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Parashah
Shemos (the names) Shemot (Exod) 1:1-22 1 These are the names of the sons of Yisrael who went to Mitzrayim with Ya’acov, each with his family: 2 Reuven, Shimon, Levi and Yahudah; 3 Yissachar, Zebulun and Benyamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 The descendants of Ya’acov (those who came from his loins, the word loins is from the Hebrew word #3409 yarek- meanings are: the thigh, the side, the loin(s), a base a) the thigh 1) outside of thigh (where a sword was worn) 2) loins (as the seat of procreative power) b) the side (flank) (used of a object) c) a base) numbered seventy in all; Yoseph was already in Mitzrayim. 6 Now Yoseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but B’nei Yisrael (sons of Yisrael) were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. Yisrael
was treated very well by the Mitzrayim people and leaders in the
beginning. 8 Then a new king, who did not know about Yoseph, came to power in Mitzrayim. The
word ‘know’ is in Hebrew: #3045
yada`-to know a) (Qal) 1) to know a) to know, to learn to know b)
to perceive c) to perceive and to see, to find out and to discern d) to
discriminate, to distinguish e) to know by experience f) to recognize,
to admit, to acknowledge, to confess g) to consider 2) to know, to be
acquainted with. It
was not a matter of ‘not knowing about’ Yoseph for surely he would
not have been forgotten in Mitzrayim. It was more a matter of the new
Paroh not acknowledging Yoseph and his role in saving the Mitzriy from
starvation and in making them rather become stronger and richer. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "B’nei Yisrael has become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." Concern
over the demographics of B’nei Yisrael concerning their numbers, their
strength, their loyalties and their value as a work force caused the
Paroh to decide to act wisely and deal differently with them. He was
afraid if Mitzrayim had to go to war with an enemy, the Hebrews would
either join the enemy and fight against them or take the opportunity to
leave the country. He did not trust them but realized their value to
Mitzrayim. 11
So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced
labor and they built Pithom (city
of justice) and Rameses (child
of the son) (Remember that the name Rameses was used interchangeably
with 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Mitzriy came to fear B’nei Yisrael, 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Mitzriy used them ruthlessly. B’nei
Yisrael lived under a beneficent slavery and then a crueler and far
harsher enslavement ensued but Yisrael continued to grow more
prosperous, stronger and more prolific even under the oppression. 15
The king of Mitzrayim said to the Hebrew midwives whose names
were Shiphrah and Puah, (Their
names mean ‘fair’ and ‘splendid’) 16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." This
incident calls to mind abortion to remove an unwanted child for whatever
reason, of making those who were ‘retarded’ or unfit in some way to
go through surgery to cause them to be sterile. From today’s news we
hear about the 17 The midwives, however, feared Elohiym and did not do what the king of Mitzrayim had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Mitzrayim summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" 19 The midwives answered Paroh, "Hebrew women are not like Mitzriy women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." These
midwives lived up to their names, Fair and Splendid. 20 So Elohiym was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared Elohiym, He gave them families of their own. 22
Then Paroh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy
that is born you must throw into the Paroh
then told his own people to take on the responsibility for getting rid
of the male Hebrew children. Does this have any connection with the
argument over what is called, ‘partial birth abortions’? Shemot (Exod) 2:1-25 1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3
But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket
for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in
it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5
Then Paroh's daughter went down to the 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. How
did she know it was a Hebrew boy? Did he look different than a Mitzriy
child? Was he circumcised? 7 Then his sister asked Paroh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" 8 "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Either
she had been instructed to ask about a nurse so she could fetch her
mother or she was a very wise young girl. 9 Paroh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Paroh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Mosheh, saying, "I drew him out of the water." Mosheh
grew up as Paroh’s grandson and was taught in all ways the language,
the religion and the customs of the Mitzriy. We do not know how old
Mosheh was when his mother gave him to Paroh’s daughter to finish his
upbringing. We see, however, in the next verse, an incident recorded
that seems to say Mosheh knew that the Hebrews were his people 11 One day, after Mosheh had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw a Mitzriy beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Mitzriy and hid him in the sand. Seems
a strange thing for a ‘prince’ of Mitzrayim to do, so are we to see
the guidance of YHWH in this incidence? 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" 14 The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Mitzriy?" Then Mosheh was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known." 15 When Paroh heard of this, he tried to kill Mosheh but Moshe fled from Paroh and went to live in Midyan, where he sat down by a well. We
see Mosheh now in a place that most of us have been in at least to a
minor degree. He belonged nowhere, not with the Mitzriy or with B’nei
Yisrael. 16 Now a priest of Midyan 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 Mosheh got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18 When the girls returned to Reuel (friend of God) their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" Mosheh
seems to have become a rescuer of the oppressed although he had been
forced to flee, in fear, from Mitzrayim for trying to help someone. Is
this an insight into Mosheh’s nature? Was he becoming the man who
would do what was necessary even though he was frightened or
overwhelmed? 19 They answered, "A Mitzriy rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." 20 "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." Yithrow
extended hospitality to Mosheh, who was seen as a Mitzriy which would
lead us to believe that there were good relations between Midyan and
Mitzrayim. 21 Mosheh agreed to stay with the man, (Yithrow was the priest of Midyan) who gave his daughter Zipporah to Mosheh in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Mosheh named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." 23 During that long period, the king of Mitzrayim died. B’nei Yisrael groaned in their slavery and cried out and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to Elohiym. 24 Elohiym heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Avraham, with Yitzchak and with Ya’acov. 25 So Elohiym looked on B’nei Yisrael and was concerned about them. Shemot (Exod) 3:1-22 1
Now Mosheh was tending the flock of Yithrow his father-in-law,
the priest of Midyan, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert
and came to Horeb, (Sinai)
the 2 There the angel (malakh, messenger) of YHWH appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Mosheh saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Mosheh thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-- why the bush does not burn up." 4 When YHWH saw that he had gone over to look, Elohiym called to him from within the bush, "Mosheh! Mosheh!" And Mosheh said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any closer," Elohiym said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am Elohey of your father, Elohey of Avraham, Elohey of Yitzchak and Elohey of Ya’acov." At this, Mosheh hid his face, because he was afraid to look at Elohiym. Seeing
a bush that burned but never was consumed by the fire would have been
shock enough but to hear a voice calling your name from the midst of the
bush would have rendered most people incapacitated but give Mosheh
credit, he answered the voice. 7 YHWH said, "I have seen the misery of my people in Mitzrayim. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Mitzriy and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-- the home of the Kena’aniy (Canaanites), Chittiy (Hittites), Emoriy (Amorites), Perizziy (Perizzites), Chivviy (Hivites) and Yebuwciy (Jebusites). 9 And now the cry of B’nei Yisrael has reached me and I have seen the way the Mitzriy are oppressing them. I
am sure Mosheh was happy to know YHWH was going to free the people and
give them their own land. He at that moment did not know the role he was
to play in this deliverance. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Paroh to bring my people B’nei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim." 11 But Mosheh said to Elohiym, "Who am I, that I should go to Paroh and bring B’nei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim?" 12 And Elohiym said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Mitzrayim, you will worship Elohiym on this mountain." It
is important to remember that Mosheh had been rejected by the Hebrews
and sought for execution by Paroh for the death of the Mitzriy slave
driver. This seems a very good reason for his question concerning why
would he be a choice to deliver the people. He now had no influence with
the Hebrews or Paroh. 13 Mosheh said to Elohiym, "Suppose I go to B’nei Yisrael and say to them, 'The Elohiym of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" 14 Elohiym said to Mosheh, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to B’nei Yisrael: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Understandably
Mosheh sought something to give him validity if he was to do this job. 15 Elohiym also said to Mosheh, "Say to B’nei Yisrael, ‘YHWH, the Elohiym of your fathers-- the Elohiym of Avraham, the Elohiym of Yitzchak and the Elohiym of Ya’acov-- has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. I
AM WHO I AM translated from EHaYEH
aSHER EHaYEH
from the roots shown below: 1961
hayah (haw-yaw); a
primitive root [compare 1933]; to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass
(always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary): 834
'aher (ash-er'); a
primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which,
what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how,
because, in order that, etc.: 1961
hayah (haw-yaw); a
primitive root [compare 1933]; to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass
(always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary): 16 "Go, assemble the elders of Yisrael and say to them, ‘YHWH, the Elohiym of your fathers-- the Elohiym of Avraham, the Elohiym of Yitzchak and the Elohiym of Ya’acov-- appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Mitzrayim. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Mitzrayim into the land of -- the Kena’aniy (Canaanites), Chittiy (Hittites), Emoriy (Amorites), Perizziy (Perizzites), Chivviy (Hivites) and Yebuwciy (Jebusites).a land flowing with milk and honey.' 18 "The elders of Yisrael will listen to you and then you and the elders are to go to the king of Mitzrayim and say to him, ‘YHWH, the Elohiym of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to YHWH Eloheynu.” 19 But I know that the king of Mitzrayim will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Mitzriy with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. When
the seventy souls of B’nei Yisrael entered into Mitzrayim, they were
given all they would either want or need. They shared the wealth of
Mitzrayim. Now we see that when they were to leave, they once again
would be given wealth from the Mitzriy. 21 "And I will make the Mitzriy favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Mitzriy." Shemot (Exod) 4:1-31 1 Mosheh answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘YHWH did not appear to you'?" 2 Then YHWH said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 YHWH said, "Throw it on the ground." Mosheh threw it on the ground and it became a snake and he ran from it. We
see a very normal and human reaction shown here by Mosheh and what would
we have thought, when told to grab the snake by the tail? 4 Then YHWH said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Mosheh reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said YHWH, "is so that they may believe that YHWH, the Elohiym of their fathers-- the Elohiym of Avraham, the Elohiym of Yitzchak and the Elohiym of Ya’acov-- has appeared to you." 6 Then YHWH said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Mosheh put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow. 7 "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Mosheh put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. 8 Then Mosheh said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9
But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take
some water from the Three
miraculous signs were given to Mosheh but he was still afraid and
doubtful of his ability, an unwilling messenger. He had not yet realized
that the power was to come from YHWH, not from him. 10 Mosheh said to YHWH, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." 11 YHWH said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, YHWH? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Mosheh said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." The
term ‘slow of speech’ is actually: 3515
kabed (kaw-bade'); from
3513; heavy; figuratively in a good sense (numerous) or in a bad sense
(severe, difficult, stupid): Did
Mosheh speak Hebrew, Mitzriy or Midyan or a combination of all three,
perhaps with a heavy accent? Did B’nei Yisrael at that time speak
Hebrew or Mitzriy? 14 Then YHWH's anger burned against Mosheh and he said, "What about your brother, Aharon the Leviyiy? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you and his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were Elohiym to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." 18 Then Mosheh went back to Yithrow his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Mitzrayim to see if any of them are still alive." Yithrow said, "Go in peace (shalom)." We
are not told that Mosheh told his father-in-law about the bush, the
mission or his fear. 19 Now YHWH had said to Mosheh in Midyan, "Go back to Mitzrayim, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." 20 So Mosheh took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Mitzrayim and he took the staff of Elohiym in his hand. 21 YHWH said to Mosheh, "When you return to Mitzrayim, see that you perform before Paroh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. YHWH
told Mosheh that he must tell Paroh to let B’nei Yisrael go but that
HE would harden his heart so he will refuse to let them go. This must
have seemed even more of an impossible task to Mosheh. YHWH continues, 22 Then say to Paroh, 'This is what YHWH says: Yisrael is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'" Please
notice that Yisrael as mentioned here as YHWH’s firstborn son refers
to the nation rather than the man. Verses
24, 25 and 26 are somewhat confusing for we see several words that muddy
the water unless we are able to find the definition that works in this
segment. 4411
malown- 6298
pagash- 1245
baqash- 4191
muwth- 24 At a ‘lodging place #6298’ on the way, YHWH ‘met #6298’ [Mosheh] and ‘was about #1245’ to ‘kill #4191’him. First
of all, we know that YHWH knew where Mosheh was, HE did not have to
‘seek’, ‘desire’ or ‘request’ to kill him. No one could have
stopped YHWH from taking Mosheh’s life. Consider the following: YHWH
confronted Mosheh, who had obstinately refused to circumcise his son so
he could take his wife and children to Mitzrayim with him. YHWH
questioned Mosheh reminded him that disobedience leads to death. HE gave
him a chance to reason with Him and obey. 25 But Zipporah took a sharp stone, cut off her son's foreskin and touched his feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. Moshe’s
wife took it upon herself to circumcise the son and YHWH spared Mosheh. 26 So YHWH let him alone. (At that time she called him ‘a bloody husband’ referring to circumcision.) We
are not told why Mosheh did not either leave his wife and children with
her father Yithrow or why he did not circumcise the son how and when he
should have. We also do not know why he did not circumcise the son and
leave him in the encampment with his mother until it was safe for him to
travel. Is it possible that YHWH was preparing Mosheh
to understand that YHWH and His commands came first? 27 YHWH said to Aharon, "Go into the desert to meet Mosheh." So he met Mosheh at the 28 Then Mosheh told Aharon everything YHWH had sent him to say, and also about all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform. 29 Mosheh and Aharon brought together all the elders of Yisrael, 30 and Aharon told them everything YHWH had said to Mosheh. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that YHWH was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. Shemot (Exod) 5:1-23 1
Afterward Mosheh and Aharon went to Paroh and said, "This is
what YHWH, the Elohiym of Yisrael, says: 'Let my people go, so that they
may hold a festival (literally 2287
chagag-to hold a feast, to hold a festival, to make a pilgrimage,
to keep a pilgrim-feast, to celebrate, to dance, to stagger (Qal) 1) to
keep a pilgrim-feast 2) to reel) to me in the desert.'" 2 Paroh said, "Who is YHWH that I should obey him and let Yisrael go? I do not know YHWH and I will not let Yisrael go." 3 Then they said, "The Elohiym of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to YHWH Eloheynu, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." 4 But the king of Mitzrayim said, "Mosheh and Aharon, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" We
see Paroh not only hardened and disrespectful toward YHWH but he
responded to Mosheh and Aharon as though they were speaking foolishness.
He informed them that they were interfering with the people and causing
them to slack off in their work. Paroh commanded that the people’s
burden to become even heavier. They were to have to seek out their own
materiel but still meet the same quota. 5 Then Paroh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous and you are stopping them from working." 6 That same day Paroh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: The
word in vs.7 translated straw also has other meanings: 8401
teben- 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our Elohiym.' 9 Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." 10 Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Paroh says: 'I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'" Paroh
basically said, “Make the lazy slaves work harder so they will forget
about thinking of being free or doing obeisance to any but me.” 7179
qash- from
7197 qashash- 12 So the people scattered abroad to gather stubble to use for straw. Were
the people making ‘sun-dried’ bricks or were they gathering: 8401
teben- in
order to kiln dry the bricks? 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." 14 The Yisraeli foremen appointed by Paroh's slave drivers were beaten and were asked, "Why didn't you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?" 15 Then the Yisraeli foremen went and appealed to Paroh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." Seeking
relief from Paroh found no relief or sympathy. 17 Paroh said, "Lazy, that's what you are-- lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to YHWH.' 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." 19 The Yisraeli foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day." 20 When they left Paroh, they found Mosheh and Aharon waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, "May YHWH look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Paroh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." 22 Mosheh returned to YHWH and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Paroh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." Shemot (Exod) 6:1 1
Then YHWH said to Mosheh, "Now you will see what I will do
to Paroh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my
mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." YHWH
assured Mosheh that Paroh had been given just enough rope to hang
himself. Watch and see My Timing as well as My Power! |