Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Jack Kilmon <jkilmon AT historian.net>]

Ben Crick wrote:

> On Wed 28 Oct 98 (23:10:30), nor AT iol.ie wrote:
> > As a new comer to biblical hebrew I am struck by the similarity between
> > the name Moses and the hebrew verb 'mashah'  which means 'to draw out'
> > or 'to save/rescue'.  When the vocalisation is not used the two words
> > are identical in form and I wonder is there some possibility that the
> > name Moses may have some link to this verb or indeed is the verb a
> > possible source for the name.
> >
> > Could the name Moses be a personification of an ancient hebrew myth of
> > a rescuer, and not one of the more traditional explanations?
>
>  Dear Noel
>
>  What an interesting question.
>  ... WaYeHiY-LaHh LeBeN WaTTiQRa' SheMoW MoSheH WaTTo'MeR KiY MiN-HaMMaYiM
>  MeShiYTiHuW: (Exodus 2:10)
>
>  Amram and Jochebed called his name Manasseh (Numbers 26:59, Judges 18:30);
>  but Pharaoh's daughter made him "her son" (Exodus 2:10). I don't know any
>  Coptic, but could /Mesh/ be the word for "son", which with the 3rd pers fem
>  pronominal suffix -aHh makes a hybrid proper noun /MoSheH/?  "Thutmose"
>  means "son of god" (=Thut+Mosheh?)
>

If an historical Moses was raised by Pharoah's daughter.....probably
Hatshepsut...she may well have named him after her father and his full
Egyptian name could have been Thutmoses (Djehuti-Mes) "Beloved
of Thoth."  Her suppression of her half-brother's right to the throne
may have been an attempt to supplant him with her adopted son.

Later the Egyptian theophoric would be dropped leaving MSS which
would be associated with the Hebrew word MESHA by later
writers..That's my take.

Jack