And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
She brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter. Though it must have been nearly as severe a trial for Jochebed to part with him the second time as the first, she was doubtless reconciled to it by her belief in his high destination as the future deliverer of Israel. His age when removed to the palace is not stated; but he was old enough to be well instructed in the principles of the true religion; and those early impressions, deepened by the power of divine grace, were never forgotten or effaced. He had remained long enough to be thoroughly imbued with the true national feeling of a Hebrew; and though he may have actively engaged in the varied scenes to which his royal station afterward introduced him, he never ceased to cherish a spirit of sympathy with the race from which he had sprung.
He became her son - by adoption, and his high rank afforded him advantages in education which, in the providence of God, were made subservient to far different purposes from what his royal patroness intended.
Called his name Moses, х Mosheh (H4872)]. His parents might, as usual, at the time of his circumcision, have given him a name, which is traditionally said to have been Joachim. But the name chosen by the princess, whether of Egyptian or Hebrew origin, is the only one by which he has ever been known to the Church; and it is a permanent memorial of the painful incidents of his birth and infancy. The etymology of this name is variously traced. Some take it as the participle of maashaah (H4871), to draw out. But Gesenius maintains that the form of the name is active, drawing out-not passive, drawn out; and has shown that it is not likely the princess, who bestowed it, would have given a name derived from the Hebrew language. It is generally believed to be a genuine Egyptian word, which Josephus ('Antiquities,' b. 2:, ch. 9:, sec. 6) traces to Moo, water, and usees, such as are saved out of it; Septuagint, Moousees. 'Mou' is still 'water' in Coptic; and the old Egyptian word-given by Bunsen as Muau ('Egypt's Place,' vol. 1:) - was similar. According to Jablonsky ('Opusc.,' 1:, 152), Oushe in Coptic means 'to save' (Rawlinson, 'Bampton Lectures,'
p. 366). Manetho records, that when a student among the priests of Heliopolis, Moses was known by the name of Osarsiph (Josephus, 'Cont. Apion,' b. 1:, 25).