God’s Word Translation
Exodus 2:6
6Pharaoh’s daughter opened the basket, looked at the baby, and saw it was a boy. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. She said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”
Exodus 2:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.
- New International Version (NIV)She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
Context of Exodus 2:6
4The baby’s sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5While Pharaoh’s daughter came to the Nile to take a bath, her servants walked along the bank of the river. She saw the basket among the papyrus plants and sent her slave girl to get it. Pharaoh’s daughter opened the basket, looked at the baby, and saw it was a boy. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. She said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.” 7Then the baby’s sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” 8She answered, “Yes!” So the girl brought the baby’s mother.
Read all of Exodus 2Exodus 2:6 word by word
וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when she had openedפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- she sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the childיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
- and, behold, the babeנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- And she had compassionחָמַלchâmal · to spareH2550
- on him, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- of the Hebrews’עִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
Cross-references for Exodus 2:6
- 1 Kings 8:50Forgive your people, who have sinned against you. ⌞Forgive⌟ all their wrongs when they rebelled against you, and cause those who captured them to have mercy on them
- Nehemiah 1:11Lord, please pay attention to my prayer and to the prayers of all your other servants who want to worship your name. Please give me success today and make this man, King Artaxerxes, show me compassion.” I was cupbearer to the king at this time.
- Psalms 106:46He let them find compassion from all those who held them captive.
- Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is like streams of water. Both are under the Lord’s control. He turns them in any direction he chooses.
- Acts 7:21When Moses was abandoned outdoors, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her son.
- 1 Peter 3:8Finally, everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble.
Commentaries on Exodus 2:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6She had compassion on him - The sight of a beautiful babe in distress could not fail to make the impression here mentioned; see Clarke on Exodus 2:2; (note). It has already been conjectured that the cruel edict of the Egyptian king did not continue long in force; see Exodus 1:22. And it will not appear unreasonable to suppose that the circumstance related here might have brought about its abolition. The daughter of Pharaoh, struck with the distressed…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6She had compassion on him - The Egyptians regarded such tenderness as a condition of acceptance on the day of reckoning. In the presence of the Lord of truth each spirit had to answer, “I have not afflicted any man, I have not made any man weep, I have not withheld milk from the mouths of sucklings” (Funeral Ritual‘). There was special ground for mentioning the feeling, since it led the princess to save and adopt the child in spite of her father‘s…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 Come, see the place where that great man, Moses, lay, when he was a little child; it was in a bulrush basket by the river's side. Had he been left there long, he must have perished. But Providence brings Pharaoh's daughter to the place where this poor forlorn infant lay, and inclines her heart to pity it, which she dares do, when none else durst. God's care of us in our infancy ought to be often mentioned by us to his praise. Pharaoh cruelly…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6The Egyptians believed that the Nile River was a goddess. They thought she gave life and healing. In this way, the Nile was similar to how some people in modern India view the Ganges River. When Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe in the river, she was doing more than washing herself. She was likely taking part in her morning religious practice. When she found the baby floating on the river, she may have seen this as a sign from the Nile goddess. In her…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-96-9. when she had opened it, she saw the child--The narrative is picturesque. No tale of romance ever described a plot more skilfully laid or more full of interest in the development. The expedient of the ark, the slime and pitch, the choice of the time and place, the appeal to the sensibilities of the female breast, the stationing of the sister as a watch of the proceedings, her timely suggestion of a nurse, and the engagement of the mother herself--all…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 2:6
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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