New English Translation
Exodus 2:15
15When Pharaoh heard about this event, he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he settled by a certain well.
Exodus 2:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
- New International Version (NIV)When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
- New King James Version (NKJV)When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.
Context of Exodus 2:15
13When he went out the next day, there were two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your fellow Hebrew?” 14The man replied, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Are you planning to kill me like you killed that Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Surely what I did has become known.” When Pharaoh heard about this event, he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he settled by a certain well. 16Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and began to draw water and fill the troughs in order to water their father’s flock. 17When some shepherds came and drove them away, Moses came up and defended them and then watered their flock.
Read all of Exodus 2Exodus 2:15 word by word
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לַהֲרֹ֣ג אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבְרַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְיָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עַֽל־הַבְּאֵֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now when Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- he soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- to slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- fledבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
- from the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- and dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
- by a wellבְּאֵרbe'êr · wellH875
Cross-references for Exodus 2:15
- Exodus 4:19The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”
- Genesis 28:6Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. As he blessed him, Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.”
- 1 Kings 19:1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword.
- Proverbs 22:3A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself, but the naive keep right on going and suffer for it.
- Jeremiah 26:21When the king and all his bodyguards and officials heard what he was prophesying, the king sought to have him executed. But Uriah found out about it and fled to Egypt out of fear.
- Matthew 10:23Whenever they persecute you in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
- Acts 7:29When the man said this, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
- Hebrews 11:27By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.
- Genesis 25:2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
- Genesis 24:11He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when the women would go out to draw water.
- Genesis 29:2He saw in the field a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
- John 4:6Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside the well. It was about noon.
Commentaries on Exodus 2:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Pharaoh - sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh - How can this be reconciled with Hebrews 11:27; : By faith he (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king? Very easily. The apostle speaks not of this forsaking of Egypt, but of his and the Israelites' final departure from it, and of the bold and courageous manner in which Moses treated Pharaoh and the Egyptians, disregarding his threatenings and the multitudes of them…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15No Egyptian king would have left; such an offence unpunished. But the position of Moses, as an adopted son of a princess, made it necessary even for a despotic sovereign to take unusual precautions. The land of Midian - The Midianites occupied an extensive district from the eastern coast of the Red Sea to the borders of Moab.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-15Verses 11-15 Moses boldly owned the cause of God's people. It is plain from He 11. that this was done in faith, with the full purpose of leaving the honours, wealth, and pleasures of his rank among the Egyptians. By the grace of God he was a partaker of faith in Christ, which overcomes the world. He was willing, not only to risk all, but to suffer for his sake; being assured that Israel were the people of God. By special warrant from Heaven, which makes…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Moses fled: Moses tried to rescue Israel by himself instead of relying on God. This made him a fugitive in Egypt, delaying God's plans for him. His actions dramatically changed his life (compare Numbers 20:9–13; Deuteronomy 3:23–29). Midian was on both sides of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the southern Sinai peninsula and the western edge of the Arabian peninsula. A major trade route from southern Arabia went through this dry and barren area. The people there…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh--His flight took place in the second year of Thothmes I. dwelt in the land of Midian--situated on the eastern shore of the gulf of the Red Sea and occupied by the posterity of Midian the son of Cush. The territory extended northward to the top of the gulf and westward far across the desert of Sinai. And from their position near the sea, they early combined trading with pastoral pursuits (Ge 37:28). The headquarters…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 2:15
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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