Exodus 2 · Verse 16

Exodus 2:16

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
Exodus 2:16, King James Version

Exodus 2:16 in other translations

BSBNow the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
WEBNow the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
ASVNow the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
YLTAnd to a priest of Midian are seven daughters, and they come and draw, and fill the troughs, to water the flock of their father,
DARBYAnd the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs, to water their father's flock.
BBENow the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came to get water for their father's flock.
WebsterNow the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

What does Exodus 2:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 2:16-22
16-22. the priest of Midian--or, "prince of Midian." As the officers were usually conjoined, he was the ruler also of the people called Cushites or Ethiopians, and like many other chiefs of pastoral people in that early age, he still retained the faith and worship of the true God. seven daughters--were shepherdesses to whom Moses was favorably introduced by an act of courtesy and courage in protecting them from the rude shepherds of some neighboring tribe at a well. He afterwards formed a close and permanent alliance with this family by marrying one of the daughters, Zipporah, "a little bird," called a Cushite or Ethiopian (Nu 12:1), and whom Moses doubtless obtained in the manner of Jacob by service [see Ex 3:1]. He had by her two sons, whose names were, according to common practice, commemorative of incidents in the family history [Ex 18:3, 4].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 The priest of Midian - Or prince, or both; for the original כהן cohen has both meanings. See it explained at large at Gen 15:18 (note). The transaction here very nearly resembles that mentioned Genesis 29 (note) concerning Jacob and Rachel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 2:16-22
Moses found shelter in Midian. He was ready to help Reuel's daughters to water their flocks, although bred in learning and at court. Moses loved to be doing justice, and to act in defence of such as he saw injured, which every man ought to do, as far as it is in his power. He loved to be doing good; wherever the providence of God casts us, we should desire and try to be useful; and when we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can. Moses commended himself to the prince of Midian; who married one of his daughters to Moses, by whom he had a son, called Gershom, "a stranger there," that he might keep in remembrance the land in which he had been a stranger.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 2:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּלְכֹהֵ֥ןu.le.kho.Henand [belonged] to [the] priest ofH3548
מִדְיָ֖ןmid.YanMidianH4080
שֶׁ֣בַעShe.va'sevenH7651
בָּנ֑וֹתba.NotdaughtersH1323
וַתָּבֹ֣אנָהva.ta.Vo.nahand they cameH935
וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָהva.tid.Le.nahand they drewH1802
וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙va.te.ma.Le.nahand they filledH4390
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָ֣רְהָטִ֔יםha.re.ha.Timthe drinking troughsH7298
לְהַשְׁק֖וֹתle.hash.Kotto waterH8248
צֹ֥אןtzon[the] flock ofH6629
אֲבִיהֶֽן\׃'a.vi.Henfather theirH1

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 2:16

  • Genesis 24:11

    And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

  • Exodus 3:1

    Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

  • 1 Samuel 9:11

    And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?

  • Genesis 24:14-20

    And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. …

  • Genesis 29:6-10

    And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep. And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. …

  • Genesis 41:45

    And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath–paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the priest. or, prince.
3:1; Ge 14:18; 41:45; *marg:
they came.
Ge 24:11,14-20; 29:6-10; 1Sa 9:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 2:15

    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.

  • Exodus 2:16

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

  • Exodus 2:17

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

Read all of Exodus 2

Exodus 2:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Tenía el sacerdote de Madián siete hijas, las cuales vinieron á sacar agua, para llenar las pilas y dar de beber á las ovejas de su padre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		or le sacrificateur de Madian avait sept filles; et elles vinrent, et puisèrent, et emplirent les auges pour abreuver le bétail de leur père.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Priester von Midian hatte sieben Töchter; und sie kamen und schöpften und füllten die Tränkrinnen, um die Herde ihres Vaters zu tränken.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Erant autem sacerdoti Madian septem filiæ, quæ venerunt ad hauriendam aquam: et impletis canalibus adaquare cupiebant greges patris sui.