God’s Word Translation
Exodus 2:21
21Moses decided to stay with the man. So Reuel gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as his wife.
Exodus 2:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
- New International Version (NIV)Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
Context of Exodus 2:21
19They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the sheep.” 20Reuel asked his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Go, invite him to supper.” Moses decided to stay with the man. So Reuel gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as his wife. 22She gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom [Foreigner], because he said, “I was a foreigner living in another country.” 23After a long time passed, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still groaned because they were slaves. So they cried out, and their cries for help went up to God.
Read all of Exodus 2Exodus 2:21 word by word
וַיּ֥וֹאֶל מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־צִפֹּרָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ לְמֹשֶֽׁה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 2:21
- Exodus 2:10When the child was old enough, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. Pharaoh’s daughter named him Moses [Pulled Out] and said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
- Genesis 31:38“I’ve been with you for 20 years. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never ate any rams from your flocks.
- Philippians 4:11I’m not saying this because I’m in any need. I’ve learned to be content in whatever situation I’m in.
- 1 Timothy 6:6A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have.
- Hebrews 11:25He chose to suffer with God’s people rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while.
- Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money. Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.”
- James 1:10Rich believers should be proud because being rich should make them humble. Rich people will wither like flowers.
- Exodus 4:20So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. He also brought with him the staff God had told him to take.
- Exodus 18:2When Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had taken her in,
- Numbers 12:1Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses because he was married to a woman from Sudan.
Commentaries on Exodus 2:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Zipporah his daughter - Abul Farajius calls her "Saphura the black, daughter of Rewel the Midianite, the son of Dedan, the son of Abraham by his wife Keturah." The Targum calls her the granddaughter of Reuel. It appears that Moses obtained Zipporah something in the same way that Jacob obtained Rachel; namely, for the performance of certain Services, probably keeping of sheep: see Exodus 3:1.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Moses tells us nothing of what he may have learned from his father-in-law, but he must have found in him a man conversant with the traditions of the family of Abraham; nor is there any improbability in the supposition that, as hereditary priest, Reuel may have possessed written documents concerning their common ancestors.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Moses found shelter in Midian. He was ready to help Reuel's daughters to water their flocks, although bred in learning and at court. Moses loved to be doing justice, and to act in defence of such as he saw injured, which every man ought to do, as far as it is in his power. He loved to be doing good; wherever the providence of God casts us, we should desire and try to be useful; and when we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-25This passage shows the concern Moses felt for the oppressed. It describes his move to a new land (2:18–22). He married, had a child, and lived there for 40 years (Acts 7:30). From a human perspective, rescuing the Israelites through Moses seemed impossible. But what God's perspective is what matters. The end of this section tells us that God had not forgotten his people (Exodus 2:23–25). He was only waiting for the right time to act (2:25).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2216-22. the priest of Midian--or, "prince of Midian." As the officers were usually conjoined, he was the ruler also of the people called Cushites or Ethiopians, and like many other chiefs of pastoral people in that early age, he still retained the faith and worship of the true God. seven daughters--were shepherdesses to whom Moses was favorably introduced by an act of courtesy and courage in protecting them from the rude shepherds of some neighboring tribe…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 2:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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