Exodus

Exodus 2:1–4

¹Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, ²and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

³But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket^a and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. ⁴And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Footnotes

a 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark; also in verse 5; see Genesis 6:14|GEN 6:14.

Read all of Exodus 2

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 2:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now a man	אִ֖ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
of the house	מִבֵּ֣ית	mib·bêṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
of Levi	לֵוִ֑י	lê·wî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3878 Levi
married	וַיִּקַּ֖ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
a Levite	לֵוִֽי׃	lê·wî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3878 Levi
woman	בַּת־	baṯ-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H1323 daughter

Exodus 2:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and she	הָאִשָּׁ֖ה	hā·’iš·šāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
conceived	וַתַּ֥הַר	wat·ta·har	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2029 conceive, become pregnant
and gave birth to	וַתֵּ֣לֶד	wat·tê·leḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
a son	בֵּ֑ן	bên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son
When she saw	וַתֵּ֤רֶא	wat·tê·re	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7200 see
that	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
he	ה֔וּא	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
beautiful	ט֣וֹב	ṭō·wḇ	Adjective - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
she hid him	וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ	wat·tiṣ·pə·nê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular; third person masculine singular	H6845 hide, treasure up
for three	שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה	šə·lō·šāh	Number - masculine singular	H7969 a three, triad
months	יְרָחִֽים׃	yə·rā·ḥîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3391 month

Exodus 2:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But when she could	יָכְלָ֣ה	yā·ḵə·lāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3201 be able, have power, prevail, endure
no	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
longer	עוֹד֮	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance
hide him	הַצְּפִינוֹ֒	haṣ·ṣə·p̄î·nōw	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H6845 hide, treasure up
she got	וַתִּֽקַּֽח־	wat·tiq·qaḥ-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3947 take
him	לוֹ֙	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
a papyrus	גֹּ֔מֶא	gō·me	Noun - masculine singular	H1573 rush, reed, papyrus
basket	תֵּ֣בַת	tê·ḇaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8392 ark
and coated it	וַתַּחְמְרָ֥ה	wat·taḥ·mə·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H2560 ferment, boil or foam up
with tar	בַחֵמָ֖ר	ḇa·ḥê·mār	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2564 bitumen, asphalt
and pitch	וּבַזָּ֑פֶת	ū·ḇaz·zā·p̄eṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2203 pitch
Then she placed	וַתָּ֤שֶׂם	wat·tā·śem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7760 put, place, set
the child	הַיֶּ֔לֶד	hay·ye·leḏ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3206 child, son, boy, youth
in	בָּהּ֙	bāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
and set	וַתָּ֥שֶׂם	wat·tā·śem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7760 put, place, set
it among the reeds	בַּסּ֖וּף	bas·sūp̄	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5488 reeds, rushes
along	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the bank	שְׂפַ֥ת	śə·p̄aṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8193 lip, speech, edge
of the Nile	הַיְאֹֽר׃	hay·’ōr	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H2975 stream

Exodus 2:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And his sister	אֲחֹת֖וֹ	’ă·ḥō·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H269 sister
stood	וַתֵּתַצַּ֥ב	wat·tê·ṯaṣ·ṣaḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3320 set or station oneself, take one's stand
at a distance	מֵרָחֹ֑ק	mê·rā·ḥōq	Preposition-m; Adjective - masculine singular	H7350 distant, far
to see	לְדֵעָ֕ה	lə·ḏê·‘āh	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person feminine singular	H3045 know
what	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
would happen	יֵּעָשֶׂ֖ה	yê·‘ā·śeh	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
to him	לֽוֹ׃	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular