Exodus 2:8
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
Original Language Analysis
בַּת
daughter
H1323
בַּת
daughter
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
3 of 11
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
לֵ֑כִי
H1980
לֵ֑כִי
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
5 of 11
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙
H1980
וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
6 of 11
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
וַתִּקְרָ֖א
and called
H7121
וַתִּקְרָ֖א
and called
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
8 of 11
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
9 of 11
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
Cross References
Psalms 27:10When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.Exodus 6:20And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.Ezekiel 16:8Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
Historical Context
This transaction would have been legally binding—Jochebed becomes Moses' official wet nurse under royal contract. The irony: she's paid to nurse her own son while protected by the very regime trying to kill him. This arrangement allowed Moses to receive Hebrew cultural and religious formation during crucial early years.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's complete reversal—from death sentence to royal protection—encourage you when circumstances seem hopelessly stacked against you?
- What does Moses' early years with his Hebrew family teach about the importance of foundational spiritual formation?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother (וַתֵּלֶךְ הָעַלְמָה וַתִּקְרָא אֶת־אֵם הַיָּלֶד, vatelekh ha'almah vatiqra et-em hayaled)—The simple command Go (לֵכִי, lekhi) sets in motion the restoration. The maid (הָעַלְמָה, ha'almah, "the young woman/girl") is Miriam. The text's restraint conceals dramatic irony: called the child's mother (אֵם הַיָּלֶד, em hayaled) reunites them under royal protection and pay (v. 9). What Satan meant for death (Nile), God turns to deliverance. What Pharaoh decreed for destruction, God transforms into provision. The narrative quietly celebrates God's reversal of human evil.