This page gives you questions and leader’s notes for studying Exodus 2 in a small group, a Sunday class, or on your own. The chapter tells how Moses was born into slavery, saved by his mother and Pharaoh’s daughter, forced to flee to Midian, and finally heard by God in the midst of Israel’s suffering. Each question below is paired with a short discussion note so you can lead without preparing a separate summary.
Exodus 2 at a Glance
The chapter moves in three stages. First, a Levite family hides a baby boy and places him on the Nile, and his sister watches over him until Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and returns him to his mother to nurse. Second, Moses, now grown, sees the injustice of his people, kills an Egyptian, and is forced to flee after his crime becomes known. Third, in Midian he defends seven women at a well, marries into the family of a priest, and has a son, while back in Egypt the king dies and Israel’s groaning rises to God.
The chapter closes with God hearing, remembering his covenant, and seeing his people. That final movement gives the earlier scenes their meaning: God is quietly at work through ordinary acts of courage, mercy and even failure.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point back to the text, and let several people answer before you add your own comments. The goal is to get everyone looking closely at what is actually written.
Exodus 2:3
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.
(WEB)
This verse captures the mother’s sacrificial planning, which is a good starting point for discussing courage under pressure. Reading it aloud helps the group picture the basket being prepared and placed in the reeds.
Exodus 2:6
She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
(WEB)
Hearing the child cry and Pharaoh’s daughter’s response brings the story to its pivotal moment of compassion. Reading it aloud draws attention to the surprising reversal at the riverbank.
Exodus 2:14
He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”
(WEB)
This verse shows the rejection Moses faces from his own people and his fear of exposure. Reading it aloud prompts reflection on how quickly our good intentions can be questioned.
Exodus 2:17
The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
(WEB)
Moses steps in to help the women at the well, a simple act of defending the vulnerable. Reading it aloud reminds the group that faithful action can be small and visible only to a few.
Exodus 2:24-25
24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them.
(WEB)
These verses close the chapter with God’s hearing, remembering, seeing and concern for his people. Reading them aloud is a fitting way to end the study and to shift the focus from human action to divine faithfulness.
Memory Verse for Exodus 2
Exodus 2:24
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
(WEB)
Memorizing this verse anchors the group in the truth that God hears and remembers his covenant. It is a steady word for anyone who feels that their cry has gone unheard.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you see the suffering of your people and hear their cries, even when deliverance seems slow in coming. We confess the ways we try to act in our own strength, and we ask you to teach us patience and wisdom as we follow you. Give us the courage of Jochebed, the compassion of Pharaoh’s daughter, and the willingness to serve that Moses showed at the well. Help us remember your covenant faithfulness when life feels silent, and let our time together strengthen our trust in you. Amen.
