🔼The name Moza: Summary
- Meaning
- A Place Of Going Forth
- Etymology
- From the noun מוצא (mosa'), a place, agent or act of going out, from the verb יצא (yasa'), to go out or forth.
🔼The name Moza in the Bible
There are two men named Moza in the Bible, but neither plays much of a role:
- A son of Caleb of Judah and his concubine Ephah (1 Chronicles 2:46).
- A son of Zimri and descendant of Mica(h), the son of Merib-baal (1 Chronicles 8:34 and 9:42) or Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:12), the son of Jonathan, son of Saul.
🔼Etymology of the name Moza
The name Moza is the same as the noun מוצא (mosa'), denoting a place, agent or act of going out, from the verb יצא (yasa'), meaning to go (out):
יצא
The verb יצא (yasa') describes a divergent motion: to go out or go forth. Noun צאצא (se'esa) means offspring or produce. Noun מוצא (mosa') denotes a place, agent or act of going out: a going forth, an utterance, a source or spring of water, a place of departure, a mine. It's also the word for sunrise. The similar noun מוצאה (mosa'a) means latrine. Noun תוצאה (tosa'a) denotes a full collection of whatever goings-out.
צנן
The unused verb צנן (sanan) probably meant something as vague as to be something that extends out, since all extant nouns describe items that go out or have gone out. Nouns צן (sen), צנה (sinna) and צנין (sanin) describe thorns, hooks or barbs. Noun צנה (sinna) means coolness. Noun צנה (sinna) denotes a large shield. Noun צנצנת (sinsenet) denotes a kind of jar (with a wide mouth and narrow neck?).
צאן
The noun צאן (so'n) describes a flock of small animals like sheep or goats, which proverbially wanders about and disperses during times of carefree ease.
🔼Moza meaning
For a meaning of the name Moza, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads A Going Forth. Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) proposes Fountain, but that's a bit too specific. Jones adds: "a place one goes forth from," which is more in tune with the compass of the verb. BDB Theological Dictionary does not translate this name but does confirm that it is identical to the noun מוצא (mosa').