Exodus 2:3 - When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.
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What does "Exodus 2:3" mean?
This verse from Exodus 2:3 is a pivotal moment in the story of Moses. It describes a desperate act of a mother to protect her infant son. Let's break it down:
"When she could no longer hide him": This refers to Moses' mother, Jochebed. Pharaoh had ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed, so she had been hiding him. As he grew older (likely past the very newborn stage), hiding him became increasingly difficult. His cries and visibility posed a greater risk of discovery.
"she took a papyrus basket for him": She created a small vessel from papyrus, a common material in ancient Egypt. This basket was designed to be waterproof.
"and coated it with tar and with pitch": This reinforces the idea that the basket was to be waterproofed to make it float. Tar and pitch are thick, sticky substances used for sealing things.
"She put the child in it": She placed Moses safely inside the prepared basket.
"and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank": This is the most crucial part. She placed the basket among the reeds along the Nile River. This action was a calculated risk. She was abandoning him in the hope that someone would find him and care for him, but in a location where the baby would hopefully not be immediately exposed to danger.
In essence, this verse narrates a mother's heartbreaking decision to give her child a chance at survival, even if it meant entrusting his fate to the whims of fate and the compassion of strangers. It highlights the desperate circumstances faced by the Israelites under Pharaoh's oppressive rule and sets the stage for Moses' extraordinary destiny.
Exodus 2:3 - When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.
What does "Exodus 2:3" mean?
This verse from Exodus 2:3 is a pivotal moment in the story of Moses. It describes a desperate act of a mother to protect her infant son. Let's break it down:
"When she could no longer hide him": This refers to Moses' mother, Jochebed. Pharaoh had ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed, so she had been hiding him. As he grew older (likely past the very newborn stage), hiding him became increasingly difficult. His cries and visibility posed a greater risk of discovery.
"she took a papyrus basket for him": She created a small vessel from papyrus, a common material in ancient Egypt. This basket was designed to be waterproof.
"and coated it with tar and with pitch": This reinforces the idea that the basket was to be waterproofed to make it float. Tar and pitch are thick, sticky substances used for sealing things.
"She put the child in it": She placed Moses safely inside the prepared basket.
"and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank": This is the most crucial part. She placed the basket among the reeds along the Nile River. This action was a calculated risk. She was abandoning him in the hope that someone would find him and care for him, but in a location where the baby would hopefully not be immediately exposed to danger.
In essence, this verse narrates a mother's heartbreaking decision to give her child a chance at survival, even if it meant entrusting his fate to the whims of fate and the compassion of strangers. It highlights the desperate circumstances faced by the Israelites under Pharaoh's oppressive rule and sets the stage for Moses' extraordinary destiny.