A profound shift occurs as a shepherd leaves behind a quiet, private life in Midian to step into a monumental national and divine destiny. The journey from a peaceful family man to the leader of a nation is marked by both practical steps and deeply symbolic actions. Setting out, Moses takes his wife and sons. The plural mention of sons indicates that his second son, Eliezer, had already been born alongside Gershom [רמב״ן, אבן עזרא]. His wife is noted first because the children were still very young, and Zipporah carried them in her lap during the travel [חזקוני].
The decision to bring his family into a land of slavery sparks significant discussion. Some view this as a profound display of faith and trust in God. Having lost all fear of Pharaoh, Moses brought his family to encourage the enslaved Israelites, offering them living proof that redemption was truly imminent [העמק דבר, ברכת אשר]. Conversely, others argue that this was tactically unwise, as the enslaved nation might misinterpret his arrival with his family as an intention to permanently settle in Egypt rather than to lead them to freedom [אבן עזרא].
The family is placed upon a donkey, a choice with both practical and spiritual layers. Practically, a donkey provides a stable and smooth ride, making it ideal for a woman recovering from childbirth [הכתב והקבלה], while Moses walked on foot beside them [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. On a conceptual level, this is widely identified as the same special donkey that Abraham rode to the binding of Isaac, and the very one the future Messiah will ride [רש״י]. This animal represents the mastery over physical matter and the transcendence of the natural order [גור אריה]. Using this specific mount connects three monumental milestones of the Jewish people: the binding of Isaac, the Exodus from Egypt, and the ultimate future redemption. It also serves to teach Moses that his profound humility is exactly what qualifies him to be the redeemer of Israel [חומש קה״ת, ברכת אשר].
Although the narrative states that Moses returned to the land of Egypt with his family, the primary approach among commentators is that he ultimately arrived alone. Along the journey, particularly after meeting Aaron who warned him of the severe hardships of the slavery, Zipporah and the children turned back to Midian so they would not hinder God's mission [אבן עזרא, רמב״ן, חזקוני, ספורנו]. The initial statement that they returned to Egypt serves merely as a general summary of the journey's ultimate destination before detailing the specific events that occurred along the way [בכור שור, קאסוטו].
As he prepares to confront Pharaoh, Moses is armed with the ultimate symbol of authority: the staff of God. It earned this title because it was the instrument through which miracles were performed by divine power [שד״ל, רלב״ג, נתינה לגר], and it was only given this sacred name after Moses explicitly attributed those miracles to the Creator rather than to himself [משכיל לדוד]. Rather than packing it away with his belongings, Moses held the staff firmly in his hand out of deep endearment and as a symbol of uncompromising determination against the mighty forces of Egypt [ביאור יש״ר, חומש קה״ת]. Chronologically, Moses had already taken the staff while still in Midian, before setting out. Its mention at the end of the sequence serves as a classic example of the principle that the biblical narrative does not always follow a strict chronological order, indicating that the staff was secured well before the journey began [רש״י, מזרחי, דברי דוד].