The Meaning of Exodus 2:20 Explained

Exodus 2:20

KJV: And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

YLT: and he saith unto his daughters, 'And where is he? why is this? -- ye left the man! call for him, and he doth eat bread.'

Darby: And he said to his daughters, And where is he? why then have ye left the man behind? Call him, that he may eat bread.

ASV: And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto his daughters,  And where [is] he? why [is] it [that] ye have left  the man?  call  him, that he may eat  bread. 

What does Exodus 2:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 2:11-25 - Moses Slays An Egyptian And Flees To Midian
Amid all the allurements of Pharaoh's court, the heart of Moses beat true to his own people. Neither the treasures of Egypt, nor the pleasures of sin; the attraction of human love, nor the glamour of the world's smile, could turn him aside from his own folk. A light shone for him over the humble huts of Goshen, before which that of Pharaoh's palaces paled. Some glimmering knowledge of the promised Christ appears to have been present to his mind; and he esteemed that hope to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Hebrews 11:26.
He had, however, much to learn. By strength no man can prevail. The battle is not to the strong, nor the race to the swift. The salvation of Israel from their untold miseries must be due, from first to last, to the outstretched hand of their Almighty Protector. Hence the failure of Moses' first attempt. Instead of looking "this way and that," he must look upward. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 2

1  Moses is born, and placed in a basket in the reeds of Nile
5  He is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter;
7  who employs his mother to nurse him
11  He kills an Egyptian
13  He reproves a Hebrew
15  He flees into Midian, and marries Zipporah
22  Gershom is born
23  God respects the Israelites' cry

What do the individual words in Exodus 2:20 mean?

So he said to his daughters and where [is] he what [is] this [that] you have left - the man Call him that he may eat bread
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֶל־ בְּנֹתָ֖יו ؟ וְאַיּ֑וֹ לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ן אֶת־ ؟ הָאִ֔ישׁ קִרְאֶ֥ן ל֖וֹ וְיֹ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר  So  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּנֹתָ֖יו  his  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
؟ וְאַיּ֑וֹ  and  where  [is]  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative, third person masculine singular
Root: אַיֵּה  
Sense: where?.
זֶּה֙  [is]  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ן  [that]  you  have  left 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
؟ הָאִ֔ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
קִרְאֶ֥ן  Call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
וְיֹ֥אכַל  that  he  may  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לָֽחֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.