Exodus 2:6

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

Exodus 2:6 (KJV)

Context

This verse belongs to the story of Moses’ birth. Pharaoh had ordered that every Hebrew baby boy be thrown into the Nile. To save her son, Moses’ mother placed him in a basket made of bulrushes and set it among the reeds by the riverbank. Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe, saw the basket, and sent her maid to fetch it. When she opened it, she found the crying child.

Meaning

The word “she” refers to Pharaoh’s daughter. The “it” is the basket. Her act of opening the basket is the first step in God’s plan to preserve Moses. The baby’s tears are a natural human response, yet they stir her heart. She sees his helplessness and feels compassion. Her words, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children,” show that she knows the child belongs to the people her father has condemned. Even so, she chooses mercy over obedience to the cruel decree. Her compassion is striking because she is the daughter of the very king who ordered the killing, yet the child’s vulnerability moves her to pity.

Biblical connections

Her compassion leads directly to Moses being nursed by his own mother, as recorded in Exodus 2:7-9. This is a clear sign of God’s providence working through human pity. The same divine care that preserved Moses as a baby would later prepare him to lead Israel out of Egypt. This moment also foreshadows the greater deliverance that God would bring through Christ, who was also kept safe as a child. God often uses unexpected people and circumstances to accomplish His redemptive plan.

Application

God often works through ordinary feelings like compassion. Pharaoh’s daughter could have ignored the child or obeyed her father, but she allowed pity to move her to action. Believers today can ask God to open their eyes to the vulnerable around them and to give them courage to show mercy, even when it is costly. A small act of kindness can become part of God’s larger plan. Human compassion can be a vehicle for divine purposes.

Reflection

This verse reminds us that God’s purposes are never defeated by human cruelty. He can use an unexpected person, even the daughter of the king, to protect His chosen servant. The tears of a helpless baby became the means by which God moved a princess to save the one who would later save Israel. God still works through weakness and human compassion to accomplish His will.