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Who Was Moses?

Moses was the Hebrew prophet and leader who, according to the Bible, led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and received God's law at Mount Sinai. His story runs from Exodus 2 to Deuteronomy 34, from his rescue as a baby on the Nile to his death within sight of the promised land.

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One of the profiles in People of the Bible, with every point tied to a chapter and verse you can check.

What Moses is known for

Moses’s life in order

  1. Born and hidden in a basket

    Exodus 2:1–10

    Pharaoh has ordered Hebrew baby boys to be killed, so Moses' mother hides him and then sets him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile. Pharaoh's own daughter finds him and adopts him. His sister arranges for his mother to nurse him.

  2. Flight to Midian

    Exodus 2:11–22

    As a grown man, Moses kills an Egyptian he sees beating a Hebrew worker. When the deed becomes known, he flees to Midian. There he marries Zipporah, the daughter of a priest, and works as a shepherd.

  3. The burning bush

    Exodus 3:1–4:17

    On Mount Horeb, Moses sees a bush that burns without burning up. God calls him to go back to Egypt and bring his people out. Moses raises objection after objection, and God gives him signs and his brother Aaron as a spokesman.

  4. The plagues and the Passover

    Exodus 7:14–12:42

    Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and Pharaoh refuses again and again. Ten plagues strike Egypt, ending with the death of the firstborn. The Israelites mark their doors with lamb's blood, eat the first Passover and leave that night.

  5. Crossing the sea

    Exodus 14

    Pharaoh changes his mind and sends his chariots after the Israelites. Moses stretches out his hand, a strong wind drives back the water, and the people cross on dry ground. The returning water overwhelms the pursuing army.

  6. The law at Mount Sinai

    Exodus 19:1–20:21

    At Mount Sinai, God makes a covenant with Israel, and Moses goes up the mountain to meet him. The Ten Commandments are given, followed by many more laws. Moses acts as the go-between for God and the people.

  7. The golden calf

    Exodus 32

    While Moses is on the mountain, the people persuade Aaron to make a golden calf to worship. Moses pleads with God not to destroy them. Then he comes down, breaks the stone tablets in anger and confronts the people.

  8. Water from the rock

    Numbers 20:1–13

    After years in the wilderness, the people complain again about having no water. God tells Moses to speak to a rock, but Moses strikes it twice instead. Water flows, yet God says Moses will not lead the people into the land.

  9. Death on Mount Nebo

    Deuteronomy 34:1–12

    After giving his final speeches, Moses climbs Mount Nebo and sees the promised land from a distance. He dies in Moab at the age of 120, and Joshua takes over as leader. The book closes by saying no prophet like him has arisen since.

What does the name Moses mean?

Exodus 2:10 says Pharaoh's daughter named him Moses because she drew him out of the water. In Hebrew, the name Mosheh sounds like the verb mashah, “to draw out.”

Many scholars also point to a possible Egyptian origin. The element “-mose,” meaning roughly “is born” or “son,” appears in royal names such as Thutmose and Ahmose. Both explanations are widely discussed, and the question remains open.

Key verses

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’””

Exodus 3:14BSB

““I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Exodus 20:2-3BSB

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-5BSB

“Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—”

Deuteronomy 34:10BSB

Verse text: Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain.

What Moses’s story shows

A reluctant leader

Moses does not want the job. In Exodus 3 and 4 he says he is nobody, that people will not believe him and that he is a poor speaker. The story shows a leader who starts out full of doubt and is given help rather than replaced.

Leadership is shared

In Exodus 18, Moses' father-in-law Jethro sees him judging every dispute alone from morning to evening. He advises him to appoint capable people to handle smaller cases. Moses listens, and the load becomes bearable.

Standing in the gap

Several times, when the people rebel, Moses pleads for them instead of walking away (Exodus 32:11–14, Numbers 14:13–19). The story presents him as someone who argues with God on behalf of others.

Even great leaders fall short

Moses is called the most humble man on earth in Numbers 12:3, yet he also loses his temper. His failure at the rock in Numbers 20 costs him entry into the land. The Bible does not hide the flaws of its heroes.

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Frequently asked questions

Did Moses write the first five books of the Bible?

Jewish and Christian tradition has long credited Moses with the Torah, Genesis through Deuteronomy. The text itself says Moses wrote down certain laws and records (Exodus 24:4, Deuteronomy 31:9). Many modern scholars see the five books as drawn from several sources and shaped over a long period, and Deuteronomy 34 describes his death.

Why was Moses not allowed to enter the promised land?

Numbers 20:1–13 says God told Moses to speak to a rock to bring out water, but Moses struck it twice instead. God then said that because Moses and Aaron did not trust him or honor him before the people, they would not lead Israel into the land. Deuteronomy 34:4 says Moses saw the land from Mount Nebo before he died.

What did God say at the burning bush?

In Exodus 3, God calls Moses to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery. When Moses asks for God's name, God answers with a name connected to the Hebrew verb “to be” (Exodus 3:14). This is linked to the divine name YHWH, usually shown as “the LORD” in English Bibles.

How old was Moses when he died?

Deuteronomy 34:7 says Moses was 120 years old and still strong. Exodus 7:7 says he was 80 when he spoke to Pharaoh. In Acts 7:23–36, Stephen divides his life into three periods of about forty years each.

Where is Moses buried?

Deuteronomy 34:6 says he was buried in a valley in Moab, opposite Beth-peor. The same verse adds that no one knows the exact location of his grave.

Who were Moses' brother and sister?

His brother Aaron became his spokesman and Israel's first high priest (Exodus 4:14–16, Exodus 28). His sister Miriam is called a prophet and leads the women in song after the sea crossing (Exodus 15:20–21). The sister who watches over baby Moses in Exodus 2:4 is not named but is usually identified as Miriam.

Bible text is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain); retellings and notes are our own. How we write: editorial policy. Spotted an error? Report a mistake.