Moses Defends a Hebrew, Flees Egypt, and Settles in Midian
Moses grows up and goes out to his fellow Hebrews, where he sees their forced labor and an Egyptian striking a Hebrew. After looking around, Moses kills the Egyptian and hides the body in the sand. The next day he tries to intervene between two Hebrews, but one challenges him: “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?” Moses then realizes that his killing of the Egyptian is known.
Pharaoh seeks to kill Moses, so Moses flees Egypt and settles in the land of Midian. At a well he defends the daughters of Reuel from shepherds and waters their flock. Reuel welcomes Moses into the household, and Moses marries Zipporah. Their son is named Gershom because Moses says, “I have been a stranger in a strange land.” Exodus later calls Moses’ father-in-law Jethro; the text does not pause here to explain the relationship between the names Reuel and Jethro.