The real meaning of “Moses”

Who is Moses?

Every reader of the Bible is familiar with Moses – Moshe in Hebrew. His stories are among the most beloved in all of Scripture: the splitting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Ten Commandments, the manna in the wilderness. No prophet was able to get as close to God as Moses. We have read his name so many times that we feel that we know him personally. But have you ever stopped to think about his name? What does Moses mean?

Moses’ name: the true meaning

After saving a Jewish infant boy from death, the daughter of Pharaoh “named him Moses, saying I drew him out of the water” (Ex. 2:10). When we read this verse in translation, it leaves us scratching our heads. This is because it only makes sense in the original Hebrew, where “she named him Moshe (משה), saying, out of the water I drew him (Meshitehu, משיתיהו)”. It is only in Hebrew that you can hear this similarity in sound between “Moshe” and “meshi” (drew out) and truly understand the real meaning of this name. 

Uncover the hidden gems with Hebrew

Pharaoh’s daughter named Moses after her action of drawing him out of the water, but in Hebrew, “Moshe” actually means “He draws out”. This is the perfect name for God’s chosen leader who drew the Israelites out of Egypt, out of the Red Sea. The Bible has many gems, which only Hebrew can draw out of the water. Enroll today in our online Biblical Hebrew course and learn to uncover the Bible’s most sparkling treasures. To get our 20% discount for Passover and Easter, fill in your details with this coupon code: MOSES0419