Exodus/Shemoth – 2 – Moses Age '1-40'

[Translation: EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses; in practice, we usually present the chapter text with as little interruption as possible except for S6k side comments, for the first reading; then follow this up with the same chapter complete with the regular commentaries we have constantly featured, to further aid readers’ in understanding cultural, historical, linguistic context that are not included in the text. —Admin 1]

To pick up from Shemoth 1:

• What was the Pharaoh’s precise order to the 2 Hebrew midwives?
• Was it not to kill any male child born to Hebrew women?
• And if so, then Shifrah’s and Puah’s lame excuse about Hebrew women being so robust that they give birth before the midwives could get to them . . . that would not have satisfied Pharaoh, since his general intent was to kill every male baby, period.  In fact, verse 22  says Pharaoh resorted to plan B, this time commanding ALL his people (not just the midwives assisting in the birthing process) to simply cast male babies into the river.
• So where the midwives failed to deliver, all Egyptians would ensure success.
• We have to ask — if the Hebrews had multiplied, outnumbering the Egyptian population, why are only 2 midwives given this assignment?

Whether or not any Hebrew babies died as a result is not indicated in the text, but it prepares the stage for the saving of one specific male child to Jocheved and Amram (parents named later in Exodus 6:20), third from the eldest sister Miriam,  with Aaron between. ArtScroll notes that the father, Aram is a grandson of Levi married a daughter of Levi . . . . figure that out.

Image from www.joemaniscalco.ne

Chapter 2

S6K Notes:

• Readers who know this story about baby Moses hardly connect the precocious sister who offered a wet nurse (the baby’s real mother) with Miriam who later figures quite prominently with her two brothers in the wilderness wanderings.
• How close in sound is the Hebrew name Mosheh to the English name Moses, making us think that since he was adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter, he assumed an Egyptian name, similar to the names of pharaohs like Thutmoses and Ram(o)ses. It would seem out of place for Pharaoh’s daughter to have a son bearing a Hebrew name; hence, Moshe’s assimilation into Egyptian society and the Pharaoh’s court would have been smoother. 
• Commentator Ibn Ezra says that the Egyptian name is actually Monios, which means he was drawn out of the water, and that Moses/Moshe is the Hebrew translation of that Egyptian name.
• A good-hearted daughter of the Pharaoh is reminiscent of the good-hearted Pharaoh who was kind to Joseph and his people.
• It is said that he was raised as an Egyptian prince and therefore would have been educated, preparatory to his later roles as YHWH’s emissary to Pharaoh, leader of the Exodus out of Egypt, receiver and transmitter of the TORAH, truly the greatest prophet of Israel.
• Having brought up in Pharaoh’s court, would he have known his true heritage?  Yes, the text says so, to continue . . . .

S6K:  In the earlier post we asked the question: when is it alright to tell a lie?  This time, the question is: is preconceived murder allowed?  Mosheh’s actuations before striking the abusive Mitsriy (Egyptian) shows he had an intent to stop the abuse; whether or not the killing was accidental, hiding the body was a sureptitious cover up; he actually thought he got away with his crime. . .  until . . 

S6K Notes:

•  It would help if the Pharaoh’s who interact with Israelite figures were named;  if this Pharaoh was the brother of Mosheh’s’ Egyptian  mother, then he would be uncle to Mosheh.
• As a prince, isn’t Mosheh’s status higher than the slave taskmaster that he killed? 
• If Pharaoh could order the killing of Hebrew male babies, surely the killing of an abusive taskmaster is excusable, particularly when committed by the Pharaoh’s nephew of sorts?
• Evidently not, for Pharaoh did seek to kill Mosheh, which precipitates Mosheh’s abrupt self-imposed exile from Egypt to escape into the wilderness.  

ArtScroll commentary:  

The narrative now leaves Moses and returns to the plight of the Jews in Egypt.  

• Nearly 210 years had elapsed since Jacob’s descent to Egypt, 
• 116 since the beginning of the servitude, 
• and 86 years since the beginning of the backbreaking oppression. 

The Jewish people groaned.  God heard their outcry, looked at their degrading conditions and determined that the time had come to begin the process of redemption.  

Thus the two threads of the previous narrative — 

• the enslavement of Israel
• and the growth of Moses to maturity

—come together.