Exodus 2:3 kjva — And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch,…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink."

— Exodus 2:3, King James Version with Apocrypha

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Exodus 2:3 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.”

  • ASV

    “And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. ”

  • WEB

    “When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.”

  • NET

    “But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him and sealed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile.”

  • DRB

    “And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river's brink,”

  • BBE

    “And when she was no longer able to keep him secret, she made him a basket out of the stems of water-plants, pasting sticky earth over it to keep the water out; and placing the baby in it she put it among the plants by the edge of the Nile.”

Exodus 2 — Context

1

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

2

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

3

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.

4

And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

5

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

6

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

Exodus 2:3 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Exodus 2:3 say?
Exodus 2:3 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.”
Where is Exodus 2:3 in the Bible?
Exodus 2:3 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus, chapter 2, verse 3.
Who wrote Exodus?
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). It was written c. 1446–1406 BC.
What is the book of Exodus about?
Exodus tells of Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. Through the plagues, the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the covenant at Sinai, God reveals himself as Redeemer and comes to dwell among his people in the tabernacle.
What are the major themes of Exodus?
Exodus explores themes including Deliverance, Covenant, Law, God's Presence, Worship, Redemption. These themes shape the meaning and context of Exodus 2:3.
What translation should I read Exodus 2:3 in?
Exodus 2:3 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Exodus 2:3?
Exodus 2:3 reads (KJVA): “And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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