Now a man of the house of LeviThe tribe of Levi was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The Levites were later set apart for religious duties and service in the Tabernacle, and eventually the Temple. This lineage is significant as it establishes Moses' priestly heritage, foreshadowing his role as a mediator between God and the Israelites. The Levites did not receive a territorial inheritance like the other tribes, emphasizing their unique role in Israelite society. This connection to the tribe of Levi also prefigures the priesthood of Christ, who serves as the ultimate High Priest.
married a Levite woman
Marriage within the same tribe was common in ancient Israel, often to preserve tribal identity and inheritance. The Levite woman here is Jochebed, who is later named inExodus 6:20. This union highlights the continuity of the Levitical line and the preservation of God's chosen people. The marriage of two Levites underscores the importance of maintaining religious and cultural identity, which is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. This also points to the sanctity of marriage and family as foundational to God's covenant community.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Man of the House of LeviThis refers to Amram, who is later identified as the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He is a member of the tribe of Levi, which is significant as the Levites were later set apart for priestly duties.
2.
The Daughter of LeviThis is Jochebed, Amram's wife and the mother of Moses. Her lineage as a Levite is important, as it connects Moses to the priestly tribe.
3.
The Tribe of LeviOne of the twelve tribes of Israel, the Levites were later chosen by God to serve as priests and caretakers of the Tabernacle. This tribal identity plays a crucial role in the account of the Israelites.
4.
MarriageThe union of Amram and Jochebed is significant as it sets the stage for the birth of Moses, a central figure in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
5.
The Context of OppressionThis event occurs during a time of severe oppression for the Israelites in Egypt, setting the stage for God's deliverance through Moses.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Godly HeritageThe union of Amram and Jochebed, both Levites, underscores the significance of a godly heritage and its impact on future generations.
Faith in AdversityDespite the oppressive circumstances, the marriage and family life of Amram and Jochebed demonstrate faith and trust in God's plan.
God's Sovereign PlanThe birth of Moses to a Levite family was part of God's sovereign plan to deliver Israel, showing that God works through families and lineages.
The Role of Family in God's WorkThis passage highlights the importance of family in God's redemptive work, encouraging believers to value and nurture their family relationships.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Exodus 2:1?
2.How does Exodus 2:1 demonstrate God's providence in Moses' early life?
3.What can we learn about faith from Moses' parents' actions in Exodus 2:1?
4.How does Exodus 2:1 connect to Hebrews 11:23 regarding Moses' parents' faith?
5.What role does family play in God's plan according to Exodus 2:1?
6.How can we trust God with our children's futures like Moses' parents did?
7.How does Exodus 2:1 fit into the larger narrative of Moses' life and mission?
8.What historical evidence supports the events described in Exodus 2:1?
9.How does Exodus 2:1 reflect the cultural context of ancient Egypt and Israel?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 2?
11.Was Moses a historical figure?
12.Who was Miriam in the Bible?
13.What is the name of Moses' mother?
14.How do we reconcile the severity of God's threats in Micah 2 against claims of divine mercy elsewhere in the Bible?What Does Exodus 2:1 Mean
Now• “Now” bridges the misery ofExodus 1 with God’s next move, showing that the Lord never pauses in His redemptive plan (Genesis 50:20;Acts 7:17).
• The word quietly signals that the promised deliverance is already underway, even while Pharaoh’s oppression rages (Exodus 1:22).
a man• The text withholds his name, keeping the spotlight on God, not human prominence. We later learn he is Amram (Exodus 6:20).
• His anonymity highlights faith over fame—“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months” (Hebrews 11:23).
• In a culture of fear, one ordinary man lives by covenant hope, trustingGenesis 15:13-14 that God would surely bring Israel out.
of the house of Levi• Levi’s descendants would be set apart for worship (Exodus 32:26-29;Numbers 3:12). God is preparing His future priestly tribe even before Sinai.
• The choice of a Levite couple foreshadows Moses’ role as mediator who will later receive the Law (Deuteronomy 33:8-11).
• Tribal identity affirms the historicity of the narrative; real families, real lineage, real deliverance.
married• Marriage is God’s covenant design (Genesis 2:24;Hebrews 13:4).
• Forming a family during genocide is an act of life-affirming faith in direct defiance of Pharaoh’s decree (Exodus 1:16,22).
• Their union pictures the resilience of God’s people—love flourishing where death is commanded.
a Levite woman• Jochebed (named inNumbers 26:59) shares her husband’s lineage, giving Moses an unbroken Levitical heritage.
• Her courage will match her husband’s: “When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him” (Exodus 2:2).
• Scripture elevates faithful women—Shiphrah, Puah (Exodus 1:17), Miriam (Exodus 2:4), Deborah (Judges 4:4)—as indispensable to God’s purposes.
summaryExodus 2:1, though brief, overflows with meaning: God moves “now,” through an unnamed but believing man, from a tribe destined for priestly service, bound in covenant marriage to a like-minded woman. In the darkest hour, the Lord plants the seed of deliverance in a faithful household, proving once again that His Word is literal, accurate, and unstoppable.
II.
THE BIRTH, EDUCATION, AND EARLY LIFE OF MOSES.
(1)There went.--Comp.Genesis 35:22;Hosea 1:3. The expression is idiomatic, and has no special force.
A man of the house of Levi.--Note the extreme simplicity of this announcement; and compare it with the elaborate legends wherewith Oriental religions commonly surrounded the birth of those who were considered their founders, as Thoth, Zoroaster, Orpheus. Even the name of the man is here omitted as unimportant. It is difficult to conceive any one but Moses making such an omission.
A daughter of Levi--i.e., a woman of the same tribe as himself, a descendant of Levi--not a daughter in the literal sense, which the chronology makes impossible.
Verses 1-10. - THE BIRTH, ESCAPE, AND EDUCATION OF MOSES. Some years before the Pharaoh issued his edict for the general destruction of the Hebrew male children, Amram of the tribe of Levi, had married Jochebed, his kinswoman (
Exodus 6:20). They had already had two children - Miriam, a daughter, born probably soon after the marriage, and Aaron, a son, born some twelve years later. Soon after the issue of the edict, Jochebed gave birth to her third child, a son, who therefore came under its terms. Knowing as she did what fate was in store for him, if his existence became known to the Egyptians, she "hid him three months." Then, despairing of being able to keep him concealed much longer, she devised the plan related in vers. 3-4, which proved successful.
Verse 1. -
There went a man. The Hebrew language is deficient in tenses, and cannot mark
pluperfect time. The meaning is, that "a man of the house of Levi
had gone, some time before, and taken to wife a daughter of Levi." Miriam must have been fourteen or fifteen at the time of the exposure of Moses.
By a daughter of Levi, we must not understand an actual daughter, which is irreconcilable with the chronology, but one of Levi's descendants - "a wife of the daughters of Levi," as the LXX. translates.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Now a manאִ֖ישׁ(’îš)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376:A man as an individual, a male personof the houseמִבֵּ֣ית(mib·bêṯ)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004:A houseof Leviלֵוִ֑י(lê·wî)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878:Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from himmarriedוַיִּקַּ֖ח(way·yiq·qaḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947:To takea Leviteלֵוִֽי׃(lê·wî)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878:Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from himwoman,בַּת־(baṯ-)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323:A daughter
Links
Exodus 2:1 NIVExodus 2:1 NLTExodus 2:1 ESVExodus 2:1 NASBExodus 2:1 KJV
Exodus 2:1 BibleApps.comExodus 2:1 Biblia ParalelaExodus 2:1 Chinese BibleExodus 2:1 French BibleExodus 2:1 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Exodus 2:1 A man of the house of Levi (Exo. Ex) 
