Exodus 2:15

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, where he sat down by a well.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לַהֲרֹ֣ג אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבְרַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְיָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עַֽל־הַבְּאֵֽר׃

Transliteration

wa-yyišmaʿ parʿōh ʾet-haddābār hazzeh wa-yəbaqqēš lahărōg ʾet-mōšeh wa-yyibraḥ mōšeh mippənê p̄arʿōh wa-yyēšeb bəʾereṣ-midyān wa-yyēšeb ʿal-habbəʾēr

Grammar Details

• *wa-yyišmaʿ*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and heard
• *parʿōh*: proper noun - Pharaoh
• *ʾet-haddābār*: direct object marker + definite article + masculine singular noun - the matter/thing
• *hazzeh*: definite article + masculine singular demonstrative pronoun - this
• *wa-yəbaqqēš*: waw consecutive + piel imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and sought
• *lahărōg*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to kill
• *ʾet-mōšeh*: direct object marker + proper noun - Moses
• *wa-yyibraḥ*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and fled
• *mōšeh*: proper noun - Moses
• *mippənê*: preposition + masculine plural construct - from the face/presence of
• *p̄arʿōh*: proper noun - Pharaoh
• *wa-yyēšeb*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and sat
• *bəʾereṣ-midyān*: preposition + construct state + proper noun - in the land of Midian
• *ʿal-habbəʾēr*: preposition + definite article + feminine singular noun - by the well

Word Meanings

• *yišmaʿ*: heard/listened to
• *dābār*: matter/thing/word
• *yəbaqqēš*: sought/attempted
• *hărōg*: to kill/to slay
• *yibraḥ*: fled/ran away/escaped
• *pənê*: face/presence
• *yēšeb*: sat/dwelt/settled
• *ʾereṣ*: land/country/territory
• *bəʾēr*: well/pit/cistern

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Now 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.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  When Pharaoh heard of this, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Now 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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Now 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.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Now 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.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And Pharao herde of it and went aboute to slee Moses: but he fled from Pharao ad dwelt in the lade of Madian, and he satt doune by a welles syde.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And Pharao herde of it, and sought for Moses, to slaye him. But Moses fled from Pharao, and kepte him in the lande of Madian, and sat him downe by a wells syde.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Now Pharaoh heard this matter, & sought to slay Moses: therefore Moses fled from Pharaoh, and dwelt in the lande of Midian, and hee sate downe by a well.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Pharao heard of it, and went about to slaye Moyses. And Moyses fleyng from the face of Pharao, dwelt in the lande of Madian: and he sate downe by the welles syde.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Now 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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Pharaoh heareth of this thing, and seeketh to slay Moses, and Moses fleeth from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelleth in the land of Midian, and dwelleth by the well.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Now 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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Now 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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Now when Pharaoh had news of this, he would have put Moses to death. But Moses went in flight from Pharaoh into the land of Midian: and he took his seat by a water-spring.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When Pharaoh heard about this event, he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he settled by a certain well.

Referenced Verses

• Acts 7:29 : 29 When Moses heard this, he fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.
• Heb 11:27 : 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king, for he persevered as though seeing the one who is invisible.
• Gen 24:11 : 11 He had the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
• Gen 29:2 : 2 He saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying beside it because that well was where the flocks were watered. A large stone was over the mouth of the well.
• Exod 4:19 : 19 Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, 'Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are now dead.'
• 1 Kgs 19:1-3 : 1 Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I don’t make your life like the life of one of them.' 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there.
• 1 Kgs 19:13-14 : 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, saying, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' 14 Elijah replied, 'I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Hosts, because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to take my life.'
• Prov 22:3 : 3 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
• Jer 26:21-23 : 21 When King Jehoiakim, all his mighty men, and all the officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it, and he was afraid, so he fled and went to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor and some others went with him. 23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with the sword and threw his body into the burial place of the common people.
• Matt 10:23 : 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
• John 4:6 : 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
• Gen 25:2 : 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
• Gen 25:4 : 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.
• Gen 28:6-7 : 6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him, he commanded him, 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.' 7 Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and went to Paddan-Aram.