Exodus 2:1-10

A Basket among the Reeds

Read the passage

1Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,

2and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

3But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

4And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it.

6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”

7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”

8“Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.

9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

10When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses and explained, “I drew him out of the water.”

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

A man and woman from the house of Levi have a son while Pharaoh's order is still in force. His mother sees that he is beautiful and hides him for three months. The text does not make the danger disappear. It shows a mother protecting her child for as long as she can.

When she can no longer hide him, she makes a papyrus basket, coats it with tar and pitch, and places it among the reeds along the Nile. His sister stands at a distance to see what will happen.

Pharaoh's daughter comes to the river with her attendants. She sees the basket, sends a maidservant to retrieve it, opens it, and finds a crying child. She knows he is one of the Hebrew children, yet she has compassion on him. The king's own daughter sees a child as a child, not as a threat.

Moses' sister speaks up and offers to find a Hebrew woman to nurse him. Pharaoh's daughter agrees, and the child's own mother is brought to care for him. She is paid to nurse the son she had been forced to place in the basket. Later she brings him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he becomes her son. The name Moses remembers that he was drawn out of the water.

The future deliverer first appears as a child who needs protection. Hebrews 11:23 says his parents hid him by faith, refusing to let the king's edict decide their obedience. God preserves Moses through people who shelter him, watch over him, and show him compassion. Even Pharaoh's own household becomes a place of refuge for a Hebrew son.

Questions

1 Why did Moses' mother hide him?

AnswerPharaoh had ordered the Hebrew boys to be thrown into the Nile. She hid her son for three months to protect his life.

2 What did Moses' mother make for him?

AnswerShe made a papyrus basket, coated it with tar and pitch, and placed him among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

3 Who watched to see what would happen to the child?

AnswerMoses' sister stood at a distance and watched what would happen to him. Her alert presence helped make the next act of protection possible.

4 What did Pharaoh's daughter do when she saw the child?

AnswerShe had compassion on him, recognized that he was a Hebrew child, and agreed to have a Hebrew woman nurse him.

What This Means for Us

This passage gives us a child who survives because several people act with care under dangerous circumstances. It does not suggest that families should face danger alone or call fearlessness faith. Moses' mother plans wisely, his sister stays alert, and Pharaoh's daughter uses her position to protect a child.

Make your household a place where vulnerable people can be noticed and protected. That may mean asking for help, speaking up when a child is unsafe, or using an advantage you have to make room for someone else. Compassion is not a vague feeling here; it becomes a decision that keeps a life from being lost.

Prayer

God who sees children in danger, thank You for every person who protects life with courage and wisdom. Make our household attentive to vulnerable people. Help us ask for help when we need it and use our place to shelter others. Amen.

Your reading

Keep your place.

Save this passage to your private reading history.