And the child grew, &c.— It is uncertain at what age Moses was delivered by his parents to the princess. It is, however, reasonable to suppose that his parents had so well instructed him in their religion, and taken such care to let him know both what relation they bore to him, and what hopes they had conceived of his being designed by Heaven to be the deliverer of his nation, that he made no other use of his education, which the princess gave him, than to confirm himself more and more against the superstitions and idolatry of the Egyptians, and to make himself fit to answer those ends for which he was designed by Providence. See Universal History.
He became her son, &c.— That is, she adopted him for her own; in consequence of which she gave him such an education as comports with what is said, Acts 7:22 that he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Some writers have said, that she pretended to be with child, and endeavoured absolutely to make Moses pass for her own son; a tradition which some have thought to be favoured by the words of the Apostle, Hebrews 11:24 he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; but this, unquestionably, may refer, with as much propriety, to his sonship by adoption. Besides, had this been the case, she would never have given him a name commemorative of his deliverance; for she called him Moses, or drawn out, משׁה mosheh, because she drew him out of the water.
REFLECTIONS.—How admirable are the dispositions of God's providence, in time, manner, means; all exact, critical, and wonderful! Observe,
1. The discovery of Moses by Pharaoh's daughter. Struck with his beauty and innocent tears, compassion moved her to save the child. Note; (1.) The helplessness and innocence of infancy awaken pity in the hardest hearts. (2.) When Pharaoh is destroying the people, his daughter is preserving their deliverer. God can thus by his very enemies carry on his wise designs. (3.) Nothing happens by chance. The greater events depend upon circumstances, to outward appearance utterly trivial and fortuitous, but planned with deep design in the mind of the all-wise God.
2. The nurse provided: his own mother. No breast so natural as her's who bore him. No wonder the child thrived. How many mothers, by refusing their breasts, become accessary to the death of their own offspring!
3. The child is educated in all the learning of Egypt, and in all the politeness of a court, and thus prepared for that part he was afterwards to act, both as the historian and leader of Israel. Providence not only raises great men from obscurity, but, by the steps of their advancement, wonderfully prepares them for the place for which they are intended.