Skip to main content
« The Oppression of Israel The Plagues and the Exodus »
0:00 / 0:00

The Book of Jubilees 47

3 min 12 verses Translated by R.H. Charles, 1913 (public domain).

The Birth and Early Years of Moses

Amram went forth from Canaan in 2303 A.M. in the forty-seventh jubilee and the child was born in 2330 A.M. of the forty-eighth jubilee.

A1🔗nd in the seventh week, in the seventh year, in the forty-seventh jubilee, thy father went forth 2303 A.M. from the land of Canaan, and thou wast born in the fourth week, in the sixth year thereof, in the 2330 A.M. forty-eighth jubilee; this was the time of tribulation on the children of Israel.

2🔗 And Pharaoh, king of Egypt, issued a command regarding them that they should cast all their male children which were born into the river.

3🔗 And they cast them in for seven months until the day that thou wast born

4🔗 And thy mother hid thee for three months, and they told regarding her. And she made an ark for thee, and covered it with pitch and asphalt, and placed it in the flags on the bank of the river, and she placed thee in it seven days, and thy mother came by night and suckled thee, and by day Miriam, thy sister, guarded thee from the birds.

5🔗 And in those days Tharmuth, the daughter of Pharaoh, came to bathe in the river, and she heard thy voice crying, and she told her maidens to bring thee forth, and they brought thee unto her.

6🔗 And she took thee out of the ark, and she had compassion on thee.

7🔗 And thy sister said unto her: 'Shall I go and call unto thee one of the Hebrew women to nurse and suckle this babe for thee?'

8🔗 And she said unto her: 'Go.' And she went and called thy mother Jochebed, and she gave her wages, and she nursed thee.

9🔗 And afterwards, when thou wast grown up, they brought thee unto the daughter of Pharaoh, and thou didst become her son, and Amram thy father taught thee writing, and after thou hadst completed three weeks they brought thee into the royal court.

10🔗 And thou wast three weeks of years at court until the time 2351- when thou didst go forth from the royal court and didst see an Egyptian smiting thy friend who was 2372 A.M. of the children of Israel, and thou didst slay him and hide him in the sand.

11🔗 And on the second day thou didst and two of the children of Israel striving together, and thou didst say to him who was doing the wrong: 'Why dost thou smite thy brother?'

12🔗 And he was angry and indignant, and said: 'Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Thinkest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?' And thou didst fear and flee on account of these words.

Commentary

In brief

The chapter recounts Moses's birth amid Pharaoh's decree casting Hebrew male infants into the river. His mother Jochebed hides him for three months then sets him in a pitch-covered ark, where Tharmuth finds him and raises him as her son until he slays an Egyptian and flees.

Did You Know?

1

Amram went forth from Canaan in 2303 A.M. in the forty-seventh jubilee and the child was born in 2330 A.M. of the forty-eighth jubilee.

2

Pharaoh king of Egypt issued a command to cast all male children into the river and they cast them for seven months until the birth.

3

Jochebed hid the infant three months then made an ark covered with pitch and asphalt and placed him in the river flags for seven days.

4

By night the mother came and suckled the infant and by day Miriam the sister guarded him from the birds.

5

Tharmuth the daughter of Pharaoh heard the voice crying while bathing in the river and told her maidens to bring the child forth.

Continue Reading The Book of Jubilees 48 The Plagues and the Exodus

← → arrow keys to navigate chapters · spacebar to play/pause audio

Chapter Context