The Meaning of Exodus 2:16 Explained

Exodus 2:16

KJV: Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

YLT: And to a priest of Midian are seven daughters, and they come and draw, and fill the troughs, to water the flock of their father,

Darby: And the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs, to water their father's flock.

ASV: Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now the priest  of Midian  had seven  daughters:  and they came  and drew  [water], and filled  the troughs  to water  their father's  flock. 

What does Exodus 2:16 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 2:16 mean?

Now the priest of Midian [had] seven daughters and they came and drew water and filled they the troughs to water the flock of their father
וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנ֑וֹת וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־ הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶֽן

וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן  Now  the  priest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
מִדְיָ֖ן  of  Midian 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְיָן  
Sense: son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians.
שֶׁ֣בַע  [had]  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
בָּנ֑וֹת  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה  and  they  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה  and  drew  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: דָּלָה 
Sense: to draw, dangle.
וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙  and  filled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים  the  troughs 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רַהַט 
Sense: trough, hollow.
לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת  to  water 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁקָה  
Sense: to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water.
צֹ֥אן  the  flock 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
אֲבִיהֶֽן  of  their  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.