The Meaning of Exodus 2:5 Explained

Exodus 2:5

KJV: And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

YLT: And a daughter of Pharaoh cometh down to bathe at the River, and her damsels are walking by the side of the River, and she seeth the ark in the midst of the weeds, and sendeth her handmaid, and she taketh it,

Darby: And the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the river; and her maids went along by the river's side. And she saw the ark in the midst of the sedge, and sent her handmaid and fetched it.

ASV: And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the daughter  of Pharaoh  came down  to wash  [herself] at the river;  and her maidens  walked  along by the river's  side;  and when she saw  the ark  among  the flags,  she sent  her maid  to fetch  it. 

What does Exodus 2:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 2:1-10 - Moses Preserved By Pharaoh's Daughter
When matters had reached their worst in respect to Israel's condition, God was preparing a deliverer. The child was more than ordinarily beautiful, Acts 7:20. His parents hid him by faith, Hebrews 11:23. Perhaps they had received a special revelation of his great future, on the strength of which they became strong to resist the royal command. They launched the ark, not on the Nile only, but on God's Providence. He would be captain, steersman, and convoy of the tiny bark. Miriam stood to watch. There was no fear of fatal consequences, only the quiet expectancy that God would do something worthy of Himself. They reckoned on God's faithfulness, and they were amply rewarded, when the daughter of their greatest foe became the babe's patroness. See Psalms 76:10. [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 2:5 mean?

And came down the daughter of Pharaoh to bathe at the Nile and her maidens walked along the side of the Nile and when she saw - the ark among the reeds and she sent her maidservant then to retrieve it
וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־ פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־ הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־ יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־ הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ‪‬

וַתֵּ֤רֶד  And  came  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
בַּת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
פַּרְעֹה֙  of  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
לִרְחֹ֣ץ  to  bathe 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
עַל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַיְאֹ֔ר  the  Nile 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְאֹר  
Sense: river, stream, canal, Nile, Nile-canal.
וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ  and  her  maidens 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: נַעֲרָה  
Sense: girl, damsel, female servant.
הֹלְכֹ֖ת  walked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
עַל־  along 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יַ֣ד  the  side 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַיְאֹ֑ר  of  the  Nile 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְאֹר  
Sense: river, stream, canal, Nile, Nile-canal.
וַתֵּ֤רֶא  and  when  she  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
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.
הַתֵּבָה֙  the  ark 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֵּבָה  
Sense: ark.
הַסּ֔וּף  the  reeds 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּף  
Sense: reed, rush, water plant.
וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח  and  she  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֲמָתָ֖הּ  her  maidservant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ‪‬  then  to  retrieve  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.