Why was Moses named by Pharaoh's daughter in Exodus 2:10? Biblical Text (Exodus 2:10) “When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her son. And she named him Moses and said, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’” Immediate Linguistic Reason Pharaoh’s daughter explicitly links the name to the Hebrew verb מָשָׁה (māshāh, “to draw out”). The form מֹשֶׁה (mōsheh, “Moses”) functions as a passive participle—“drawn-out one.” The princess states her reason on the spot: she physically drew the infant from the Nile. The Masoretic Text, the Septuagint (Μωϋσῆς), and the Samaritan Pentateuch are unanimous, and 4QExod-b from Qumran (c. 1st cent. BC) preserves the same consonantal spelling, underscoring textual stability. Egyptological Corroboration Egyptian royal names often end with the element ms (“born of”): Thutmose, Ahmose, Ramose. In late Middle Egyptian, ms ≈ “child/son.” Thus “Moses” fits native nomenclature while simultaneously accommodating a Hebrew wordplay. Dual etymologies were common in antiquity (cf. Genesis 41:51-52). Archaeological finds—from Thutmose III’s Karnak Annals to Ahmose’s limestone stelae—illustrate the pervasive ms/mes ending, lending historical plausibility to the narrative. Adoptive-Legal Function In New Kingdom law, an adoptive parent customarily bestowed a new name to confirm filial status. Acts 7:21 corroborates: “Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.” The princess’s naming act signals full dynastic legitimization, granting Moses court education (Acts 7:22) and royal prerogatives that later enable diplomatic access to Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1). Theological Motifs Embedded in the Name 1. Salvation through water: Moses is “drawn out,” Israel will be “drawn out” through the Reed Sea (Exodus 14:29). 2. Foreshadowing the New Covenant: as Moses’ ark (תֵּבָה, tevah) anticipates Noah’s, both prefigure Christ’s deliverance (1 Peter 3:20-22). 3. Divine sovereignty over pagan power: the Nile, worshiped as Hapi, becomes the setting for God’s providence, subverting idolatry. Providence Amid a Genocidal Edict Exodus 1:22 decreed infanticide; yet the river that threatened death became the means of life. Modern behavioral science notes the psychological power of re-framing traumatic stimuli; Scripture displays God transforming oppression into opportunity (Romans 8:28). Foreshadowing of Deliverer Identity The name encapsulates mission: the one “drawn out” will “draw out” God’s people (Exodus 3:10). Ancient Jewish exegesis (Midrash Rabbah, Shemot 1:30) already recognized the teleology: “What she called him would be what he would do.” Consistency Across Manuscripts Over 5,900 Greek NT manuscripts quote Moses 852+ times, always with the same form, while the Leningrad Codex (1008 AD) mirrors earlier Dead Sea witnesses. The manuscript data affirm an unbroken tradition, rebutting claims of later editorial invention. Chronological Context (Ussher-Aligned) Ussher dates Moses’ birth to 1571 BC. Egyptian chronology places Ahmose I or Thutmose I near that window. Both courts practiced adoption (e.g., royal nurse Merit-Ptah’s tomb texts). This harmonizes biblical history with extra-biblical king lists (Abydos Table). Practical and Devotional Application Believers today bear a new name in Christ (Revelation 2:17). Like Moses, identity springs from divine rescue, not birth circumstances. God still “draws out” sinners from judgmental waters into covenant relationship (John 5:24). Summary Answer Pharaoh’s daughter named Moses to: • Memorialize her literal action (“I drew him out of the water”). • Confer full adoptive, legal, and royal status. • Coin a culturally authentic Egyptian name. • Embed prophetic symbolism of future deliverance. • Showcase God’s sovereign reversal of evil decrees and foreshadow the salvific pattern fulfilled in Christ. |
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