Why did Jochebed put Moses in the Nile?

Question:

What was Jochebed's reason for putting Baby Moses in a basket and placing him in the Nile? It would seem that by doing so she was sentencing the baby to certain death?

Was her intention for someone to find the basket and take care of Moses?

Answer:

As the verse doesn't state what Jochebed's intentions were, the matter is open to speculation. The explanation you suggest is certainly a possibility. Doing nothing would have condemned Moses to death at the hands of the Egyptian death squads. Perhaps Jochebed was hoping that Moses would be found by a merciful Egyptian, and thus spared from death. Stationing Miriam close by would then allow her to see where Moses would end up, and hopefully allow her to initiate contact with her son at some later time.

The Biblical commentator Ibn Ezra suggests two reasons for placing Moses in the Nile: 1) If her son was meant to die, at the very least she wouldn't have to witness the unbearably painful scene of his execution (for a similar occurrence, see Genesis 21:15-16: "And [Hagar] cast the child under one of the bushes, and she went and sat down from afar, at about the distance of two bowshots, for she said, 'Let me not see the child's death.'") 2) Perhaps, Ibn Ezra postulates, Miriam prophetically informed her mother that this was the correct course of action for the moment.

The Talmud1 explains that Pharaoh originally decreed that the Jewish boys be cast into the river because his astrologers had predicted that water would be the catalyst for the "downfall" of the savior of the Jews.2 Based on this, the Midrash3 explains that Moses' mother — who was aware of her son's special destiny — hoped that as soon as Moses would be placed in the water, the astrologers would see that the savior of the Jews had already been "cast" into the water and the decree against the Jewish boys would be annulled, and she would be free to bring her son back home. This indeed is what happened but at that point it was too late; Pharaoh's daughter had already found Moses.

I hope that I've been helpful today.

Yours truly,

Rabbi Menachem Posner

Footnotes

Sotah 12b.

This prediction was indeed realized when Moses was prevented from leading the Jews into the Land of Israel because of the episode which involved waters — see Numbers 20:1-13.

Midrash Rabbah, Exodus 1:21.

By Menachem Posner

Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff editor at Chabad.org, the world’s largest Jewish informational website. He has been writing, researching, and editing for Chabad.org since 2006, when he received his rabbinic degree from Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch. He lives in Chicago, Ill., with his family.

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10 Comments

Jason Derek Williams PFLUGERVILLE, Tx November 23, 2022

Can someone explain the correlation between God, Melchizedek and Abraham. Where did he come from? What was he? I understand he was a priest. Reply

Yossi Madvig Oswego January 7, 2023

in response to Jason Derek Williams:

I'm not allowed to post the link, but here's the article that explains:
Taken alone, this tiny anecdote does indeed seem strange. The Torah tells us nothing else about this man and his relationship to Abraham.

The ancient Targumim (Aramaic interpretive translations) identify Melchizedek as Shem—son of Noah. Shem was one of the links in the chain who transmitted the G‑dly traditions that originated with Adam. These traditions were carefully handed down from generation to generation, and Shem—who headed an academy—was a key conductor of these teachings. The Midrash tells us that he was so perfect and so spiritually advanced that he was born circumcised.

So why did the priesthood pass from him to Abraham's children? The Talmud explains that this happened as a result of his having blessed Abraham before blessing G‑d in the verses above. This is reflected in the only other place in Scripture where Melchizedek is mentioned: in Psalms 110:4, where we read, ". . . you are a priest forever Reply

Vashit Tanzania January 11, 2022

Thanks for this eye opening article.
But, what I see in heart of this woman was faith. She believed and put her faith into actions. But why not hiding baby (Moses) in any other place but throwing him in that River?
Here I think the woman accepted king Pharaoh's announcement of throwing Hebrew's male children into water. This is like saying YES to your enemy's plan but mindfully (with faith and strategically).
It is Not true that we will always run away from the furnace or whatever our enemies are planning to use to destroy us. We need to inter the furnace of fire and expect God in faith.
The woman's intention to make a busket and cover it was just an application of faith as we read faith without actions is dead; for she new God will save the child.
I remember when Jacob worked like a fool with Laban but he was not really a fool.

Be blessed Reply

Jacob Sartorius Rosewood September 4, 2017

I love hearing about Pharoahs and all this egyptian things Reply

Jana USA December 4, 2021

in response to Jacob Sartorius:

It's really complicated.. Reply

Anonymous Kilmacolm - Scotland March 6, 2016

Moses and Pharaoh's Daughter How was Pharaoh's daughter able to hide the racial identity of the boy Moses whom she had adopted especially one presumes, when the Levite mother hands the boy back to Pharaoh's daughter, the latter would have taken him to live with her in the Egyptian Court. Wouldn't both their lives have been at risk especially his? Reply

Vashit Tanzania January 11, 2022

in response to Anonymous:

That was just the favour of God for Israelites. Do You think it is easier to hide the races? Am a black African and may be you are white American or British. How can I hide from you or you hide from me? This was God's favour just Reply

Robert August 26, 2012

Possible simple explanation. Hebrew scripture can be minimalist in its telling of the stories, and I've wondered about this and many other stories. Could it be the answer is much simpler? Maybe the basket was just a handy hiding place when the death squads came. Jochebed could have put Moses in the basket, hidden among the reeds, till the soldiers left, with Miriam keeping watch. She could have done this many times, but this time things didn't go as expected. This doesn't remove the other meanings you've suggested, since the Bible seems full of stories that are simultaneously literal and metaphor. Interesting site, and thanks for the thoughts. Reply

Jennifer Bflo January 23, 2018

in response to Robert:

Most women soften up when they see a baby. These Egyptian women did and raised Moses with the best of everything. As an adult adopted child desires to seek out his Heritage, Moses did and learned about the injustices of his Jewish Heritage. Moses grew up with integrity and sought out God to get some answers. God gave Him 10 Commandments to follow and get blessed by God if Obedient to them.

Egyptians continued to persecute Jews. God gave Moses instructions to escape through Red Sea and he obeyed God prompts and Jews were saved and Egyptians drowned.

God protected Moses at birth when his Mom followed God and Moses was adopted and Moses did not know what God had planned for him. Moses sought God and obeyed and God uses humble people that ate obedient to His Prompts. Reply

Vashit Tanzania January 11, 2022

in response to Robert:

Faith without actions is Dead. For whatever we don't need to lose automatically we will not allow it to just go. God will always give us sounding mind in whatever situation as long as we are defendants of His plan. The woman didn't put the baby in the busket not to see death of his son, but she was strategically in faith. The basket in my own sense I think reprented a shield of faith. As she said "the baby is so beautiful" so her plan was not to let baby Moses to die in peace but to be saved, yes. Reply

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