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  • From: "K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>
  • To: "B-Hebrew List" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Meaning of Moshe in Hebrew
  • Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2007 10:09:28 -0800

Gary:

Actually, it depends on who was the pharaoh of the Exodus.

I read the story of the Exodus that the princess was not Egyptian, but
Hyksos. As Hyksos, she would have spoken a language very similar to
Hebrew, not Egyptian. Thus the name could have the same root as
Hebrew, as the story mentions.

If I remember correctly, about a year ago, there was a discussion on
this list about who was the pharaoh of the Exodus and the linguistic
ramifications of such a question (including the name Moses).

Karl W. Randolph.

On 1/8/07, Gary Hedrick <garyh AT cjfm.org> wrote:
I realize that most authorities say the name of Moses comes from
ancient Egyptian ("mose," meaning "born" or "offspring," as in Thutmose) and
not Hebrew. This makes sense because the name was conferred on him by the
Egyptian princess rather than by his own parents (Ex. 2:10). Yet my Israeli
friends who speak modern Hebrew say Moshe comes from the Hebrew LIMSHOT,
meaning "to draw out," which is essentially the connection made in Ex. 2:10.
They say you could say, "Gary Moshe et Ha-yeled meh-Hamayim," that is, "Gary
is drawing out the boy from the water." In this usage, Moshe functions more
as a present active participle rather than as a passive, which I guess
brings up yet another issue (the verb form). So I'm wondering, is there
anything in the B-Hebrew archives about this?



Gary Hedrick

San Antonio, Texas USA




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