Exodus 2:15

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.

📖 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 Then Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.
• Heb 11:27 : 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
• Gen 24:11 : 11 And he made his 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 And he looked and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying by it; for they watered the flocks from that well, and a large stone was on the well's mouth.
• Exod 4:19 : 19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, Go, return to Egypt, for all the men are dead who sought your life.
• 1 Kgs 19:1-3 : 1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
• 1 Kgs 19:13-14 : 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him, and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? 14 And he said, I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.
• Prov 22:3 : 3 A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.
• Jer 26:21-23 : 21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled and went into Egypt; 22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt. 23 And they brought Urijah out of Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the tombs of the common people.
• Matt 10:23 : 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee to another: for truly I say to you, You shall not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
• John 4:6 : 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
• Gen 25:2 : 2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
• Gen 25:4 : 4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
• Gen 28:6-7 : 6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take himself a wife from there; and that as he blessed him he commanded him, saying, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan; 7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;