Why did Moses flee from Pharaoh and go to the land of Midian?

Moses fled because Pharaoh wanted to kill him after he had acted in defense of a Hebrew. The text shows that Moses did not run away out of weakness but because staying would have meant certain death and the time was not yet right for him to lead Israel. Going to Midian kept him from Pharaoh’s reach and became part of God’s plan. In Midian, Moses entered a long season of hidden life and work, where God was quietly preparing his character and faith for the hard task that lay ahead.

What is the significance of Moses helping Reuel’s daughters at the well?

Moses sitting by the well could have kept to himself, but when he saw the shepherds driving away Reuel’s daughters, he stood up for them and helped water their flock. This shows that, even as a fugitive and stranger, he still cared about justice and protecting the weak. He did not think certain work was beneath him, even though he had grown up in a royal house. This simple act of kindness opened the door for hospitality from Reuel, a new home, and eventually a family. It also hints at the kind of leader Moses would become, one who defends and serves others.

Who are Reuel and Zipporah, and why are they important in this passage?

Reuel is called the priest of Midian and the father of seven daughters. When he hears how an unknown man protected them and watered their flock, he wants to show thanks and hospitality. He invites Moses to eat with them and later welcomes him to stay. Zipporah is one of his daughters, whom he gives to Moses in marriage. Through Reuel and Zipporah, Moses gains a place of safety, daily work, and a family in a foreign land. Their presence marks a new chapter for Moses, where he moves from life in Egypt to a quieter life that shapes him for future service.

What does the name Gershom mean and why did Moses choose it for his son?

Moses names his son Gershom and explains it by saying, “I have been a stranger in a strange land.” The name points to the idea of being a foreigner or sojourner. By choosing this name, Moses is admitting that, even though he has a home and family in Midian, he still feels like a stranger. He has left Egypt behind, yet he has not reached the place of promise with his own people. The name keeps before him both his unsettled life and God’s ongoing plan. It would also remind his son that their story did not end in Midian but was tied to God’s promises to Israel.

What was happening to the Israelites in Egypt while Moses lived in Midian?

While Moses was building a life in Midian, the Israelites remained in harsh slavery in Egypt. The passage says they sighed and cried out because of their bondage. Their labor and suffering did not lessen with the change of kings; if anything, their pain felt heavier over time. They did not see any way out on their own, so their cries rose up to God. The text makes clear that God heard their groaning and saw their misery. So while nothing seemed to change on the surface, God was fully aware of their situation and was already preparing a deliverer in Moses.

What does it mean that God heard, remembered, looked upon, and had respect to Israel?

These words are not saying that God had ever forgotten His people. Instead, they show that God chose this moment to act on promises He had already made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. “Heard” and “their cry came up” picture God paying close attention to their prayers and pain. “Remembered his covenant” means He kept their ancestors’ agreement in view and was about to carry it out more openly. “Looked upon” and “had respect” show His deep concern and care. Together, these phrases tell us that God is not distant from suffering but notices, cares, and moves in His time.

What does this passage teach about God’s timing in suffering and deliverance?

The passage shows that God’s timing often feels slow to those who are hurting. Israel groaned for a long time, and even the death of one king did not bring relief. At the same time, God was guiding Moses to Midian, giving him a family, and shaping him in hidden ways. None of this would have looked like deliverance at first glance, yet it was part of the path that would lead to freedom. This reminds us that God can be fully at work even when we cannot see it. His timing may stretch our patience, but His care and promises do not fail.

How can this passage encourage someone who feels like a stranger or in a long waiting season?

Moses calls himself a stranger in a strange land, even while he has a home, work, and a family. Israel cries out in a place of deep trouble, with no visible way out. Yet God is present in both stories. For Moses, a desert season becomes a school where God prepares him. For Israel, long years of pain end with God hearing, remembering, and moving toward their rescue. If you feel out of place or stuck, this passage shows that God sees you, knows where you are, and may be quietly shaping you and your situation for a future you do not yet see.

Exod.2.15

Exodus 2:15

KJV

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.

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

¶ And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

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.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

And 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.

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Cross References

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