Verse 25. And God had respect unto them.] vaiyeda Elohim, God knew them, i.e., he approved of them, and therefore it is said that their cry came up before God, and he heard their groaning. The word yada, to know, in the Hebrew Bible, as well as in the Greek Testament, is frequently used in the sense of approving; and because God knew – had respect for and approved of, them, therefore he was determined to deliver them. For Elohim, GOD, in the last clause of this verse, Houbigant reads aleyhem, UPON THEM, which is countenanced by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Chaldee, Coptic, and Arabic, and appears to have been the original reading. The difference in the original consists in the interchange of two letters, the yod and he. Our translators insert unto them, in order to make up that sense which this various reading gives without trouble.

THE farther we proceed in the sacred writings, the more the history both of the grace and providence of God opens to our view. He ever cares for his creatures, and is mindful of his promise. The very means made use of to destroy his work are, in his hands, the instruments of its accomplishment. Pharaoh orders the male children of the Hebrews to be thrown into the river; Moses, who was thus exposed, is found by his own daughter, brought up as her own son, and from his Egyptian education becomes much better qualified for the great work to which God had called him; and his being obliged to leave Egypt was undoubtedly a powerful means to wean his heart from a land in which he had at his command all the advantages and luxuries of life. His sojourning also in a strange land, where he was obliged to earn his bread by a very painful employment, fitted him for the perilous journey he was obliged to take in the wilderness, and enabled him to bear the better the privations to which he was in consequence exposed.

The bondage of the Israelites was also wisely permitted, that they might with less reluctance leave a country where they had suffered the greatest oppression and indignities. Had they not suffered severely previously to their departure, there is much reason to believe that no inducements could have been sufficient to have prevailed on them to leave it. And yet their leaving it was of infinite consequence, in the order both of grace and providence, as it was indispensably necessary that they should be a people separated from all the rest of the world, that they might see the promises of God fulfilled under their own eyes, and thus have the fullest persuasion that their law was Divine, their prophets inspired by the Most High, and that the Messiah came according to the prophecies before delivered concerning him.

From the example of Pharaoh’s daughter, (See Clarke on Ex 2:5,) and the seven daughters of Jethro, (Ex 2:16), we learn that in the days of primitive simplicity, and in this respect the best days, the children, particularly the daughters of persons in the highest ranks in life, were employed in the most laborious offices. Kings’ daughters performed the office of the laundress to their own families; and the daughters of princes tended and watered the flocks. We have seen similar instances in the case of Rebekah and Rachel; and we cannot be too pointed in calling the attention of modern delicate females, who are not only above serving their own parents and family, but even their own selves: the consequence of which is, they have neither vigour nor health; their growth, for want of healthy exercise, is generally cramped; their natural powers are prematurely developed, and their whole course is rather an apology for living, than a state of effective life. Many of these live not out half their days, and their offspring, when they have any, is more feeble than themselves; so that the race of man where such preposterous conduct is followed (and where is it not followed?) is in a state of gradual deterioration. Parents who wish to fulfil the intention of God and nature, will doubtless see it their duty to bring up their children on a different plan. A worse than the present can scarcely be found out.

Afflictions, under the direction of God’s providence and the influence of his grace, are often the means of leading men to pray to and acknowledge God, who in the time of their prosperity hardened their necks from his fear. When the Israelites were sorely oppressed, they began to pray. If the cry of oppression had not been among them, probably the cry for mercy had not been heard. Though afflictions, considered in themselves, can neither atone for sin nor improve the moral state of the soul, yet God often uses them as means to bring sinners to himself, and to quicken those who, having already escaped the pollutions of the world, were falling again under the influence of an earthly mind. Of many millions besides David it may truly be said, Before they were afflicted they went astray.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Heb. Knew them, so as to pity and help them; as words of knowledge are oft used, as Psa 1:6; 31:7. He who seemed to have rejected them, now owned them for his people, and came for their rescue.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And God looked upon the children of Israel,…. With an eye of pity and compassion, and saw all the hardships they laboured under, and all the injuries that were done unto them:

and God had respect unto [them]; had a favourable regard to them; or “knew” b not only them, the Israelites, and loved them, and approved of them, and owned them as his own, all which words of knowledge sometimes signify; but he knew their sorrows and sufferings, and took notice of what was done to them secretly; see Ex 3:7.

b “et eognovit”, Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

REFLECTIONS

How often do the very plans of bad men counteract their own designs! How frequently hath it been known, that the schemes of the ungodly to oppress the righteous have ultimately proved their very means of deliverance? Little did the tyrant of Egypt think when he issued the cruel edict for the murder of his harmless subjects, that his own daughter should be made the unconscious instrument of rescuing the very one whom the Lord would raise up to destroy his empire. Little did the Jews in ages after this event, imagine, that when they had nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross, that that very cross should become the means of accomplishing the reverse of all that they intended.

My soul! learn from such astonishing instances, in which the wrath of man is made to praise the Lord, by fulfilling the sacred purposes of his will, to commit all thy concerns with implicit confidence into the Lord’s hand. If thou art his, (this is the grand point to be interested about), depend upon it he will take care of his own. And let this be an everlasting maxim, for the truth is unquestionable, that the man who by grace is led to watch the Lord’s providences, will never want for the Lord of providences to watch him.

Reader! dismiss not this interesting Chapter before you have once again remarked, how the cries and groans of the Lord’s people called forth the Lord’s attention unto them. Men may cry under trouble and groan under oppression. But in all this there is no concern for sin which is the cause of it, and consequently no cry to God to be delivered from it. Job describes such in lively characters. By reason (says he) of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry, they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. But none saith, Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night? Job 35:9-10 . Reader, how stands the case with you? Are your cries the cries for sin? Do your troubles lead the heart to God? And is the language of your soul, where is God my Father, my Saviour, who knows my sorrow, and to whom alone I look for deliverance? Pause over the subject, and may the Holy Ghost be your teacher!

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Exo 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto [them].

Ver. 25. Had respect. ] Heb., Knew them. He knew their souls in adversity. Psa 31:7

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

looked: Exo 4:31, 1Sa 1:11, 2Sa 16:12, Job 33:27, Luk 1:25

God: For elohim, God, Houbigant reads aleyhem, unto them; which is countenanced by the LXX, Vulgate, Chaldee, Coptic, and Arabic, and appears to have been the original reading.

had respect: Heb. knew, Exo 1:8, Exo 3:7, Exo 3:8, Psa 1:6, Psa 55:22, Mat 7:23

Reciprocal: Gen 15:13 – thy Exo 3:16 – visited Lev 26:9 – for I 2Ki 13:23 – had respect Neh 9:9 – didst see Psa 115:12 – hath Eze 16:6 – and saw Hos 13:5 – know

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had {i} respect unto [them].

(i) He judges their causes or acknowledged them as his own.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes