6

Was Pharoh's daughter named Basya or Bisya? Sources please!

|improve this question
9

The only place in Tanach where the name Basya/Bisya is mentioned is in Divrei Hayamim 1 4:18. Per Koren the pronunciation is Bisya. So how did Bisya become Basya? The Yalkut Shimoni on this Posuk cites the following Medrash. Hashem said to the daughter of Pharoh "Moshe was not your son however you called him your son, therefore though you are not my daughter I will call you my daughter". Thus it follows that Bisya became Basya - the daughter of Hashem.

|improve this answer
  • 1
    I am glad that you took the bait! Thanks for enlightening us! – Yahu Feb 7 '11 at 1:31
  • 1
    How does it that follow? It follows that God named her Bisyah as a contraction of 'bas' and 'yah'. The vowels (almost) always change when creating the name (eg. 'ger' + 'sham' = 'gershom'; 'elohei' + 'ezri' = 'eliezer'). Do you have any evidence that anyone ever pronounced it Basyah? – Double AA♦ Dec 6 '12 at 18:46
  • 1
    @msh210 Anyone before 1500 CE. – Double AA♦ Dec 6 '12 at 19:36
  • 1
    @msh210 I understood Gershon to be saying that Basya is correct because of the Midrash, not that people commonly misunderstand the Midrash. – Double AA♦ Dec 6 '12 at 19:40
  • 3
    What I am saying is that the correct name is Bisya, however perhaps the reason many say Basya is because of this Medrash. – Gershon Gold Dec 6 '12 at 19:43

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .