How could Moses have written these words of self-praise in Exodus 11:3?
Exodus 11:3 3(The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.) New International Version
Exodus 11:3
ESV - 3 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.
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Asked January 13 2021
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Jack Gutknecht
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Tim Maas
Even though the authorship of the first five books of the Bible is commonly attributed to Moses (which may very well be the case), there are also selected verses in them that would have to have been written or inserted by a later author, as indicated especially by the fact that Moses could not have personally written about his own death (as recorded in Deuteronomy 34:5-12). Also, in addition to the verse cited in the question (where Moses would appear to have been boasting about himself if he wrote it), Numbers 12:3 contains another example of seeming self-praise, which would have directly contradicted the idea expressed by the verse itself if Moses had written it. Therefore, I would say that any such references were also added by a later commentator.
Kimm Gaines
My impression in reading this scripture is not that it is boastful, but rather that it is a description of the circumstances at the time. Even if Moses had written it himself, the word in the King James translated as “Great” is more of a description of his position of influence in the Egyptian palace than a boast about himself as a man. And it is a point that is important to understand when reading the account of all that happened.
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