Moses in Smiths Bible Dictionary

(Heb. Mosheh, "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: 1. "The song which Moses and the children of Israel sung" (after the passage of the Red Sea). Ex 15:1-19 2. A fragment of the war-song against Amalek. Ex 17:16 3. A fragment of lyrical burst of indignation. Ex 32:18 4. The fragments of war-songs, probably from either him or his immediate prophetic followers, in Nu 21:14,15,27- 30 preserved in the "book of the wars of Jehovah," Nu 21:14 and the address to the well. ch. Nu 21:14 and the address to the well. ch. Nu 21:16,17,18 5. The song of Moses, De 32:1-43 setting forth the greatness and the failings of Israel. 6. The blessing of Moses on the tribes, De 33:1-29 7. The 90th Psalm, "A prayer of Moses, the man of God." The title, like all the titles of the psalms, is of doubtful authority, and the psalm has often been referred to a later author. Character. --The prophetic office of Moses can only be fully considered in connection with his whole character and appearance. Ho 12:13 He was in a sense peculiar to himself the founder and representative of his people; and in accordance with this complete identification of himself with his nation is the only strong personal trait which we are able to gather from his history. Nu 12:3 The word "meek" is hardly an adequate reading of the Hebrew term, which should be rather "much enduring." It represents what we should now designate by the word "disinterested." All that is told of him indicates a withdrawal of himself, a preference of the cause of his nation to his own interests, which makes him the most complete example of Jewish patriotism. (He was especially a man of prayer and of faith, of wisdom, courage and patience.) In exact conformity with his life is the account of his end...