When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pharaoh's daughter naming him Moses is more than just giving him a name; it’s an act of public declaration that rewrites his story, powerfully echoing God's own act of "drawing out" His people from difficult places. This seemingly simple naming underscores how God often uses human actions to fulfill His divine purposes, even when the immediate intent is simply rescue.
When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage marks a significant turning point as Moses, the Israelite child hidden from Pharaoh's decree, is now formally adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. After being nursed by his own mother, he is brought into the Egyptian royal court, named, and receives an education befitting an Egyptian prince. This adoption sets the stage for his future role, positioning him within the very power structure that sought to oppress his people.
Pharaoh's daughter gave the baby a name that echoed his miraculous rescue. But what did that name truly signify for him and his people?
When Pharaoh's daughter named the child Moses, she declared, “Because I drew him out of the water.” This act wasn't just a personal declaration; it was a pivotal moment where divine providence intersected with human action.
A Name Declared
The Hebrew name "Moses" (Moshe) is closely related to the Hebrew verb "to draw out." While the exact Egyptian origin is debated, the princess clearly linked his name to the act of rescuing him from the Nile. This name served as a constant reminder of his deliverance from a watery peril.
More Than Just Water
This name held a deeper meaning beyond the literal rescue. It foreshadowed Moses's future role as the one who would "draw out" the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. The very name given to him in his infancy was a prophetic declaration of his life's mission.
How could a Hebrew child, destined for slavery, end up receiving the finest education in Egypt? This wasn't accidental; it was strategic.
The Bible tells us that Moses was "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). This education, received in the very court of the oppressors, was not a mere coincidence but a deliberate part of God's plan.
A Courtly Preparation
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Raised as the son of Pharaoh's daughter, Moses received an education befitting royalty. This included literacy, administration, and likely an understanding of Egyptian culture, law, and potentially even its weaknesses. Such training would prove invaluable later when he stood before Pharaoh as an ambassador for God and led his people through the wilderness.
Divine Strategy
God used the very systems and institutions of Egypt to prepare Moses for his leadership role. It's a powerful reminder that God can equip His servants through unexpected circumstances and environments, turning potential hindrances into strategic advantages for His purposes.
Understand the original words
Mosheh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The name given to the deliverer of Israel, meaning 'drawn out.' It signifies both his miraculous preservation by God and his future role as the one who would lead God's people out of the 'water' of Egyptian bondage.
The naming of Moses, 'Because I drew him out of the water,' highlights his miraculous rescue and adoption into Pharaoh's household. This event set the stage for his unique upbringing, caught between two worlds—the oppressed Israelites and the ruling Egyptians—which would profoundly shape his destiny as their future deliverer.
c. 1500 BC— this verse
Birth of Moses and Egyptian Oppression
Moses is born into slavery in Egypt. The Pharaoh has decreed that all newborn Hebrew boys must be thrown into the Nile River.
c. 1500 BC
Moses Saved and Adopted
Moses' mother places him in a basket on the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter finds him, takes pity, and adopts him as her own son, naming him Moses.
c. 1480 BC
Moses's Early Life in Pharaoh's Court
Moses grows up in the Egyptian royal court, receiving the best education and privileges as the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter.
c. 1460 BC
Moses's Encounter with the Overseer
Moses witnesses an Egyptian overseer beating a Hebrew slave. In anger, Moses kills the overseer and hides the body, an act that leads to his flight.
c. 1460 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
Fearing discovery and retribution for killing the overseer, Moses flees Egypt and settles in the land of Midian.
This passage directly connects Moses' identity to his choice to renounce his Egyptian upbringing, highlighting the significance of his upbringing away from his birth family. It frames his decision not as a simple matter of convenience, but as a profound act of faith.
Acts 7:21-22Stephen's retelling of Moses' early life emphasizes his education in Egypt, linking his name and upbringing to his future role as a leader and lawgiver. This passage shows how his early experiences, including his adoption and education, were seen as preparatory for his divine calling.
Psalm 18:16This psalm uses a similar phrase to describe God drawing the psalmist out of deep waters, providing a theological parallel to Moses' rescue and naming. It elevates Moses' personal deliverance to a motif of divine salvation.
Isaiah 49:23This prophecy speaks of kings and queens acting as nursing fathers and mothers to God's people, which resonates with Moses being raised in Pharaoh's court. It foreshadows a time when Gentile rulers would support Israel, a theme touched upon by Moses' unique upbringing.
Genesis 41:45Pharaoh giving Joseph an Egyptian name (Zaphnath-paaneah) parallels the story of Pharaoh's daughter giving Moses his name. Both instances show God working through Egyptian structures and names to advance His purposes for His people.
calvinExodus 2:1-10: "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi."
And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
Quumque aperuisset, vidit ipsum infantulum: et ecce, puer flebat: et miserta illius dixit, Hic ex pueris Hebraeorum est.
Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nu…
bensonExodus 2:10: "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."
Exodus 2:10 . And he became her son — The tradition of the Jews is, that Pharaoh’s daughter had no child of her own, and that she was the only child of her father, so that when he was adopted for her son, he stood fair for the crown: however, it is certain he stood fair for the best preferments of the court in du…
Pharaoh's daughter naming him Moses is more than just giving him a name; it’s an act of public declaration that rewrites his story, powerfully echoing God's own act of "drawing out" His people from difficult places. This seemingly simple naming underscores how God often uses human actions to fulfill His divine purposes, even when the immediate intent is simply rescue.
This passage marks a significant turning point as Moses, the Israelite child hidden from Pharaoh's decree, is now formally adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. After being nursed by his own mother, he is brought into the Egyptian royal court, named, and receives an education befitting an Egyptian prince. This adoption sets the stage for his future role, positioning him within the very power structure that sought to oppress his people.
This passage marks a significant turning point as Moses, the Israelite child hidden from Pharaoh's decree, is now formally adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. After being nursed by his own mother, he is brought into the Egyptian royal court, named, and receives an education befitting an Egyptian prince. This adoption sets the stage for his future role, positioning him within the very power structure that sought to oppress his people.
"When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”" — Pharaoh's daughter naming him Moses is more than just giving him a name; it’s an act of public declaration that rewrites his story, powerfully echoing God's own act of "drawing out" His people from d…
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Last reviewed October 2026