Exodus 2 · Verse 17

Exodus 2:17

And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
Exodus 2:17, King James Version

Exodus 2:17 in other translations

BSBAnd when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.
WEBThe shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
ASVAnd the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
YLTand the shepherds come and drive them away, and Moses ariseth, and saveth them, and watereth their flock.
DARBYAnd the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses rose and helped them, and watered their flock.
BBEAnd the keepers of the sheep came up and were driving them away; but Moses got up and came to their help, watering their flock for them.
WebsterAnd the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

What does Exodus 2:17 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…

Read the full comment on Exodus 2:16-22 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 The shepherds - drove them - The verb יגרשים yegareshum, being in the masculine gender, seems to imply that the shepherds drove away the flocks of Reuel's daughters, and not the daughters themselves. The fact seems to be, that, as the daughters of Reuel filled the troughs and brought their flocks to drink, the shepherds drove those away, and, profiting by the young women's labor, watered their own cattle. Moses resisted this insolence, and assisted them to water their flocks, in consequence of which they were enabled to return much sooner than they were wont to do, Exo 2:18.

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…

Read the full comment on Exodus 2:16-22 →

Exodus 2:17 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.

וַיָּבֹ֥אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uand they cameH935
הָרֹעִ֖יםha.ro.'Imthe shepherdsH7462
וַיְגָרְשׁ֑וּםvay.ga.re.Shumand they drove away themH1644
וַיָּ֤קָםvai.Ya.komand he aroseH6965
מֹשֶׁה֙mo.ShehMosesH4872
וַיּ֣וֹשִׁעָ֔ןvai.Yo.o.shi.'Anand he delivered themH3467
וַיַּ֖שְׁקְvai.Yashkand he wateredH8248
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
צֹאנָֽם\׃tzo.Namflock theirH6629

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

Cross references for Exodus 2:17

  • Genesis 29:10

    And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

  • Genesis 21:25

    And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

  • Exodus 2:12

    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.

  • Genesis 26:15-22

    For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
shepherds.
Ge 21:25; 26:15-22
watered.
12; Ge 29:10

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Exodus 2:18

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

Read all of Exodus 2

Exodus 2:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas los pastores vinieron, y echáronlas: Entonces Moisés se levantó y defendiólas, y abrevó sus ovejas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les bergers vinrent, et les chassèrent; et Moïse se leva, et les secourut, et abreuva leur bétail.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Hirten kamen und trieben sie hinweg. Da stand Mose auf und half ihnen und tränkte ihre Herde.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Supervenere pastores, et ejecerunt eas: surrexitque Moyses, et defensis puellis, adaquavit oves earum.