The Meaning of Exodus 2:6 Explained

Exodus 2:6

KJV: And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

YLT: and openeth, and seeth him -- the lad, and lo, a child weeping! and she hath pity on him, and saith, 'This is one of the Hebrews' children.'

Darby: And she opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the boy wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

ASV: And she opened it, and saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews children.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when she had opened  [it], she saw  the child:  and, behold, the babe  wept.  And she had compassion  on him, and said,  This [is one] of the Hebrews'  children. 

What does Exodus 2:6 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 2:6 mean?

And when she had opened [it] then she saw - the child and behold the little boy wept So she had compassion on him and said [one] of children of the Hebrews this [is]
וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־ הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־ נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה

וַתִּפְתַּח֙  And  when  she  had  opened  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ  then  she  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine 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.
הַיֶּ֔לֶד  the  child 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
וְהִנֵּה־  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נַ֖עַר  the  little  boy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
בֹּכֶ֑ה  wept 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל  So  she  had  compassion 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
עָלָ֔יו  on  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
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.
וַתֹּ֕אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מִיַּלְדֵ֥י  [one]  of  children 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים  of  the  Hebrews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִבְרִי  
Sense: a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites adj.
זֶֽה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.