Topical Bible: Ark of Bulrushes

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Topical Encyclopedia

The "Ark of Bulrushes" refers to the small vessel crafted by Jochebed, the mother of Moses, to save her infant son from Pharaoh's decree to drown all Hebrew male infants in the Nile River. This account is found in the Book of Exodus, specifically in Exodus 2:1-10. The term "ark" in this context is derived from the Hebrew word "tebah," which is also used to describe Noah's Ark, signifying a vessel of salvation and divine protection.

Biblical Account

In Exodus 2:3 , it is written: "But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile." The "papyrus basket" is often translated as "ark of bulrushes," highlighting its construction from the papyrus plant, a common material in ancient Egypt, known for its buoyancy and durability.

Symbolism and Significance

The Ark of Bulrushes is rich in symbolism, representing God's providence and protection. Just as Noah's Ark preserved humanity and animal life from the flood, the Ark of Bulrushes preserved the life of Moses, who would later lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. The use of tar and pitch to waterproof the ark echoes the construction of Noah's Ark, further emphasizing themes of deliverance and divine intervention.

Cultural and Historical Context

The decision to place Moses in the Nile was both an act of desperation and faith. The Nile River, a source of life and sustenance in Egypt, becomes a setting for divine intervention. Jochebed's actions reflect the faith and courage of Hebrew women during a time of severe oppression. The choice of papyrus, a material readily available in the Nile Delta, underscores the resourcefulness and ingenuity of Moses' family.

The Role of Women

The narrative highlights the pivotal roles played by women in the preservation of Moses. Jochebed's faith and ingenuity, Miriam's vigilance, and the compassion of Pharaoh's daughter all contribute to the survival of Moses. In Exodus 2:5-6 , it is noted: "Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe at the river, and her attendants walked along the bank. Seeing the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, 'This is one of the Hebrew children.'"

Theological Implications

The Ark of Bulrushes narrative underscores the sovereignty of God in the midst of human affairs. Despite Pharaoh's oppressive edict, God's plan for the deliverance of His people is set in motion through the preservation of Moses. This account serves as a testament to God's faithfulness and His ability to use ordinary means and people to accomplish His divine purposes.

Legacy

The Ark of Bulrushes is a foundational account in the life of Moses, setting the stage for his future role as the deliverer of Israel. It is a powerful reminder of God's providence and the importance of faith and courage in the face of adversity. The narrative continues to inspire believers, illustrating how God can use seemingly insignificant acts to fulfill His greater plan for redemption.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Ark of Bulrushes

ARK OF BULRUSHES

ark, bool'-rush-iz (tebhah; Egyptian tebt; Septuagint thibis, "a chest," "a vessel to float").

1. Definitions:

The Hebrew word here translated "ark" is used in the Old Testament only of the ark of Noah (Genesis 6:14) and of the ark of bulrushes (Exodus 2:3), and always in the secondary meaning, a vessel to float. The Septuagint translates it of Noah's ark by kibotos, "a casket," and of the ark of bulrushes by thibis, a little basket made of osiers or flags. For the Ark of the Covenant, the Hebrew employed a different word ('aron, "a chest"). Bulrushes (gome', "papyrus"): This species of reed was used by the Egyptians for many different vessels, some of which were intended to float or even to be used as a skiff. Slime (chemar, "bitumen"), pitch (zepheth, "pitch") was probably the sticky mud of the Nile with which to this day so many things in Egypt are plastered. In this case it was mixed with bitumen. Flags (cuph, "sedge") were reeds of every kind and tall grass growing in the shallow water at the edge of the river.

2. History:

Thus the ark of bulrushes was a vessel made of papyrus stalks and rendered fit to float by being covered with a mixture of bitumen and mud. Into this floating vessel the mother of Moses placed the boy when he was three months old, and put the vessel in the water among the sedge along the banks of the Nile at the place where the ladies from the palace were likely to come to bathe. The act was a pathetic imitation of obedience to the king's command to throw boy babies into the river, a command which she had for three months braved and which now she so obeyed as probably to bring the cruelty of the king to the notice of the royal ladies in such way as to arouse a womanly sympathy, A similar story is related of Sargon I of Babylonia (Records of the Past, 1st series, V, 1-4; Rogers, Hist. Babylonian and Assyrian, I, 362).

The one story in no wise discredits the other. That method of abandoning children, either willingly or by necessity, is as natural along the Nile and the Euphrates, where the river is the great artery of the land and where the floating basket had been used from time immemorial, as is the custom in our modern cities of placing abandoned infants in the streets or on door-steps where they are likely to be found, and such events probably occurred then as often as now.

M. G. Kyle

Library

The Ark among the Flags
... she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.3. And when she
could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the ark among the flags.htm

Concerning the Afflictions that Befell the Hebrews in Egypt ...
... When they had thus determined, they made an ark of bulrushes, after the manner of
a cradle, and of a bigness sufficient for an infant to be laid in, without ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 concerning the afflictions.htm

Moses
... And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and
daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein: and she laid ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon ix moses.htm

Adoption
... From a state of sin and misery. Pharaoh's daughter took Moses out of the
ark of bulrushes in the water, and adopted him for her son. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 adoption.htm

The Finding of Moses
... Inside the cradle she made a soft bed, and laid the baby there while he was fast
asleep, and set the ark afloat in the water where the bulrushes were growing. ...
/.../steedman/the babe in the bulrushes/the finding of moses.htm

The Sovereignty of God in Operation
... mother. No longer able to conceal the infant Moses she placed him in an
ark of bulrushes and laid him by the river's brink. The ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter six the sovereignty of.htm

The Faith of Moses.
... was nourishing the child for Pharaoh's daughter, of the wonderful story of their
hiding him by faith and afterwards putting him in an ark of bulrushes by the ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter xii the faith of.htm

Marks of a True Conversion
... What great condescension was it for Pharaoh's daughter to take up Moses, a poor
child exposed in an ark of bulrushes, and bred him up for her child? ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/marks of a true conversion.htm

The Finding of Moses.
... In this ark she placed her infant son, and hid the ark among the flags and bulrushes
on the river-bank, and set the child's sister to watch it. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/the finding of moses.htm

Chapter vi
... Since the same word is used only in reference to Moses' ark of bulrushes besides,
it appears quite likely to be akin to an Egyptian word, teb (t), although it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter vi.htm