Exodus 2:16

Exodus 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
• New International Version (NIV)Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

Context of Exodus 2:16

14But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.” 15When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?”

Exodus 2:16 word by word

וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנ֑וֹת וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶֽן׃Read the interlinear

• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• had sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• they cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and filledמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• the troughsרַ֫הַטrahaţ · troughH7298
• to waterשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: wateringH8248
• their father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629

Cross-references for Exodus 2:16

• Exodus 3:1Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
• Genesis 14:18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
• Genesis 41:45Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.
• Genesis 24:11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
• Genesis 29:6And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.”
• 1 Samuel 9:11As they went up the slope to the city, they found young women going out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?”

Commentaries on Exodus 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The priest of Midian - Or prince, or both; for the original כהן cohen has both meanings. See it explained at large at Genesis 15:18; (note). The transaction here very nearly resembles that mentioned Genesis 29 (note) concerning Jacob and Rachel.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The Priest of Midian - Reuel Exodus 2:18. His name, and the detailed notices in Exodus 2:17 may indicate that his person and office were lightly regarded by the idolatrous tribes in his immediate neighborhood.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. 16the priest of Midian: His name was Reuel (2:18), but Scripture later calls him Jethro (18:1). It was common for a person to have both an official and a personal name. But it is unclear which one is in view here. Perhaps, like Melchizedek, he was part of a local religious group that did not follow a pagan religion (Genesis 14:18). Reuel’s actions in bringing an offering and sacrifices to God support this idea (Exodus 18:12).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 2:16

• Jethro
• Moses
• Priest
• Shepherd
• Women
• Zipporah

In the dictionaries

• Midian
• Midian; Midianites
• Midian, Midianite
• Cattle
• Gutter
• Herdsman
• Herself
• Midianite
• Son
• Soon

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