Home > Torah - Exodus Stories in the Quran
The Book of Exodus states that it was Pharaoh's daughter who found Moses and adopts him.
Exodus 2:5–10: And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. And she opened it, and saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maiden went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said, Because I drew him out of the water.
The Quran claims it was Pharaoh's wife. The Quran contradicts the earliest source and suggests that the author did not use the primary source but used later Jewish commentaries, which were not considered inspired by Jews or Christians.
Surah 28:9 - Pharaoh’s wife said, “An eye's delight for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.” But they did not foresee.
The Midrash Tanhuma (5th - 7th centuries AD) states that Pharaoh's wife, Bithiah, saw the basket and sent her maidservants to fetch it.
The Quran doesn’t mention the name, but it uses a story found in the Midrash, which seems to conflate with the Exodus account with the later 1 Chronicles story about Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh.
1 Chronicles 4:17: The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married; and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa.