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Moses adopted by Pharaoh's daughter
v. 5. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, for such bathing in the open stream accords well with the customs of ancient Egypt; and her maidens, the attending slaves, walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. The other maids being engaged in patrolling the neighborhood against any disturbance, the attendant of the princess was sent to get the chest which had aroused the curiosity of Pharaoh's daughter.
v. 6. 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. She guessed the reason for the exposure of the child at once, but the natural motherly feeling asserted itself; she was filled with loving pity for the lonely, hungry child.
v. 7. Then said his sister, who had quietly drawn near during the excitement, to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for thee? She managed to make her question so casual that no one suspected her of being in the neighborhood by design, and her inquiry contained just enough of the suggestion necessary to direct the thoughts of Pharaoh's daughter as she wished matters to proceed.
v. 8. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. In her deep pity for the crying child she readily acted upon the suggestion offered her. And the maid went and called the child's mother, the best arrangement that could have been devised.
v. 9. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, carry it away with you, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. So the boy's own mother was engaged to be his nurse, obviously by the dispensation of God. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
v. 10. And the child grew, he reached the age at which he was weaned, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son, was formally adopted by the princess, but not before he had been informed of his descent and of his deliverance, for with his mother's milk he drank in the Hebrew spirit. And she called his name Moses; and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. This Egyptian name, Mousheh, which means saved, that is, delivered from the water, became in the Hebrew Mosheh, which means deliverer, a name with prophetic significance. As the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter Moses was educated according to the highest Egyptian standards, and became mighty in words and deeds, Act_7:22. Thus God holds His sheltering hand over them that are His and saves them in the midst of great perils.