Exodus 2 tells the remarkable story of Moses’ birth and early life. In the land of Egypt, a Hebrew woman named Jochebed gave birth to a son, but fearing for his life due to a decree that all Hebrew male infants be killed, she hid him for three months. Unable to keep him hidden any longer, Jochebed made a waterproof basket and placed the baby in it, setting it among the reeds by the riverbank. Miraculously, Pharaoh’s daughter discovered the baby while bathing and was moved with compassion. She adopted him as her own and named him Moses, which means “drawn out,” signifying his rescue from the water.
As Moses grew, he became aware of his Hebrew heritage and witnessed the oppression his people faced under Egyptian rule. One day, he saw an Egyptian taskmaster mistreating a Hebrew slave, and in a fit of rage, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. However, his action became known, and he fled from Pharaoh’s wrath, finding refuge in the land of Midian.