Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 2:12
And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that [there was] no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
The slaying of the Egyptian is not to be justified, or attributed to a divine inspiration, but it is to be judged with reference to the provocation, the impetuosity of Moses natural character, perhaps also to the habits developed by his training at the court of Pharaoh. The act involved a complete severance from the Egyptians, but, far from expediting, it delayed for many years the deliverance of the Israelites. Forty years of a very different training prepared Moses for the execution of that appointed work.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Looked this way and that way; not from conscience of guilt in what he intended, but from human and warrantable prudence.
This action of Moses was extraordinary, and is not to be justified by the common right of defending the oppressed, which belongs not to private persons, Rom 12:19; but only by his Divine and special vocation to be the ruler and deliverer of Israel. Which call of his, howsoever manifested, whether by his father, as Josephus saith, or immediately to himself, was evident to his own conscience, and he gave this as a signal to make it evident to the people.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. he slew the Egyptian, and hidhim in the sandThis act of Moses may seem and indeed by somehas been condemned as rash and unjustifiablein plain terms, a deedof assassination. But we must not judge of his action in such acountry and age by the standard of law and the notions of right whichprevail in our Christian land; and, besides, not only is it notspoken of as a crime in Scripture or as distressing the perpetratorwith remorse, but according to existing customs among nomadic tribes,he was bound to avenge the blood of a brother. The person he slew,however, being a government officer, he had rendered himself amenableto the laws of Egypt, and therefore he endeavored to screen himselffrom the consequences by concealment of the corpse.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he looked this way, and that way,…. All around, to observe if there were any within sight who could see what he did; which did not arise from any consciousness of any evil he was about to commit, but for his own preservation, lest if seen he should be accused to Pharaoh, and suffer for it:
and when he saw that there was no man; near at hand, that could see what he did, and be a witness against him:
he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand; in a sandy desert place hard by, where having slain him with his sword, he dug a hole, and put him into it; [See comments on Ac 7:24]. Of the slaughter of the Egyptian, and the following controversy about it, Demetrius g, an Heathen writer, treats of in perfect agreement with the sacred Scriptures.
g Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 19. p. 439.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
12. And he looked this way and that way. Hence it more evidently appears that Moses came with the design of succouring his unhappy brethren, and of relieving and aiding them with his help, since, by killing the Egyptian, he avenged the injury done indeed to an individual, but having a bearing on the whole nation. But although he was inspired by the Holy Spirit with special courage for the performance of this act, still it was accompanied with an infirmity, which shews that he did not undertake without hesitation what he yet, knew to be his vocation. For Stephen (Act 7:25) bears witness that Moses was not impelled by a rash zeal to stay the Egyptian, but because he knew that he was divinely appointed to be the avenger and deliverer of his nation. Still he looked about to see whether any one saw him, and dared not punish the wrong-doer, except by a secret blow. Thus we perceive that he was not altogether so bold as he should have been, and that he had to strive against his timidity. Again, we gather from his hesitation that his faith was weak, so that we must not suppose that it was thus praised by the Apostle because it was absolutely perfect. In the first place, then, let us conclude that Moses did not rashly have recourse to the sword, but that he was armed by God’s command, and, conscious of his legitimate vocation, rightly and judiciously assumed that character which God assigned to him. Thence it follows, that private persons would act improperly, and would be by no means countenanced by his example, if they sought to repress wrong by force and arms. Thus far we should imitate Moses in rendering aid to the suffering and oppressed, as far as our means go, and in caring not to incur the ill-will of the wicked, when we oppose ourselves to their oppressions; but we must leave it to the judges, who are invested with public authority, to draw the sword of vengeance. If these do not afford their aid to the innocent when they are unjustly treated, all we can do is to murmur; as not even Moses would have been allowed to proceed further, unless he had been the appointed avenger and deliverer of the people. As to the fear, by which he betrayed his pusillanimity and his present unpreparedness for fulfilling his office, let us learn that the obedience of the saints, which is stained by sin, is still sometimes acceptable with God through mercy; and therefore, although the weakness of the flesh is a draw-back to us in the performance of our duty, still let us cease not to struggle against it; for our assurance of this ought to have no small effect in animating us, when we are persuaded that there is pardon ready for our hesitation, if we do not yield to it.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) He looked this way and that way.To see that no one observed him.
He slew the Egyptian.Jewish commentators gloss over the act, or even eulogise it as patriotic and heroical. But it was clearly the deed of a hasty and undisciplined spirit. The offence did not deserve death, and if it had, Moses had neither legal office nor Divine call, justifying him in making himself an executioner. The result was, that, by his one wrong act, Moses put it out of his power to do anything towards alleviating the sufferings of his brethren for forty years.
Hid him in the sand.To the east of the Delta the sand creeps up close to the cultivated grounds. There are even patches of it within the Delta itself. Moses naturally remembered that he dug the grave in the sand. Any other writer would probably have said in the ground.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The Jews have a tradition that Moses slew the Egyptian by the word of his mouth. Such instances have been. See Act 5:3-10 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that [there was] no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Ver. 12. He slew the Egyptian. ] This deed of his was heroic and extraordinary, and therefore not to be imitated by every Birchet, who, by this example of Moses and that other of Ehud, persuaded himself it was lawful to kill such as oppose the truth of the gospel: whereupon he wounded Hawkins, slew his keeper, and thought he had a calling to kill a great personage in this kingdom, whom he took to be God’s enemy. The like madness is reported of the Monasterian Anabaptists. a
a Camden’s Elisab., fol. 174. Mr Bayly’s Dissuas., part 2.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he saw that there was no man: i.e. to help. Compare same words in Isa 59:16; Isa 63:5, and context there.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
he looked: Act 7:24-26
slew: If the Egyptian killed the Hebrew, Moses only acted agreeably to the divine law – Gen 9:6 in thus slaying the Egyptian; nor did he violate the law of Egypt; for, according to Diodorus Siculus – 1. 1. 17 “he who saw a man killed, or violently assaulted on the highway, and did not rescue him, if he could, was punished with death.” Moses, therefore, in this transaction, acted as a brave and good man; especially as at this time there was little probability of obtaining justice on an Egyptian murderer.
Reciprocal: Exo 2:17 – watered Act 7:23 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that [there was] no man, he {e} slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
(e) Being assured that God had appointed him to deliver the Israelites; Act 7:25.