Exodus 2:5 kjv
And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
Exodus 2:5 nkjv
Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
Exodus 2:5 niv
Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.
Exodus 2:5 esv
Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.
Exodus 2:5 nlt
Soon Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her.
Exodus 2 5 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Gen 6:14 | "Make thee an ark..." | Same Hebrew word (teva) for Noah's Ark, signifying divine preservation through water. |
Gen 7:23 | "...Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." | God's unique way of preserving chosen individuals through vessels on water. |
Gen 12:2 | "And I will make of thee a great nation..." | God's covenant promise to Abraham is preserved through Moses's rescue. |
Gen 15:13 | "...thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs...they shall afflict them..." | Despite affliction, God initiates a plan for deliverance. |
Exod 1:22 | "Every son that is born...ye shall cast into the river..." | Pharaoh's decree, ironically subverted by his own daughter in the very same river. |
Exod 2:4 | "And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him." | Miriam's watchful role immediately preceding Pharaoh's daughter's action. |
Exod 2:7-10 | "Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter...And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go." | The providential follow-through: Moses is nursed by his own mother. |
Exod 14:21-22 | "And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground..." | The recurring theme of salvation through water, culminating in the Red Sea crossing. |
Ps 78:43 | "How he had wrought his signs in Egypt..." | The start of God's miraculous intervention on behalf of Israel in Egypt. |
Ps 105:25 | "He turned their heart to hate his people..." | God's control over human hearts, even leading to a scenario where Moses must be saved. |
Isa 43:2 | "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee..." | God's promise of presence and protection in perilous "water" situations. |
Dan 2:21 | "He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings..." | God's sovereign control over rulers and circumstances, as seen in Pharaoh's daughter's actions. |
Lk 1:37 | "For with God nothing shall be impossible." | God's ability to achieve His purposes through unexpected means and people. |
Acts 7:20-21 | "In which time Moses was born...And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up..." | Stephen's sermon highlights this pivotal moment in salvation history. |
Heb 11:23 | "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents..." | The parents' faith is part of the divine plan, leading to Moses's placement in the ark. |
1 Cor 1:27 | "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise..." | God uses seemingly insignificant or unlikely instruments (Pharaoh's daughter) to achieve mighty acts. |
Jas 1:17 | "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." | Pharaoh's daughter's compassion as a divinely inspired act. |
Rom 8:28 | "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." | God orchestrating events, even evil decrees, for His ultimate redemptive purposes. |
Eph 1:11 | "Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will..." | God's overarching plan guiding the events of Moses's birth and rescue. |
1 Pet 5:7 | "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." | God's personal care for His people, exemplified by Moses's rescue. |
Exodus 2 verses
Exodus 2 5 Meaning
Exodus 2:5 describes the fateful encounter between Pharaoh's daughter and the infant Moses. As she descends to the Nile for her personal ablutions, accompanied by her maidens, her gaze is drawn to a small "ark" hidden among the river reeds. Without hesitation, she commands one of her attendants to retrieve the mysterious object, setting in motion a crucial act of divine intervention that preserves the life of the future deliverer of Israel, fundamentally thwarting her own father's genocidal decree.
Exodus 2 5 Context
Exodus 2:5 is set against the somber backdrop of the Israelites' enslavement in Egypt, driven by Pharaoh's apprehension of their exponential growth. The verse follows Pharaoh's malevolent edict to drown every male Hebrew infant in the Nile (Exod 1:22). Moses's parents, in a defiant act of faith, hid him for three months (Exod 2:2-3) before entrusting him to the very river that threatened his life, placing him in a teva (basket) among the reeds. The unexpected appearance of Pharaoh's daughter and her subsequent act of compassion in discovering and retrieving the ark stand in profound contrast to her father's tyrannical policy. This pivotal moment not only saves Moses's life but also lays the foundational groundwork for his divine calling, future leadership, and the momentous deliverance of Israel, all testifying to God's sovereign hand at work amidst the most dire circumstances.
Exodus 2 5 Word analysis
- daughter of Pharaoh (בַּת־פַּרְעֹה - bat-par'oh): This title underscores her royal authority and privilege, which are essential for her capacity to defy her father's decree. The irony lies in salvation emerging directly from the oppressor's lineage.
- came down (וַתֵּרֶד - vatterëd): Implies a purposeful descent to the river's edge. This active movement creates the context for the discovery.
- to wash herself (לִרְחֹץ - lirkhoẕ): While literal hygiene, this act could also carry spiritual or ritual significance in ancient Egypt, possibly connected to purification or rejuvenation by the sacred Nile. Her routine creates the divinely appointed encounter.
- at the river (בַּיְאֹר - bay'ōr): Specifically identifies the Nile River. This is deeply ironic, as it's the very body of water designated by Pharaoh for the annihilation of Hebrew male infants. The instrument of death paradoxically becomes the site of salvation.
- her maidens (נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ - na'arôteyha): The presence of her entourage reinforces her royal status and provides witnesses, yet none prevented her act of mercy. They denote the royal procession and social custom.
- walked along by the river's side (הֹלְכֹת עַל־יַד הַיְאֹר - holkhôt 'al-yad hay'ôr): This vivid description sets the scene, depicting a leisurely royal progression that allows for the precise moment of discovery. It highlights the natural, yet divinely orchestrated, unfolding of events.
- saw (וַתֵּרֶא - vattere'): A simple verb, yet it marks the crucial instant of perception and awareness of the ark's presence, initiating her subsequent actions.
- the ark (הַתֵּבָה - hattēvah): This particular Hebrew word, teva, is used exclusively for Noah's Ark (Gen 6:14, 7:1-9:19) and Moses's basket. This powerful linguistic echo emphasizes God's consistent method of preserving chosen life from overwhelming destruction, whether by flood or decree. It's not a generic basket, but a vessel of salvation.
- among the flags (בַּסּוּף - bassûf): Sûf refers to reeds or papyrus plants. This detail highlights the hidden, yet vulnerable, position of the ark at the water's edge. It also subtly foreshadows the Yam Suf (Red Sea), where Israel would experience a greater act of salvation and judgment by crossing the waters.
- sent her maid (וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת־אֲמָתָהּ - vattishlaḥ 'et-'amātāh): Demonstrates her immediate authority and decisive response. It conveys prompt action and a royal command.
- to fetch it (וַתִּקָּחֶהָ - vattiqāḥehā): The direct, purposeful action of retrieving the ark, signifying her immediate compassion and resolve. This is the culmination of her initiative.
Exodus 2 5 Bonus section
- Pharaoh's daughter's compassionate act directly defies her father's state-mandated genocide. Her character embodies an individual conscience capable of pity even within a context of profound evil, becoming a divine instrument. She risks her royal position by nullifying her father's decree.
- The Nile's symbolism in this narrative is deeply layered. It's simultaneously the medium for Pharaoh's death decree and the vessel for Moses's life and salvation. This paradox anticipates the later plagues, where the Nile, venerated by Egyptians, would be turned to blood (Exod 7:17-21) by the very man it preserved. This duality highlights God's supreme authority over even the revered aspects of pagan worship.
- Miriam's presence nearby, "to see what would be done to him" (Exod 2:4), adds a layer of human agency working in conjunction with divine providence. Her watchfulness positions her perfectly to step in after the discovery, leading to Moses being nursed by his own mother—a truly ingenious part of God's design.
- The entire rescue is subtly executed, not through grand miracles or open confrontation, but through a hidden ark, a routine royal bath, and an unexpected act of compassion. This understated yet powerful intervention foreshadows God's frequent pattern of working behind the scenes before revealing His power more openly.
Exodus 2 5 Commentary
Exodus 2:5 stands as a profound testament to God's sovereign providence, orchestrating His redemptive plan through remarkably improbable and ironic circumstances. Pharaoh's daughter, despite her lineage within the oppressive regime, becomes the unlikely instrument for the salvation of Israel's future deliverer. Her approach to the Nile—the very river condemned by her father for infanticide—symbolizes God's subversive power to transform tools of death into channels of rescue. The deliberate choice of the word "ark" (teva) for Moses's basket forms an intentional parallel with Noah's Ark, powerfully underscoring God's unique ability to preserve a chosen remnant from universal threats. This moment dramatically illustrates that God's plans are unthwarted by human decrees, political might, or seemingly hopeless situations, instead unfolding through unexpected compassion, demonstrating His ultimate sovereignty over all earthly powers and His steadfast faithfulness to His covenant people.