Exodus 2:6

6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and, behold, the babe wept. And having compassion on him, she said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

Exodus 2:6 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 2:6

And when she had opened it
The ark, for it was shut or covered over, though doubtless there were some apertures for respiration:

she saw the child [in it], and, behold, the babe wept;
and which was a circumstance, it is highly probable, greatly affected the king's daughter, and moved her compassion to it; though an Arabic writer says {p}, she heard the crying of the child in the ark, and therefore sent for it:

and she had compassion on him, and said, this is one of the Hebrews'
children;
which she might conclude from its being thus exposed, knowing her father's edict, and partly from the form and beauty of it, Hebrew children not being swarthy and tawny as Egyptian ones: the Jewish writers ^F17 say, she knew it by its being circumcised, the Egyptians not yet using circumcision.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Patricides apud Hottinger. p 401.
F17 T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 12. 2. Aben Ezra in loc.

Exodus 2:6 In-Context

4 And his sister stood afar off to see what would happen to him.

5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and walking with her maidens along by the river’s side, she saw the ark among the reeds; she sent her maid to bring it.

6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and, behold, the babe wept. And having compassion on him, she said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

7 Then his sister said unto Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for thee?

8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.