And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
The woman ... bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child ..., х Towb (H2896)] - attractive to the eye, fair, beautiful [Septuagint, asteion (cf. Hebrews 11:23) asteios (G791) too (G3588) Theoo (G2316)]; uncommonly, superlatively beautiful (Acts 7:20). Some extraordinary appearance or remarkable comeliness led his parents to augur his future greatness. Beauty was regarded by the ancients as a mark of the divine favour. [Josephus ('Antiquities,' b. 2:, ch. 9:, sec. 7, calls Moses paida morfee Theion; and Philo, 2:, p. 82, genneetheis ho pais euthus opsin enefeenen asteooteran hee kat' idiooteen].
Both these writers seem to intimate that the striking feature in the child's appearance was not so much beauty of countenance as a certain nobility of air, which augured future greatness. This is not mentioned, however, by the sacred historian as the chief inducement for the preservation of Moses. It was only a secondary reason, though it might have stimulated their hopes that God would bless their endeavours to save him, which were not founded on any special revelation made directly concerning him, but originated in their faith and implicit reliance upon the divine promises. It is observable that no prodigies, such as are described in the poetry of the early ages, and even in the fragments of legendary histories that have been transmitted to us, as distinguishing the birth of eminent persons, signalized the nativity of Moses; and as he was the greatest hero of the Israelite nation, it is no slight proof of the historical truth of this book that it contains no traditional fables of this sort.
She hid him three months. The mother is here represented as the sole agent. [But the Septuagint has the plural, eskepasan; as does also the apostle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:23), Pisteis Moosees genneetheis ekrubee trimeenon hupo toon pateroon autou, which Bengel conjectures means the father, and grandfather, Kohath, although hoi pateres frequently denotes parents.] Amram and Jochebed were a pious couple; and the measures they took were prompted not only by parental attachment, but by a strong faith in the blessing of God prospering their efforts to rescue their infant from destruction. The persecution was at its height at the birth of Moses; and 'man's extremity' proved in this instance, as in many others, to be 'God's opportunity.'