Exodus 2:11

When Moses was grown. The Sacred Record passes over almost 30 years of Moses’ life in silence. The next recorded event is of an incident that took place when he was 40 years old (Acts 7:23). The years of his youth were spent under royal tutors, who imparted to him “all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). Some of his education he received from the priests, and some from army commanders. Such was the training ordinarily given a royal prince. Since Moses was “mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22), it would not be amiss to assume that he led important military expeditions to foreign countries (see PP 245). However, he did not become an Egyptian at heart. His outward appearance, his dress, his speech, and his behavior may have been completely Egyptian, but he remained a Hebrew in character, religion, and loyalty. This is clear from the events narrated in Ex. 2:11-13 (see Heb. 11:24).

He went out. Moses had come to the point in his life when he realized that he must either become an Egyptian, without reservation, or side with his despised people. It seems that prior to this occasion he had made the decision “to suffer affliction with the people of God” (Heb. 11:25) and considered himself the chosen instrument for this task (Acts 7:23—25). He thought himself ready at last to leave the court with its “pleasures of sin,” to abandon the prospect of succession to the throne, and to step forth boldly to champion the cause of his oppressed people (see PP 246, 247). From Acts 7:23 it is clear that Moses went to the land of Goshen for the purpose of studying the situation and laying plans.

That in his mind he had relinquished all claim to the throne of Egypt is evidence that his motives were not selfish. He was impelled, rather, by sincere love for his people and hatred for their oppressors, a fact emphasized by the term “brethren,” used twice in Ex. 2:11.

He spied an Egyptian. This was probably one of the taskmasters mentioned in ch. 1:11 or one of the overseers employed by them. Such persons are represented on Egyptian monuments as armed with long wooden sticks, which they used freely on the backs of idlers. Their authority was no doubt frequently abused, and chastisement was no doubt inflicted for the slightest fault or for no fault at all. Authority often degenerates into tyranny and cruel oppression, and as an instance of such abuse of power this incident excited the anger of Moses (Acts 7:24).