New King James Version
Exodus 2:5
5Then 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 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- English Standard Version (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.
- New Living Translation (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.
Context of Exodus 2:5
3But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. 4And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 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. 6And 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.” 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
Read all of Exodus 2Exodus 2:5 word by word
וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- came downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to washרָחַץrâchats · to wash: washH7364
- at the riverיְאֹרye'ôr · NileH2975
- and her maidensנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
- walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
- sideיָדyâd · hand: toH3027
- and when she sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the arkתֵּבָהtêbâh · arkH8392
- amongתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- the flagsסוּףsûph · reedH5488
- she sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- her maidאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
- to fetchלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
Cross-references for Exodus 2:5
- Acts 7:21But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.
- 1 Kings 17:6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
- Psalms 9:9The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
- Psalms 12:5“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
- Psalms 46:1God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
- Psalms 76:10Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
- Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
- Jonah 1:17Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
- Jonah 2:10So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Commentaries on Exodus 2:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And the daughter of Pharaoh - Josephus calls her Thermuthis, and says that "the ark was borne along by the current, and that she sent one that could swim after it; that she was struck with the figure and uncommon beauty of the child; that she inquired for a nurse, but he having refused the breasts of several, and his sister proposing to bring a Hebrew nurse, his own mother was procured." But all this is in Josephus's manner, as well as the long…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5The traditions which give a name to the daughter of Pharaoh are merely conjectural. Egyptian princesses held a very high and almost independent position under the ancient and middle empire, with a separate household and numerous officials. This was especially the case with the daughters of the first sovereigns of the 18th Dynasty. Many facts concur in indicating that the residence of the daughter of Pharaoh and of the family of Moses, was at Zoan, Tanis…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. 55. the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river--The occasion is thought to have been a religious solemnity which the royal family opened by bathing in the sacred stream. Peculiar sacredness was attached to those portions of the Nile which flowed near the temples. The water was there fenced off as a protection from the crocodiles; and doubtless the princess had an enclosure reserved for her own use, the road to which seems to have been…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 2:5
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries