Exodus 2:16

16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.

Exodus 2:16 in Other Translations

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

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

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father’s flocks.

16 The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, filling the troughs and watering their father's sheep.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

Exodus 2:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 2:16

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters
Who being a descendant of Abraham might have retained the knowledge of the true God, and might be a priest of his, as Melchizedek was, or otherwise it may be thought improbable that Moses would have married his daughter, as he afterwards did; and so Aben Ezra says, he was a priest of God; though the word is sometimes used of a prince, ruler, and governor; and is so rendered here by the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; and Artapanus ^F18, an Heathen writer, expressly calls him (arcwn) , a "prince" of those places, that is, of Arabia; he might be both prince and priest, as Melchizedek before mentioned was, and as has been the usage of many countries:

and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their
father's flock;
which is no contradiction to their being daughters either of a priest or a prince, which were both high titles and characters; since it was usual in those early times, and in those countries, for the sons and daughters of considerable persons to be employed in such services; (See Gill on Genesis 29:9).

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Ut supra, (Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27.) p. 434.

Exodus 2:16 In-Context

14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.

16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.

17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.

18 When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 3:1; Exodus 18:1
• 2. S Genesis 24:11
• 3. S Genesis 30:38