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Exodus 2:17

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 2:17 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
Exodus 2:17 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 2

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely the thing is known.
15Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father`s flock.
17And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to-day?
19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.
20And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.
← Exodus 2:16Exodus 2:18 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the shepherds came and drove them away, etc.] The daughters of the priest of Midian, and their flock likewise; these were shepherds of some neighbouring princes or great men, who were so rude and slothful, and to save themselves a little trouble of drawing water, brought up their flocks to drink of the water those virgins had drawn, and to do this forced them and their flocks away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock; moved to see such rude and uncivil treatment of the weaker sex, rose up from the ground on which he sat, and took their parts, and obliged the shepherds to give way, and brought up their flock to the troughs, and drew water for them, and gave them…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Stood up and helped them - This be did, because wherever he was, as occasion offered itself, he loved to be doing justice, and appearing in the defence of such as he saw injured. He loved to be doing good: wherever the Providence of God call us, we should desire and endeavour to be useful; and when we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can. Exodus 2:18”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“2:17 rescued: Now a stranger in a strange land, Moses still could not stand by and allow oppression to continue—he was, by nature, a rescuer. The NLT has captured the correct sense of the Hebrew word, sometimes translated deliver or save.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“shepherds: Gen 21:25, Gen 26:15-22 watered: Exo 2:12; Gen 29:10 Exodus 2:18”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 2 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification