Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Exodo 2:19

And to the priest... (Shemot 2:16). It's appropriate to pay attention to why it tells us that "they came and drew water and filled" - and why was the word "they drew water" included? It's included in the word "and they filled"! And immediately it says "their father's flock" and after that it says "their flock" (Shemot 2:17), and after that "the flock" (Shemot 2:19), without qualification. And further, it says "And [the shepherds] drove them away [ויגרשום]" (Shemot 2:16) and doesn't say ויגרשון, with a nun [i.e. with the appropriate fem. pl. object of the verb]. And further, it's appropriate to pay attention to the verse, for first it says they filled the troughs to water the flock, and after that they testified that the Egyptian man it was who drew water and watered the flock. (c.f. Shemot 2:19)

Therefore, one should say that the text recognised modesty within them, for it's the way of women when they come to the well to speak with a man who's found there. And with his also being a stranger who wasn't from their land, they surely asked him "what's your land, and from which people are you?" (Yonah 1:8), or at the very least they spoke with one another. But these were not like that group of women - rather, "they came" and immediately "they drew water and filled" etc, and they didn't make light in word, even one with the other, for they were embarassed in front of him. And this is "And he sat by the well" - for this reason they were all silent, "and they came", as has been said.
And further, he saw secondly that there was no agreement (lit. "closeness of mind", קירוב דעת) between the shepherds - for was it not the contrary, "And the shepherds came and drove them away" (Shemot 2:16) - for this reason he put himself nearby, to rise alone against the many shepherds, and he wasn't concerned that they would break his skull (Avodah Zarah 25b). And behold, our rabbis of blessed memory said (ibid.) that they wanted to rape them [this is a general statement about non-Jews in the Talmud, not specific to these shepherds], and Moshe came and saved them, as it says "the engaged girl cried out, and there was none to save her" (Devarim 22:27). And it's possible that this is alluded to in the verse by its saying "And they drove them off" (Shemot 2:17) with a mem [i.e. a masc. pl. object rather than a fem. pl. one] - and that is, since "they came and drew water and filled" (Shemot 2:16), then the shepberds came to them, to connect with them, and then "they drove away" (Shemot 2:17) - the daughters drove the shepherds away from them with their cries, for the young women cried out to seek saviours to come and save them, and then Moshe was angry with the shepherds and arose and saved the daughters from rape, and he also saved their water and gave their flocks to drink and didn't water the shepherds' flocks from this. And this is [true], since they overpowered the shepherds to drive them away, since it's as men do, that's why it doesn't say ותגרשום "and they (f.pl.) drove them (m.pl.) away", rather ויגרשום "and they (m.pl.) drove them (m.pl.) away".
And first it says "their father's flock" (Shemot 2:16) and after that it says "their flock" (Shemot 2:17), and after that "the flock" (Shemot 2:19). Therefore, it was in their being adult daughters that they 'owned' the flock for the need of their weddings/dowries from their father, their own flock alone, and their father's flock alone. And they, out of respect for their father, began to draw water and to fill [troughs] for their father's flock. And this is "and they drew water, and filled... to water their father's flock" (Shemot 2:16) - but it wasn't enough for their own flock. And in Moshe's coming to save them, he then watered their father's flock which was great, and drew water for us and filled troughs for our own flock. This is why he "watered the flock" (Shemot 2:19), since it includes their father's flock and also their own, enough to sate the needs of their father's flock. And they began to drink but hadn't finished when the shepherds struggled, since they hadn't finished watering their flocks when they drove off the shepherds, and Moshe watered their flocks from troughs which they themselves had filled, and he drew more water himself, and after that he drew water and watered their flocks, as is said.

AND THEY CAME AND DREW WATER. Every day, the practice was that the shepherds drew water, filled the troughs and watered their flocks first, and then these women watered their flocks. It happened that on this day, the women preceded the men and they came and drew water, thinking to water their flocks before the shepherds came. But then came the shepherds and drove them away¹⁰⁶Verse 17. from the troughs, insisting on watering their own flocks first as they had always done. Moses’ anger was aroused because of this injustice, and he saved them, for since they had filled the troughs, the water belonged to them. Moreover, he drew water for them¹⁰⁷Verse 19. as the troughs did not suffice for all their flocks. This is the purport of the question, How is it that ye are come so soon today?¹⁰⁸Verse 18. [which Reuel their grandfather asked them]. And they answered, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds,¹⁰⁷Verse 19. meaning that “they had always driven us away when we came to the troughs first.”

ותחיין את הילדים This may mean THEY MAINTAINED THE CHILDREN IN LIFE — they provided them with food (Sotah 11b). The Targum renders ותחיין the first time it occurs (i. e. in this verse) by וקימא (which means, “and they — the women — preserved the babes”). and the second time (Exodus 1:18) by וקימתן (which means, “and ye women have preserved etc.”) The Targum is able to distinguish between the two meanings of this word, but this cannot be done in Hebrew because in the Hebrew language in the case of fem. plur. this word and similar forms (ending in נָה or ןָ) are used in the sense of “they did something” (3rd person) and in the sense of “ye did something” (2nd person). For example: (Exodus 2:19) “And they (the daughters of Jethro) said, (וַתֹּאמַרְןָ) “An Egyptian man etc.”, which is the past tense (the Rashi text must read here לשון עָבַר) (imperf. with Vau conv.), just as one would use וַיֹאמְרוּ if one were speaking of men; (Jeremiah 54:25) “Ye women have spoken (ותדברנה) with your mouths”, having the same meaning as דברתן, and corresponding to ותדברו when used of men; (Ezekiel 13:19) “And ye (women) have profaned Me (ותחללנה) among My people” which is a past tense, the same as חללתן corresponding to ותחללו when used of men.