Footnote

c The etymology of this name is a source of debate among scholars. In Hebrew, Moses means “Drawn Out; Saved Out of Water.” Historian Flavius Josephus argued that Moses was a compound of two Egyptian words meaning “water” and “saved.” Today, some scholars likewise believe that the name Moses is Egyptian in origin but feel that it most likely means “Son.” This argument, however, is based on the similar sound of the word “Moses” and some Egyptian names. Since no one really knows how either ancient Hebrew or Egyptian was pronounced, such theories are speculative.