Éxodo 2:16

16 Tenía el sacerdote de Madián siete hijas, las cuales vinieron á sacar agua, para llenar las pilas y dar de beber á las ovejas de su padre.

Éxodo 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).


FOOTNOTES:

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

Éxodo 2:16 In-Context

14 Y él respondió: ¿Quién te ha puesto á ti por príncipe y juez sobre nosotros? ¿piensas matarme como mataste al Egipcio? Entonces Moisés tuvo miedo, y dijo: Ciertamente esta cosa es descubierta.
15 Y oyendo Faraón este negocio, procuró matar á Moisés: mas Moisés huyó de delante de Faraón, y habitó en la tierra de Madián; y sentóse junto á un pozo.
16 Tenía el sacerdote de Madián siete hijas, las cuales vinieron á sacar agua, para llenar las pilas y dar de beber á las ovejas de su padre.
17 Mas los pastores vinieron, y echáronlas: Entonces Moisés se levantó y defendiólas, y abrevó sus ovejas.
18 Y volviendo ellas á Ragüel su padre, díjoles él: ¿Por qué habéis hoy venido tan presto?
The Reina-Valera Antigua (1602) is in the public domain.