Zipporah

15When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses ran away from Pharaoh. He went to live in the land of Midian. There he sat down by a well.

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

NoteMidian was a dry land far away, out past the edge of Egypt. Moses had to cross the desert to get there.

16The priest of Midian, the man who led the worship there, had seven daughters. They came and drew water. They filled the water tubs for their father's sheep and goats.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

NoteA well is a deep hole dug down to water underground. In a dry land, the well was the place everyone came to.

17Some shepherds came and chased the girls away. But Moses stood up and helped them. He gave water to their animals.

And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18The girls came home to their father Reuel. He said, "How did you get back so early today?"

And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

NoteLater in the story this same man is called Jethro. People back then could be known by two names.

19They said, "An Egyptian man saved us from the shepherds. He even drew plenty of water for us and gave it to the animals."

And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

20He said to his daughters, "So where is he? Why did you leave the man behind? Call him, so he can have something to eat."

And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

21Moses was glad to stay with the man. The man gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

NoteIn those days a father chose the man his daughter would marry. Reuel chose Moses for Zipporah.

22She had a son. Moses named him Gershom. He said, "I have been a stranger in a land that is not mine."

And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

NoteThe name Gershom sounds like the Hebrew words for a stranger there. Moses picked a name that told his own story.

18Moses went back to Jethro, his wife's father. He said, "Please let me go back to my own people in Egypt. I want to see if they are still alive." Jethro said, "Go in peace."

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

NoteJethro was the father of Moses' wife. Moses had lived with Jethro's family for many years.

19The LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt. All the men who wanted to kill you are dead."

And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

NoteLong before this, Moses hurt an Egyptian man and ran away. The king wanted him caught. Now those men were dead.

20Moses took his wife and his sons. He put them on a donkey. They started back to the land of Egypt. Moses carried God's stick in his hand.

And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

NoteThis is the same walking stick from before. It is called God's stick because God did wonders with it.

21The LORD said to Moses, "When you get back to Egypt, do every wonder I gave you power to do. Do them in front of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. But I will make his heart hard. He will not let the people go."

And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

NoteA wonder is something amazing that only God can do. A hard heart means the king would not change his mind.

22"Say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says. Israel is my son, my oldest son.'"

And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

NoteIsrael was Jacob's other name. His family grew into a whole people called Israel.

23"'I told you to let my son go so he can serve me. You said no. So I will kill your son, your oldest son.'"

And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

NoteThe oldest son had a special place in a family. Everyone honored him most.

24On the way, they stopped at a place to sleep. There the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

25Then Zipporah took a sharp stone. She cut the skin off her son, the way God's people did. She touched it to Moses' feet. She said, "You are a husband of blood to me."

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

NoteZipporah was the wife of Moses. She used a sharp stone as a knife. Cutting a little skin from a baby boy was a mark that his family belonged to God. It was called circumcision.

26So the LORD let him go. She had said "husband of blood" because of that cutting.

So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

Note"Husband of blood" was something she said in that moment. Nobody today knows exactly what she meant.

1Jethro was a priest in Midian, a man who led people in worship. He was the father of Moses' wife. He heard about all that God had done for Moses and for God's people Israel. He heard that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

NoteMidian was a land far from Egypt, out past the desert. When you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own special name.

2Moses had sent his wife Zipporah back home. Jethro, the father of Moses' wife, had taken her in.

Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

NoteMoses had gone to Egypt to help God's people. He sent his wife and boys to stay with her father. They were safe there while he was away.

3He also had her two sons. One son was named Gershom. Moses had said, "I have been a stranger in a land that is not mine."

And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

NoteNames in the Bible often mean something. Gershom sounds like the words for "a stranger there" in Hebrew. Hebrew was the language Moses spoke.

4The other son was named Eliezer. Moses had said, "My father's God was my helper. He saved me from the sword of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt."

And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

NoteEliezer means "my God is my helper." Pharaoh was the king of Egypt. He had once tried to kill Moses.

5So Jethro came out to Moses in the desert. He brought Moses' wife and her sons with him. Moses was camped at the mountain of God.

And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

NoteThis mountain is also called Mount Sinai. It is where God talked with Moses. The people had put up their tents at the bottom of it.

6He said to Moses, "I am Jethro, the father of your wife. I have come to you. Your wife and her two sons are with me."

And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7Moses went out to meet him. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked each other how they were doing. Then they went into the tent.

And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.

NoteBowing low was a way to show honor to someone. A kiss on the cheek was how family said hello.