Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and the woman conceived and bore a son. Seeing what a fine child he was, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket, daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and putting the child in it, placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the Nile, while her attendants walked along the bank of the Nile. Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it. 6 On opening it, she looked, and there was a baby boy crying! She was moved with pity for him and said, “It is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and summon a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter answered her, “Go.” So the young woman went and called the child’s own mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses; for she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
The story of Moses' birth and early life in Exodus 2:1-10 highlights God’s providence in preserving His chosen servant. Born to Levite parents, Moses is hidden for three months to escape Pharaoh’s decree ordering the death of all Hebrew male infants (Exod. 1:22). His mother, trusting in God, places him in a basket (tevah), setting him adrift in the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter discovers him, takes pity on the child, and unknowingly hires his own mother as his nurse. Raised in Pharaoh’s court, Moses gained both Hebrew and Egyptian influences, equipping him for his future role as Israel’s deliverer (Acts 7:22).
The Hebrew word for “basket” (תֵּבָה, tevah) is the same word used for Noah’s ark in Genesis 6:14. This rare term underscores a typological parallel between Noah and Moses—both were saved through water by divine intervention to fulfill God’s redemptive plan. Just as Noah’s tevah preserved humanity from destruction and ensured a new covenant, Moses’ tevah became the means of his survival, allowing him to later lead Israel out of slavery. Both figures ultimately prefigure Christ, who brings the fullness of salvation (1 Pet. 3:20-21).
Moses’ deliverance from Pharaoh’s decree foreshadows the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. Just as Pharaoh sought to destroy Israelite boys, Herod later ordered the massacre of the innocents (Matt 2:16). Yet, through divine intervention, both Moses and Jesus were preserved for their mission—Moses to lead Israel from physical slavery, and Christ to liberate humanity from the bondage of sin (Rom 6:6). This typology reflects God's sovereign protection of those chosen for His redemptive plan (Ps. 91:14-15; Luke 2:25-32).
Beyond mere preservation, Moses’ rescue signals the greater salvation to come. His deliverance from the Nile foreshadows Israel’s redemption from Egyptian slavery, which in turn prefigures Christ’s ultimate work of salvation—freeing humanity from sin and death (Exod. 6:6-7; John 8:36; Col. 1:13-14). The theme of divine election is also evident: God often chooses the weak and seemingly insignificant to accomplish His plan. Moses, a helpless infant, is raised in Pharaoh’s household—the very place of his people’s oppression. This paradox mirrors the way God’s power is made perfect in human weakness (1 Cor. 1:27; 2 Cor. 12:9).
The New Testament explicitly draws parallels between Moses and Christ. The Letter to the Hebrews highlights Moses' faith in forsaking Pharaoh’s household to fulfill God’s plan, paralleling Christ’s self-emptying for the sake of humanity (Heb. 11:23-27; Phil. 2:5-8). Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin reinforces this typology, showing that just as Moses was rejected by his own people before becoming their deliverer, so too was Christ (Acts 7:17-36). John’s Gospel further contrasts the Law given through Moses with the grace and truth revealed through Christ, not as a contradiction but as the fulfillment of divine revelation (John 1:17).
Thus, Exodus 2:1-10 is more than an account of Moses’ survival; it sets the stage for God’s ultimate plan of redemption. Just as Moses led God’s people to the earthly Promised Land, Christ leads His people to the eternal Promised Land, the fullness of salvation in the kingdom of God (Heb. 3:1-6; Rev. 21:1-4).
Almighty God, You protected Moses to lead Your people and guided the Holy Family to safety for the salvation of the world. Help us to trust in Your divine providence, to follow where You lead, and to find refuge in Your unfailing love. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
Comments