Exodus 2 10

Exodus 2:10 kjv

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 nkjv

And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, "Because I drew him out of the water."

Exodus 2:10 niv

When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."

Exodus 2:10 esv

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."

Exodus 2:10 nlt

Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, "I lifted him out of the water."

Exodus 2 10 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Acts 7:20-22At that time Moses was born...and was nursed for three months in his father’s house...was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.Stephen recounts Moses's birth and upbringing.
Heb 11:23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents...and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.Parents' faith in hiding and preserving Moses.
Gen 17:5No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham...God changes names to signify new identity/destiny.
Gen 32:28Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel...Jacob's name changed after wrestling with God.
Isa 62:2You shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.Prophecy of new names for God's people.
Psa 18:16He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.God's act of rescue from overwhelming dangers.
Psa 144:7Stretch out Your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from great waters.Prayer for divine rescue from "great waters".
Ex 1:22Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born... into the Nile you shall throw him.”Direct contrast to Moses being 'drawn out' of the Nile.
Psa 91:1-4He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High... will deliver you from the snare of the fowler.God's providential protection and deliverance.
Ex 3:7-10Then the LORD said... I have come down to deliver them... I will send you to Pharaoh...Moses's future calling as the one sent to deliver Israel.
Dt 18:15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you...Prophecy of a prophet like Moses, emphasizing his unique role.
Gal 4:4-5...that we might receive adoption as sons.The broader theological theme of adoption by God.
Rom 8:15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons...Believers adopted as children of God through the Spirit.
Eph 1:5He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ...God's divine plan of adoption for believers.
Psa 124:4-5Then the waters would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us; then the raging waters would have swept over us.Vivid imagery of peril from which God delivers.
Isa 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.God's presence and protection in life's challenges.
Jon 2:6I sank to the roots of the mountains... but You brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.Jonah's experience of being "drawn up" from watery death.
Lk 2:40The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom...Foreshadowing of Jesus's growth in strength and wisdom, similar to Moses.
Acts 26:16...I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light...Similar commission of being 'sent out' to deliver people.
Ex 14:13But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today..."Moses's role as a deliverer at the Red Sea, drawing people out.
Lk 1:80And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit... (John the Baptist)Parallel growth to another divinely purposed child.
Mt 1:21She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.A name given with a direct meaning relating to salvation.

Exodus 2 verses

Exodus 2 10 Meaning

This verse marks a pivotal moment in the life of Moses, describing his transition from infancy, after being nursed by his birth mother, into the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter. It highlights the fulfillment of a remarkable arrangement where Moses's mother returned him to the princess, and his subsequent official adoption into the royal household. Crucially, the verse records the princess's naming of the child as Moses and provides the Hebrew etymology for his name, linking it directly to the act of "drawing him out of the water," thus emphasizing his miraculous preservation.

Exodus 2 10 Context

Exodus chapter 2 unfolds the immediate events following the oppressive decrees of Pharaoh to kill all Hebrew male infants. Against this backdrop of intense persecution, Moses is born to faithful Israelite parents who hide him for three months. When they can no longer conceal him, they place him in a basket on the Nile, entrusting him to God's providence. In a dramatic twist, he is discovered by Pharaoh's own daughter. Through the clever intervention of Moses's older sister, Miriam, his biological mother is enlisted to nurse him, establishing a unique arrangement where she is even compensated by the princess. Verse 10 marks the conclusion of this nursing period, signifying Moses's transition from his biological family's care into the formal adoption by the Egyptian princess, solidifying his new status within the very royal house that oppressed his people. This sets the stage for Moses to be raised in power, wisdom, and knowledge of the world that would prepare him for his future divine commission to deliver Israel.

Exodus 2 10 Word analysis

  • "And the child grew" (וַיִּגְדַּל הַיֶּלֶד - va-yigdal ha-yeled): From the Hebrew verb gadal (גָדַל), meaning "to grow great, become large, magnificent." This is a straightforward statement of physical growth but also implicitly suggests the time lapse where Moses passed beyond infancy and the immediate need for nursing, becoming old enough to be integrated into the royal household. It marks a readiness for the next stage of God's unfolding plan.
  • "and she brought him": Refers to Moses's mother, Jochebed. This act fulfills the agreement made earlier with Pharaoh's daughter (Ex 2:9). It highlights the natural progression from the unique nursing arrangement to the promised handover, indicating adherence to the unusual divine plan.
  • "unto Pharaoh's daughter": Emphasizes the destination and the identity of the adoptive parent. Pharaoh's daughter demonstrates a remarkable consistency and commitment to the child she rescued, showing compassion that transcends ethnic and national boundaries, driven by divine intervention.
  • "and he became her son": (וַיְהִי־לָהּ לְבֵן - va-y'hi-lah le-ven) - This signifies formal and legal adoption into the royal family. This status was crucial, granting Moses not only safety but also access to an unparalleled education and privileged upbringing in the very seat of power. This defies Pharaoh's genocidal decree and underscores God's sovereignty over human evil, placing His chosen deliverer in a strategic position.
  • "And she called his name Moses": A customary and significant act in ancient cultures, signifying ownership, identity, and often, destiny. For the princess to name him solidified his position as her child and implicitly bestowed the privileges and responsibilities associated with Egyptian royalty.
  • "Moses" (מֹשֶׁה - Moshe): While the name sounds distinctly Egyptian (often related to 'msy' found in names like Thutmose or Ramses, meaning 'son of' or 'born of [a deity]'), the Bible explicitly provides a Hebrew etymology. This Hebrew interpretation of his name, despite its Egyptian sound, firmly grounds his identity and destiny in divine deliverance. It highlights a common biblical practice of interpreting names based on significant events in a person's life rather than strictly linguistic origins.
  • "and she said, Because I drew him out of the water": (כִּי מִן־הַמַּיִם מְשִׁיתִהוּ - ki min-ha-mayim m'shitihu). This phrase directly links Moses's name (Moshe) to the Hebrew verb mashah (מָשָׁה), meaning "to draw out, pull out." This is the princess's personal interpretation of the name, commemorating the dramatic rescue. This act of drawing him out of the literal water powerfully foreshadows Moses's future role in "drawing out" the Israelites from the "waters" of Egyptian bondage and leading them through the Red Sea. It is a divine poetic justice that the one drawn out would be the one to draw out his people.

Exodus 2 10 Bonus section

  • A Deliverer From the Oppressor's Household: The irony is profound: Pharaoh decreed that Hebrew boys be drowned, but God used Pharaoh's own daughter to rescue a Hebrew child from the water, allowing him to be raised and educated in the very palace from which he would eventually confront the oppressive empire. This demonstrated God's ability to turn human wickedness on its head.
  • Prepared for Leadership: Being raised in Pharaoh's household likely afforded Moses the best education in administrative, military, and diplomatic skills available at the time, as recorded in Acts 7:22 ("Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action"). This unique background, combining his Hebrew identity with an Egyptian upbringing, prepared him exceptionally for his future role as the leader of Israel.
  • Theological Significance of "Drawing Out": The recurring motif of "drawing out" (from the water, from slavery) establishes Moses as a prototype of deliverance. This act prefigures the greater salvation to come through Jesus Christ, who delivers His people from the "waters" of sin and death, as foretold by the prophets.

Exodus 2 10 Commentary

Exodus 2:10 marks a monumental turning point, establishing Moses's paradoxical identity as a Hebrew infant adopted into the Egyptian royal family. This verse brilliantly showcases God's intricate providence: the one destined to lead Israel out of bondage is raised and educated within the very house of his future adversary. The act of Pharaoh's daughter drawing Moses from the water not only gives him his name but also serves as a potent microcosm of his ultimate divine mission: to draw his people out of the overwhelming 'waters' of slavery and oppression. His name, "Moses," thus becomes a prophetic identifier, linking his miraculous preservation directly to his life's purpose as a deliverer, demonstrating God's sovereign control over even the most hostile of circumstances to accomplish His will.