When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights Moses sitting down by a well, not just as a physical act of rest, but as a moment of waiting and vulnerability. This simple posture signifies a profound shift from the privilege of Pharaoh's court to a place of quiet dependence, where his future would be shaped not by his own actions, but by divine Providence meeting him at the well.
When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, Moses realizes his act of intervention has been seen and is now known to Pharaoh. Fearing for his life, Moses flees Egypt and finds refuge in the land of Midian, a region settled by descendants of Abraham. Exhausted and uncertain, he pauses by a well, waiting for what God might have next.
Moses, the rescuer, suddenly becomes the fugitive. Why did God allow this dramatic turn of events instead of letting Moses finish the job?
Pharaoh's rage isn't the whole story; it's also about God's timing. The liberation of Israel wasn't just about removing oppression, but about a people being ready to receive deliverance and a leader being prepared to guide them.
Moses goes from the palace to the well. How does this sudden shift challenge our understanding of faith and courage?
This moment marks a profound transition for Moses, showcasing a faith that is tested and redefined.
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Understand the original words
Paroh · Hebrew Noun
The monarch of Egypt, representing worldly power, pride, and opposition to the redemptive purposes of God for His people.
be’er · Hebrew Noun
A place of refuge and water in the wilderness, often serving as a site for divine encounter, marriage, and significant life transitions in the biblical narrative.
Moses' flight to Midian wasn't just a physical escape but a divinely orchestrated detour, preparing him for his 40-year leadership training in the wilderness before God's set time for Israel's deliverance.
c. 1526 BC
Birth of Moses
Moses is born to Hebrew parents in Egypt, but by divine providence, is adopted into Pharaoh's household after being hidden in a basket on the Nile.
c. 1506 BC— this verse
Moses Kills an Egyptian Overseer
As an adult, Moses witnesses an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. In a moment of passionate justice, he strikes and kills the Egyptian. The act is discovered, and Pharaoh seeks to kill Moses.
c. 1506 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
To escape Pharaoh's wrath, Moses flees Egypt and journeys to the land of Midian, settling near a well.
c. 1506 BC - c. 1466 BC
Moses' 40 Years in Midian
Moses lives as a shepherd in Midian for forty years, marrying Zipporah and living a life far removed from the Egyptian court.
c. 1466 BC
The Burning Bush Encounter
God appears to Moses in a burning bush, commissioning him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery.
c. 1466 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
Moses, now 80 years old, confronts Pharaoh and leads the Israelites out of Egypt, marking the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
This passage directly contrasts Moses's privileged upbringing in Pharaoh's court with his deliberate choice to embrace hardship with God's people, illuminating his decision to flee Egypt as an act of faith rather than fear.
Acts 7:23-29Stephen's speech recounts Moses's earlier attempt to deliver Israel by force, which led to his exile, mirroring the circumstances of Exodus 2 and showing how God redirected Moses's path to Midian for a future, divinely appointed rescue.
Genesis 24:10-14This passage describes Abraham's servant arriving in Mesopotamia and waiting by a well, a common place for travelers to seek rest and encounter significant people, paralleling Moses's own act of sitting by a well in Midian.
Exodus 3:1-3This passage shows Moses forty years later, still tending sheep in the wilderness near Mount Sinai, demonstrating how his time in Midian prepared him for his divine encounter and subsequent leadership.
bensonExodus 2:15: "Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well."
Exodus 2:15 . Moses fled from Pharaoh — God ordered this for wise ends. Things were not yet ripe for Israel’s deliverance. The measure of Egypt’s iniquity was not yet full; the Hebrews were not sufficiently humbled, nor were they yet increased to such a multitude as God designed: Moses is to be further fitted for the serv…
calvinExodus 2:11-15: "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren."
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Pharao etiam audito hoc sermone, quaerebat interficere Mosen. Et fugiens Moses a facie Pharaonis mansit in Madian, seditque…
The verse highlights Moses sitting down by a well, not just as a physical act of rest, but as a moment of waiting and vulnerability. This simple posture signifies a profound shift from the privilege of Pharaoh's court to a place of quiet dependence, where his future would be shaped not by his own actions, but by divine Providence meeting him at the well.
Having just killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, Moses realizes his act of intervention has been seen and is now known to Pharaoh. Fearing for his life, Moses flees Egypt and finds refuge in the land of Midian, a region settled by descendants of Abraham. Exhausted and uncertain, he pauses by a well, waiting for what God might have next.
Having just killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, Moses realizes his act of intervention has been seen and is now known to Pharaoh. Fearing for his life, Moses flees Egypt and finds refuge in the land of Midian, a region settled by descendants of Abraham. Exhausted and uncertain, he pauses by a well, waiting for what God might have next.
"When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well." — The verse highlights Moses sitting down by a well, not just as a physical act of rest, but as a moment of waiting and vulnerability. This simple posture signifies a profound shift from the privilege…
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Last reviewed October 2026