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

14The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.” 15And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father’s flocks. 17But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks. 18When the girls returned to Reuel, their father, he asked, “Why are you 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• had sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• and they cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and drewדָּלָהdâlâh · to draw (up/out)H1802
• 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 3:1One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God.
• Genesis 14:18And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine.
• Genesis 41:45Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.
• Genesis 24:11He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.
• Genesis 29:6“Is he doing well?” Jacob asked. “Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”
• 1 Samuel 9:11As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”

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