The Meaning of Exodus 2:24 Explained

Exodus 2:24

KJV: And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

YLT: and God heareth their groaning, and God remembereth His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob;

Darby: and God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob;

ASV: And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And God  heard  their groaning,  and God  remembered  his covenant  with Abraham,  with Isaac,  and with Jacob. 

What does Exodus 2:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 2:11-25 - Moses Slays An Egyptian And Flees To Midian
Amid all the allurements of Pharaoh's court, the heart of Moses beat true to his own people. Neither the treasures of Egypt, nor the pleasures of sin; the attraction of human love, nor the glamour of the world's smile, could turn him aside from his own folk. A light shone for him over the humble huts of Goshen, before which that of Pharaoh's palaces paled. Some glimmering knowledge of the promised Christ appears to have been present to his mind; and he esteemed that hope to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Hebrews 11:26.
He had, however, much to learn. By strength no man can prevail. The battle is not to the strong, nor the race to the swift. The salvation of Israel from their untold miseries must be due, from first to last, to the outstretched hand of their Almighty Protector. Hence the failure of Moses' first attempt. Instead of looking "this way and that," he must look upward. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 2

1  Moses is born, and placed in a basket in the reeds of Nile
5  He is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter;
7  who employs his mother to nurse him
11  He kills an Egyptian
13  He reproves a Hebrew
15  He flees into Midian, and marries Zipporah
22  Gershom is born
23  God respects the Israelites' cry

What do the individual words in Exodus 2:24 mean?

So heard God - their groaning and remembered God His covenant with Abraham Isaac and with Jacob
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־ נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־ אַבְרָהָ֖ם יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־ יַעֲקֹֽב

וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע  So  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַאֲקָתָ֑ם  their  groaning 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נְאָקָה  
Sense: groan, groaning.
וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר  and  remembered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
אֱלֹהִים֙  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּרִית֔וֹ  His  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
אַבְרָהָ֖ם  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
יִצְחָ֥ק  Isaac 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
וְאֶֽת־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
יַעֲקֹֽב  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.