injustice, it reminds believers that God, who saw and knew the suffering of Israel, is actively aware of present injustices and will act in His timing.
- It reinforces faith in God's faithfulness to His promises, even when His response seems delayed.