Did Moses speak Hebrew??

[visionary]

This is an interesting article that takes another look at Moses and his difficulty to articulate.

Moses complains that he is k’vad lashon, heavy of tongue. Naturally we assume that means a problem with his articulation. But as Rabbi Aaron Alexander pointed out to me, biblical scholar Richard Elliot Friedman draws a different, and plausible, conclusion. The same expression is used in Ezekiel 3:5: “For you are not sent to a people of unintelligible speech and difficult language, but to the House of Israel.” The phrase for “difficult language” is k’vad peh.

So perhaps Moses simply did not speak Hebrew. Having grown up in Pharaoh’s palace, he did not know the language of his own people. When Zipporah told her father in Midian that she had met an Egyptian, it could be a result of Moses knowing only the Egyptian language. (Rashbam, the medieval commentator, says on the contrary that Moses did not speak Egyptian.)

Native Tongues | The Jewish Week

 

[pat34lee]

This is an interesting article that takes another look at Moses and his difficulty to articulate.

Native Tongues | The Jewish Week

Saying that either Moses did not speak Hebrew or Egyptian does not make sense. He grew up as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. There is no way that he was not taught Egyptian. As for Hebrew, Moses was not worried about talking to the Hebrews, but to Pharaoh. So, unless the Pharaoh only spoke Hebrew...

 

[annier]

This is an interesting article that takes another look at Moses and his difficulty to articulate.

Native Tongues | The Jewish Week

Good post Vis. I agree that Moses had no impediment. He spoke with an Egyptian dialect. So from his speech it was obvious he did not speak as a native Hebrew.
Ac 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

 

[Lulav]

This is an interesting article that takes another look at Moses and his difficulty to articulate.

Native Tongues | The Jewish Week

I think it makes sense that Moshe did not speak Hebrew. He may have understood enough to communicate with his people but think about it, if he was not learned in Hebrew words, he would be the perfect candidate for being the one chosen to take the people out from Egypt, not only because he was raised there, but when it came time to write down the Torah he had no preconceptions about the meaning of words or why HaShem would repeat himself and such, so he would then ignorantly but succinctly write exactly what he was told and how to do so.

 

[Lulav]

Good post Vis. I agree that Moses had no impediment. He spoke with an Egyptian dialect. So from his speech it was obvious he did not speak as a native Hebrew.
Ac 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

His impediment was that Hebrew was a second or third language to him.

'Native Hebrews' also lived in Egypt, and he would have had to have some knowledge of Hebrew to communicate with them when necessary.

 

[pat34lee]

I think it makes sense that Moshe did not speak Hebrew. He may have understood enough to communicate with his people but think about it, if he was not learned in Hebrew words, he would be the perfect candidate for being the one chosen to take the people out from Egypt, not only because he was raised there, but when it came time to write down the Torah he had no preconceptions about the meaning of words or why HaShem would repeat himself and such, so he would then ignorantly but succinctly write exactly what he was told and how to do so.

Moses was not picked up by Ma and Pa Kettle and raised in the back woods. He was raised as a member of the most powerful family in one of the richest and most modern countries on earth at the time. His own mother wet-nursed him and most likely taught him Hebrew. There is a good chance that Moses could read and speak many languages, as Egypt was a major trade center.

As Annier quoted, "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians". He would have been taught astronomy, astrology, arts, math, architecture, law, geography, diplomacy, religion and probably much more. He was likely a walking library.

 

[AbbaLove]

'Native Hebrews' also lived in Egypt, and he would have had to have some knowledge of Hebrew to communicate with them when necessary.

Many ruling Egyptians were fluent in Hebrew as well as Israelites being fluent in Egyptian by the time of the Exodus. However, after 40 years in the wilderness Hebrew became the dominant language.

Doubt that Caleb and Joshua were conversing in Egyptian or broken Hebrew while spying out the land, marching around Jericho or praying. They most likely even knew the proper meaning and use of Selah. Oh, what we all could learn from these two faithful men.

 

[Lulav]

Many ruling Egyptians were fluent in Hebrew as well as Israelites being fluent in Egyptian by the time of the Exodus. However, after 40 years in the wilderness Hebrew became the dominant language.

Doubt that Caleb and Joshua were conversing in Egyptian or broken Hebrew while spying out the land, marching around Jericho or praying. They most likely even knew the proper meaning and use of Selah. Oh, what we all could learn from these two faithful men.

Speaking a language and writing in it are two different things. I was commenting on the fact of Moses writing down letter by letter as dictated by the L-RD G-d to him.

It is interesting to note that today even it takes someone around 960 hours to complete a sefer Torah. And even more interesting 40 days x 24 hours = 960.

 

[Lulav]

Moses was not picked up by Ma and Pa Kettle and raised in the back woods. He was raised as a member of the most powerful family in one of the richest and most modern countries on earth at the time. His own mother wet-nursed him and most likely taught him Hebrew. There is a good chance that Moses could read and speak many languages, as Egypt was a major trade center.

As Annier quoted, "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians". He would have been taught astronomy, astrology, arts, math, architecture, law, geography, diplomacy, religion and probably much more. He was likely a walking library.

I see I missed using the word 'fluently', yes of course he could have had it as one of many languages he was taught, but Egyptian would be prominent. It is obvious from he interaction with the Hebrew slave that he could understand him when he spoke with him, but we have nothing that tells us that Hebrew was a written language at that time.

 

[AbbaLove]

Speaking a language and writing in it are two different things. I was commenting on the fact of Moses writing down letter by letter as dictated by the L-RD G-d to him.

It is interesting to note that today even it takes someone around 960 hours to complete a sefer Torah. And even more interesting 40 days x 24 hours = 960.

I try (not always achieve) to stick to title of thread so took your comment to infer vocals ("articulate" visionary).

“'Native Hebrews' also lived in Egypt, and he would have had to have some knowledge of Hebrew to communicate with them when necessary.”

Did Moses take time to prepare manuscript hide or parchment documentation? Neither can I visualize Moses carrying around clay tablets until you know when . At least we can agree that “Mazel Tov” was seldom heard, but then what do i know.

 

[visionary]

I believe the parchment Moses wrote was in Hebrew as it was for the Hebrew nation.

 

[Lulav]

I try (not always achieve) to stick to title of thread so took your comment to infer vocals ("articulate" visionary).


Did Moses take time to prepare manuscript hide or parchment documentation? Neither can I visualize Moses carrying around clay tablets until you know when . At least we can agree that “Mazel Tov” was seldom heard, but then what do i know.

 

[annier]

Many ruling Egyptians were fluent in Hebrew as well as Israelites being fluent in Egyptian by the time of the Exodus. However, after 40 years in the wilderness Hebrew became the dominant language.

Doubt that Caleb and Joshua were conversing in Egyptian or broken Hebrew while spying out the land, marching around Jericho or praying. They most likely even knew the proper meaning and use of Selah. Oh, what we all could learn from these two faithful men.

Well the Midianites thought him an Egyptian. So they could converse with Egyptians. It was more of a dialect thing IMO.

 

[Rachel Rachel]

Saying that either Moses did not speak Hebrew or Egyptian does not make sense. He grew up as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. There is no way that he was not taught Egyptian. As for Hebrew, Moses was not worried about talking to the Hebrews, but to Pharaoh. So, unless the Pharaoh only spoke Hebrew...

I haven't read this entire thread, so maybe someone has already said this but - wasn't Moses raised at least partly by his own Hebrew mother? I would think he would have learned the Hebrew language.

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?" And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the maiden went and called the child's mother. Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. 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."

The scripture doesn't say how long Jochebed had her son, but it must have been at least a couple of years.
Also, what language did his wife Zipporah and her family speak? I'm sure it wasn't Egyptian.