The Holy Bible Exodus 2:1-10 by Robert Alter Lyrics
2:1-10
The Birth of Moses
2:1-10. heroes spared at birth. In the ancient world there are other accounts of heroes being miraculously spared at birth or being raised in unlikely circumstances. The most intriguing such literary work is the Legend of Sargon's Birth (probably eighth century B.C.). Rather than sacrificing her child (as priestesses were supposed to do), Sargon's mother hid him in a reed basket by the bank of the Euphrates. After being carried down the river, he was found and raised by the royal gardener. He grew up to become the founder of the dynasty of *Akkad in the twenty-fourth century B.C. But there are important differences. Most of these stories feature a royal personage discarded to his fate and raised by commoners, while Moses, under careful supervision, is rescued by royalty and raised in privileged circumstances. There is no reason to assume that this daughter of pharaoh would have been in a position of power or influence. Harem children by the score existed in every court, and daughters were considered less highly than sons.
2:3. reed basket coated with tar. The Hebrew word used for Moses' basket is the same as that used for Noah's ark. The papyrus used to make the floating cradle was also used in the construction of light boats in Egypt and Mesopotamia, a practice the Biblical writers were aware of (Is 18:2). The reed bundles overlapped in three layers, and the pitch would make it watertight (Gen 6:14 uses a different word but shows the same concept). In a Hittite myth titled "A Tale of Two Cities: Kanesh and Zalpa", the queen of Kanesh is said to have given birth to thirty sons in a single year and placed them in caulked baskets and sent them down the river. The myth reports that the gods took them out of the sea and raised them.
2:8. wet nurse. Procurement of a wet nurse to nurse and care for the child until it was weaned was a normal procedure in wealthy or aristocratic households. Though Egyptian literature has provided little information, Mesopotamian legal texts speak of the adoption procedures for an abandoned child who has been found. The wet nurse serves as the paid legal guardian, with adoption taking place after weaning.
2:10. the name Moses. The name Moses is from the Egyptian ms(w), meaning "to beget." It is a common element in names, often connected to a god's name, so Thutmosis ("Thoth begets" or "Thoth is born") or Rameses ("Ra begets" or "Ra is born"). Alternatively, since ms in Egyptian means "boy," Moses may simply have been called by a generic name. Wordplay occurs in that the closest Hebrew root means "to draw out."
The Birth of Moses
2:1-10. heroes spared at birth. In the ancient world there are other accounts of heroes being miraculously spared at birth or being raised in unlikely circumstances. The most intriguing such literary work is the Legend of Sargon's Birth (probably eighth century B.C.). Rather than sacrificing her child (as priestesses were supposed to do), Sargon's mother hid him in a reed basket by the bank of the Euphrates. After being carried down the river, he was found and raised by the royal gardener. He grew up to become the founder of the dynasty of *Akkad in the twenty-fourth century B.C. But there are important differences. Most of these stories feature a royal personage discarded to his fate and raised by commoners, while Moses, under careful supervision, is rescued by royalty and raised in privileged circumstances. There is no reason to assume that this daughter of pharaoh would have been in a position of power or influence. Harem children by the score existed in every court, and daughters were considered less highly than sons.
2:3. reed basket coated with tar. The Hebrew word used for Moses' basket is the same as that used for Noah's ark. The papyrus used to make the floating cradle was also used in the construction of light boats in Egypt and Mesopotamia, a practice the Biblical writers were aware of (Is 18:2). The reed bundles overlapped in three layers, and the pitch would make it watertight (Gen 6:14 uses a different word but shows the same concept). In a Hittite myth titled "A Tale of Two Cities: Kanesh and Zalpa", the queen of Kanesh is said to have given birth to thirty sons in a single year and placed them in caulked baskets and sent them down the river. The myth reports that the gods took them out of the sea and raised them.
2:8. wet nurse. Procurement of a wet nurse to nurse and care for the child until it was weaned was a normal procedure in wealthy or aristocratic households. Though Egyptian literature has provided little information, Mesopotamian legal texts speak of the adoption procedures for an abandoned child who has been found. The wet nurse serves as the paid legal guardian, with adoption taking place after weaning.
2:10. the name Moses. The name Moses is from the Egyptian ms(w), meaning "to beget." It is a common element in names, often connected to a god's name, so Thutmosis ("Thoth begets" or "Thoth is born") or Rameses ("Ra begets" or "Ra is born"). Alternatively, since ms in Egyptian means "boy," Moses may simply have been called by a generic name. Wordplay occurs in that the closest Hebrew root means "to draw out."