Moses is a central figure in Abrahamic religions, revered as the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. His story, filled with divine encounters and pivotal decisions, has been studied and interpreted for centuries. One particular aspect of Moses' life that often raises questions is his flight from Egypt. This article delves into the reasons behind this critical decision, examining biblical accounts and historical contexts to understand Moses' motivations.
Moses' Early Life and the Plight of the Israelites
According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was born during a time when the Israelites, an enslaved minority in Egypt, were rapidly increasing in population. Fearing their potential alliance with Egypt's enemies, the Pharaoh ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed. To save her son, Moses' mother, Jochebed, hid him in an ark among the bulrushes along the Nile River, where he was discovered by the Pharaoh's daughter and raised as an Egyptian.
The Incident and the Flight
As a young man, around 20 years old, Moses witnessed the suffering of his people. In Exodus 2:11f, we find Moses going out and watching his people. One day, he saw an Egyptian overseer beating a Hebrew slave. In anger, Moses killed the Egyptian official. Fearing retribution from the Pharaoh, Moses fled to Midian to save his own skin.
Exodus 2:11-15 recounts:
“In c.1508BC, as a young man of 20, the prince sees a Hebrew slave being beaten by an Egyptian overseer. In anger, Moses kills the Egyptian official. Fearing retribution from the pharaoh (and, perhaps, death threats from his jealous stepbrothers), Moses flees to Midian, near the Gulf of Aqaba.”
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It seemed like the reason Moses fled was for the exact reason that the Hebrew writer said that he didn’t flee for; it seems like he fled because he WAS afraid of the King’s punishment for killing an Egyptian. I believe that you are right in saying that Moses’ flight to Midian had very little to do with faith in God and more to do with trying to save his own skin. He fled, not because of faith in Jehovah, but out of fear for his life. So, I can agree that his flight out of Egypt was not an act of faith. Moses should have no intention of choosing Midian. His primary focus was to escape from areas under Egyptian influence.
LOOK at Moses running away from Egypt. Can you see the men chasing him? Do you know why they want to kill Moses? Moses grew up in the house of Pharʹaoh, the ruler of Egypt. He became a very wise and great man. One day, when he was 40 years old, Moses decided to go to see how his people were getting along. It was terrible how they were being treated. He saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite slave. Moses looked around, and when he didn’t see anybody watching, he hit the Egyptian, and the Egyptian died.
Life in Midian
In Midian, Moses' life took a new turn. The people of Midian were distant relatives of the Israelites - which may explain why Moses (born of Hebrew parents) fled from the well-watered lands of the Nile Delta to the semi-arid coastal lowlands of Midian and remained there for many years. The Midianites were descended from Midian, the fourth son of Abraham and his second wife Keturah, born in c.1819BC (see Genesis 25:1-6). During Abraham’s lifetime, Midian and his five brothers were sent "to the east" (Genesis 25:6), and settled in territory to the east and south of the Dead Sea.
Moses rescues some shepherdesses and waters their flocks at a well. Moses married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro (or Reuel), a priest of Midian, and lived here for fifty years before God appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush (see Exodus 3:1-10).
Here is a table summarizing key events in Moses' life before and during his time in Midian:
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| Event | Biblical Reference | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Birth and Adoption | Exodus 2:1-10 | Saved from Pharaoh's decree, raised as Egyptian royalty |
| Killing the Egyptian | Exodus 2:11-12 | Act of defending his people, led to his flight |
| Flight to Midian | Exodus 2:15 | Escaping Pharaoh's punishment |
| Life with Jethro | Exodus 2:16-22 | Marriage to Zipporah, becoming a shepherd |
| Encounter with God | Exodus 3:1-10 | God's call to lead the Israelites out of Egypt |
The Burning Bush and Return to Egypt
After forty years in Midian, Moses had a life-changing encounter with God at Mount Horeb. There, on Mount Horeb, God appeared to Moses as a burning bush, revealed his name as YHWH (probably pronounced Yahweh), and commanded him to return to Egypt and bring his chosen people (Israel) out of bondage and into the Promised Land (Canaan).
God sent Moses back to Egypt to demand the release of the Israelites from slavery. Moses said that he could not speak eloquently, so God allowed Aaron, his elder brother, to become his spokesperson. After the Ten Plagues, Moses led the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, after which they based themselves at Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
Moses (2025) The Liberation of Israel and the Plagues of Egypt | Full Movie 4K
Historical and Religious Perspectives
Scholars hold different opinions on the historicity of Moses. Although the names of Moses and others in the biblical narratives are Egyptian and contain genuine Egyptian elements, no extra-biblical sources point clearly to Moses. No references to Moses appear in any Egyptian sources prior to the fourth century BCE, long after he is believed to have lived.
Non-biblical writings about Jews, with references to the role of Moses, first appear at the beginning of the Hellenistic period, from 323 BCE to about 146 BCE. In addition to the Judeo-Roman or Judeo-Hellenic historians Artapanus, Eupolemus, Josephus, and Philo, a few non-Jewish historians, including Hecataeus of Abdera (quoted by Diodorus Siculus), Alexander Polyhistor, Manetho, Apion, Chaeremon of Alexandria, Tacitus and Porphyry also make reference to him.
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