Moshe

From: gostein@iafrica.com (please e-mail me!!!)
Date: 10 Oct 1999
Time: 08:24:01
Remote Name: 196.31.20.21

Comments

As the story is recorded in Exodus chapter 2, the princess of Paraoh spied the Ark in the Nile, took a fancy to the baby and rescued it, afterwards, when it grew, "he became her son". Now the remarkable incident: "And she called his name Moses: and she said, because I drew him out of the water". (v. 10) What has "Moses" to do with "drew" him out of the water?" In English speech nothing discernible, but in the original Hebrew it is a plain play on words: "And she called his name Mosheh…Because meshethi (I drew) him out of the water". This pun becomes rather ridiculous when we note that the princess spoke Egyptian! The pun is, therefore, obsolete. The writer must have over-looked the language difference.

The thing that I am wondering about, is does the word from 'drew' (out of a river) in Egyptian also sound like 'Moshe'? If it does, then the pun is still valid. If you are not familiar with the Egyptian language then please could you refer me to someone that is, or a book or Web sight that I could check whether the Egyptian word for 'drew' (out of the water) sounds like 'Moshe'.