^2:16Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and began to draw⁶⁵ water⁶⁶ and fill⁶⁷ the troughs in order to water their father’s flock. ^2:17When some⁶⁸ shepherds came and drove them away,⁶⁹ Moses came up and defended them⁷⁰ and then watered their flock. ^2:18So when they came home⁷¹ to their father Reuel,⁷² he asked, “Why have you come home so early⁷³ today?”

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Footnotes

65 The preterites describing their actions must be taken in an ingressive sense, since they did not actually complete the job. Shepherds drove them away, and Moses watered the flocks.
66 The object “water” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
67 This also has the ingressive sense, “began to fill,” but for stylistic reasons is translated simply “fill” here.
68 The definite article here is the generic use; it simply refers to a group of shepherds.
69 The actions of the shepherds are subordinated to the main statement about what Moses did. The verb is וַיְגָרְשׁוּם (vaygorshum). Some shepherds came and drove the daughters away. The choice of this verb in the narrative has a tie with the name of Moses’ first son, Gershom. Moses senses very clearly that he is a sojourner in a strange land—he has been driven away.
70 The verb used here is וַיּוֹשִׁעָן (vayyoshi’an, “and he saved them”). The word means that he came to their rescue and delivered them. By the choice of words the narrator is portraying Moses as the deliverer—he is just not yet ready to deliver Israel from its oppressors.
71 The verb means “to go, to come, to enter.” In this context it means that they returned to their father, or came home.
72 The name “Reuel” is given here. In other places (e.g., chap. 18) he is called Jethro (cf. , which uses “Jethro” here). Some suggest that this is simply a confusion of traditions. But it is not uncommon for ancients, like Sabean kings and priests, to have more than one name. Several of the kings of Israel, including Solomon, did. “Reuel” means “friend of God.”
73 The sentence uses a verbal hendiadys construction: מִהַרְתֶּן בֹּא (miharten bo’, “you have made quick [to] come”). The finite verb functions as if it were an adverb modifying the infinitive, which becomes the main verb of the clause. Two observations should be made at this point. First, it seems that the oppression at the well was a regular part of their routine because their father was surprised at their early return, and their answer alluded to the shepherds rather automatically. Secondly, the story is another meeting-at-the-well account. Continuity with the patriarchs is thereby kept in the mind of the reader (cf. Gen 24; 29:1–12).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.

When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then some shepherds arrived and drove them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their flock. When they returned to their father Reuel, he asked, “Why have you come back so quickly today?”

NLTNew Living Translation

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father’s flocks. But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks.

When the girls returned to Reuel, their father, he asked, “Why are you back so soon today?”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. And they came to Reuel, their father, and he said, “Why have you come so quickly today?”

KJV 1900King James Version

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

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