מָשָׁה
to pull out (literally or figuratively)
Definition
The Hebrew verb מָשָׁה (mâshâh) fundamentally means 'to draw out' or 'to pull out,' describing a physical act of extraction. In its most famous occurrence, it describes Moses being drawn out of the Nile River (Exodus 2:10), giving him his name. The word is also used in poetic, figurative contexts to depict God's powerful deliverance, as when He draws someone out of deep waters, symbolizing rescue from grave danger or enemies (2 Samuel 22:17, Psalm 18:16). Thus, its meaning spans from a literal, physical action to a powerful metaphor for salvation.
Biblical Usage
This verb is used only three times in the Old Testament. Its first and most literal use is in the narrative of Exodus 2:10, explaining the origin of Moses's name. The other two occurrences are identical poetic lines found in a song of deliverance (2 Samuel 22:17) and a psalm (Psalm 18:16), where it is used metaphorically. The pattern shows a movement from a concrete, historical event to a standardized poetic image for divine rescue, used exclusively in contexts of God's saving action.
Etymology
מָשָׁה is a primitive root. Its basic meaning is to pull or draw something out from a contained space, like water. The name Moses (מֹשֶׁה, Mosheh) is directly derived from this verb, as explained in Exodus 2:10. Cognates in other Semitic languages support the sense of drawing out or extracting.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as the etymological source of the name Moses, the central human deliverer in the Exodus. Its figurative use in the Psalms and Samuel directly connects the act of 'drawing out' to God's character as a savior who rescues His people from overwhelming peril. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Exodus 2:10 by highlighting the prophetic irony in Moses's name—he was drawn out of water to one day draw God's people out of Egypt.
In the cultural context of Exodus 2:10, Pharaoh's daughter naming the child with a Hebrew verb (even if she 'said' it was because she drew him out) is a notable detail. It may indicate an adoption story trope or suggest her acknowledgment of the child's Hebrew identity. The metaphor of being drawn from 'many waters' (2 Samuel 22:17) uses a common Ancient Near Eastern image for chaos and mortal danger, which God masters.
עָלָה (ʿālâ, H5927) — to go up or ascend, often used for leaving Egypt; focuses on the destination rather than the extraction. נָצַל (nāṣal, H5337) — to deliver or snatch away; emphasizes rescue from a threat more than the pulling motion. יָשַׁע (yāshaʿ, H3467) — to save or deliver; a broader, more general term for salvation.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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