Hebrews 11:27

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Not fearing the wrath of the king. But in , "Moses feared ... and fled from the face of Pharaoh." He was afraid, and fled, when to have stayed would have been to tempt Providence, and to sacrifice his being Israel's future deliverer according to the divine intimations: his great aim (note, ). He did not fear the king so as to neglect duty, and not return when God called him. It was in spite of the king's prohibition he left Egypt, not fearing the consequences likely to overtake him if he should be caught. If he had stayed as adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, his slaughter of the Egyptian would have been connived at: his resolution to take his portion with oppressed Israel, which he could not, had he stayed, was the motive of his flight, and constituted the "faith" of this act. The exodus of Moses with Israel cannot be meant; for it was made, not in defiance, but by the desire, of the king. Besides, the chronological order would be broken, the next particular specified, namely, the Passover, having taken place before the exodus. It is Moses' personal history and faith which are here described. The faith of the people is not introduced until .

Endured - stedfast in faith amidst trials. He fled, not so much from fear of Pharaoh, as from disappointment at not having been able to inspire Israel with those hopes for which he had sacrificed all earthly prospects. This accounts for his strange despondency when commissioned by God to arouse the people (; ; ).

Seeing him who is invisible - as though he had to do only with God, ever before him by faith, though invisible to the bodily eye (; ; ): he feared not the wrath of visible man (; Luke 12:4).