The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". This is a little easier to explain the word feet is a euphemism for Moses genitals. Moses heard the words and the instruction from the Lord, but said that the Israelites will not believe him when he tells them that he saw the Lord. God had the foreknowledge of Pharaohs refusal to let Israel go, so God was already prepared to seek the death of the firstborn son. It might refer to the child, for in response Zipporah cuts off her sons foreskin and thus saves his life. Zipporah referred to Moses as a "bridegroom of blood", which seems to fit Yeshua's position: the Bridegroom of the Covenant. The writer asserts that perhaps the reference to blood-bridegroom reflects the custom of circumcision before marriage. Listed on Blogspots So he let him go: So, God let Moses go; God did not take his life.] We will be very happy to hear from you. Amen. What problem would this solve? Another interpretation, however, has this danger hovering over Moses, and in order to save him, Zipporah circumcises their son.(http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/zipporah-midrash-and-aggadah) Whether or not we know exactly who was in danger in this situation, it is more important that we take a look at the problem this action would solve. 26. When Moses fled from Egypt to the land of Midian, he met Jethro's seven daughters, who were having some trouble getting enough water for their flocks ( Exodus 2 ). God was able to write Moses or LORD if he wanted to. Moses told God that he wasnt eloquent with his speech, which aggravated God. Zipporah called Moses a bloody husband out of disgust. During this period, he married Zipporah, Jethro's daughter, and they had a son (Ex. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because . It was then she said, A bridegroom of blood by circumcision, (Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV).1. Zipporah The Woman Who Wrongly Opposed Her Husband. Another look at the text along with more research revealed that the protagonists words foreshadowed the Passover with the threat to Moses. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her sons foreskin and touched Moses feet with it. Thats who we are: dead because of our sins and alive because of Christ, through his life and by his blood. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. Interestingly, the modern English terms testify and testimony originated from this use. During the night, Gods hand of death came against Moses and tried to kill him (Exodus 4:24). "Son of God" or "Son of the gods" in Daniel 3:25? Soon after meeting the One Who instructs him to return to Egypt in order to lead his Israelite brethren out of bondage in Egypt, "Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt." (Exodus 4:20.) Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). A bloody husband. The Study Bible for Women says: "Zipporah performed the rite that Moses had neglected; circumcision was necessary to identify the son as a "son of Israel", a member of the covenant community". 22:13-19), the removal of the prepuce would be the grooms parallel loss. (http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/second/larue.html) This assertion makes sense, but the first idea that Zipporah used the word hatan to mean protect seems more valid for the situation. He has self-published three books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016 and Eye of a Needle in 2017 and Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019. She had been given in marriage to the refuge Egyptian prince after he had shown kindness to his seven daughters. This has to be the bloodiest scene in the book of Exodus since the massacre of Hebrew male children in chapter 1. Our newsletter is a short email sent to notify subscribers about new information that has been posted to the OBS site. Why would such drastic measures be necessary? What is the significance of being left-handed as Ehud was inJudges. Zipporah said to Moses "A bloody husband you are to me, because of the circumcision." One may wonder why God would come to Moses to kill him before he was circumcised, but I think it's a safe assumption that the Lord had told him to be circumcised but he refused. Top Christian Blogs, Quality Content Authenticity Uniqueness Reliability Trustworthy Ease of Use Data Security. (At that time she said bridegroom of blood, referring to circumcision.) Though she at first had gone with Moses after he was called by God . While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Zipporah, fearing that her husband would be slain, performed the rite herself, and the angel then permitted Moses to pursue his journey. Why do that? The action was petulant and reproachful. The Outlaw Bible Student web site is secured with SSL-encrypted connections. Source: The New International Encyclopdia, Volume 11 (Dodd, Mead) 1911 A.D. She also seems to be angry because of the circumcision requirement, pointing to the possibility that her and Moses may have had a conversation and possibly an argument about it, ending in her refusal to allow it. (Exodus 4:21-26). What do you hear the Spirit saying to you/your family/your church/your community. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. The last we hear of Zipporah is shortly after the Exodus. Male circumcision has a special meaning in the Old Testament. Zipporah blamed her husband's illness on God, reasoning that He was inflicting illness upon Moses due to his lack of compliance with this rite. As such, you should have circumcised your son soon after his birth. sect. In verse 24, God locks his target on the firstborn son. And Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and threw it at his feet, and said, "Surely a bloody husband you are to me." So He let him go. 1. Note: Page 603 of the source. She recently ended a 12-year tenure as lead pastor at Maple Avenue Ministries in Holland, Michigan. God had just given Moses an assignment to return to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh free the Hebrews from bondage. . (Genesis 17:9-12a). The first son of Moses and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means stranger. Alas, this is no patriarchal fairy tale, and Zipporah is no damsel in distress. What were the names of the two Hebrew midwives? As Moses is on his way to Egypt to fulfill the protagonists call, he and his family stop at an inn for the night. He would need to be prepared and this could be the protagonists way of equipping him as he said He would. The word Zipporah comes from the Hebrew tsipporah (Strong's Concordance #H6855) which means "a bird." Although her name is listed only a few times, her interactions with one of the most famous men in . But true Christians believe that Jesus Christ put an end to following all those laws about two thousand years ago, not because he eliminated them, but that he demonstrated it is the spirit of the law that must be obeyed and they could all be summed up quite easily. God told Moses to cast the rod to the ground, and it became a serpent. Copyright The Sentinel | https://www.lewistownsentinel.com | 352 Sixth Street, Lewistown, PA 17044 | 717-248-6741, And it came to pass, at the encampment (inn), that the Lord met him and sought to kill him., And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant., Surely you are a husband of blood to me., And Jethro, Moses father-in-law came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness., I am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.. Zipporah and her six sisters were attending to their daily chores of drawing water and watering their fathers flock. O Zipporah says this "bloody Husband" phrase twice. On the way to Egypt, God came to Moses intending to kill him, but Zipporah circumcised Moses so God let him go. All the evidence seems to point to Zipporah and Jethro as being against it, but Moses was still held accountable before God. . Zipporah is Moses's patrilineal cousin and his second wife. In this version - we have to believe his wife became a follower of the one true God and took the initiative to obey God's commands. God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. The circumcision of one or both of Moses sons is one of those events. But now the time had come that God would save His people. These supplied names seem to make it easier for the reader to follow the narrative. HaShem found Zipporah most acceptable as Moses wife, she was a loving woman that chose to save her husband's life to include the lives of the masses when Moses failed to circumcise one of his sons. And why not remind him then? Gershom is now identified as one of the Hebrew people because of the visible blood sign of his circumcision and enjoys Yahweh's protection. We must remember who we arebride of Christ, circumcised in our hearts, dead to sin, our flesh perpetually cast at the feet of Jesus in confession and repentance. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. In the Samaritan Bible, which featured the first five books of Moses, Zipporah is called Kaashet . Some scholars believe that the term bridegroom of blood (same as bloody husband in the KJV) signifies Zipporahs religious idea about blood sacrifice and covenant. Punishment for failing to be circumcised falls upon the child, not the father (Genesis 17:14). Moses' brother, Aaron, married a woman named Elisheba . Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses feet and calls him a bloody husband simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. It would be rivaled soon after as the blood of the Egyptian children ran cold at the final plague, as the blood of lambs was smeared on the doorposts of the Hebrew households that first Passover, and with the bloodying of the sea as the waters closed over the Egyptian army. We are urged to die to all our false identities and to remember our true identity as siblings of the flesh and blood of the Bridegroom. He also could have easily justified to himself not carrying it out knowing his wife, a non-Israelite, would have been displeased with him performing it a second time. Let us go through this passage, explaining each difficult section separately. (m) This act was extraordinary: for Moses was very sick and God even then required it. 1. As a result the Lord decides not to kill Moses. We do not send any commercial advertising, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. Jethro had given Zipporah to Moses as his wife. "She received Moses back from the dead, as it were, and remarried him again." Zipporah calls Moses a bridegroom because she had been compelled to acquire and purchase him anew as a husband by shedding the blood of her son, hence a bridegroom of blood. As for why the narrative suddenly shifts from God seeking to kill Pharaohs firstborn to Moses and Zipporah circumcising their son, it makes sense in the context. God told Moses to put his hand to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand became white like it was leprous. Moses then took his wife Zipporah and his sons, and went to Egypt. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a childrens book. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. These speculative answers flirt with unscriptural principles. This could indicate why the protagonist threatened Moses life. Everything about him was Egyptian, except for one thing. Maundy Thursday leads us to a bloody table and to a garden where Judas Iscariot has blood on his hands. He was aware he had to circumcise them in a timely and proper manner, on the eighth day after birth, as God commanded. Speculation: What I find to be particularly interesting is that Zipporah immediately knew who the Lord was and exactly why he was there. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. rigour. Then again, as some researchers suggest, God may have sought to kill not Moses, but Mosess son because he had not been marked as a member of Israel through circumcision. Zipporah was not a Hebrew woman, but a Midianite ( Exodus 2:16-22 [16] Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. Upon returning to the home of their father, the sisters reported the incident of the Egyptian stranger who had come to their aid. Sometimes its our careers, our family name, or our traditions that are such a part of us that we forget Pauls reminder that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and our identity is hidden in Christ. Although it may seem outwardly there was nothing wrong, to God nothing is hidden! She calls Moses, who represents Christ, a "bloody husband" and this represents the tribulation time. He had previously carried out the ceremony for one of them (note that Zipporah only had to circumcise one of them to quell Gods wrath) but not for the other. . Zipporah meets Moses at the well. You are a bridegroom of blood, Zipporah declares as she tosses flesh at Mosess feet. That is why when the circumcision was over, verse 26 says, he let him go. This he is Moses because the nearest male antecedent is bloody husband. This phrase is not about God letting Moses go, but about Moses letting his son go after the circumcision was over. Her first reaction was to circumcise her son without being told to do so. The long donkey ride on the way to Egypt left Zipporah, Moses, and their two children wanting for a good nights rest. Zipporah regarded the bloody rites of her husbands religion as cruel and barbarous, and cast the foreskin of her son at his feet, as though he were a Moloch requiring a bloody offering. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. Where once she was the beneficiary of male benevolence, she then stepped in to save the life of the patriarch. Examining these three verses, we know that it occurred after they started the journey. Yet, we know Moses, his wife, and their son . It does not seem to me that she was opposed to the circumcision. The threat of death was not on Moses but on Pharaoh's son. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. Moses said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land." These scholars are thinking too hard. On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. Zipporah, the wife of Moses, receives very little exposure in the Bible. ', 24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. Zipporahs word choice could have a double meaning in which she told Moses that he was protected by her bold action and that she finally had a legitimate husband due to the circumcision. On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. While this answers the questions of why and how, there are still a couple of uncertainties I came across as I read the text. Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase. Zipporah was Mosess first wife in the Bible. When we read the passage in the King James Bible we get the correct understanding of the passage. Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com. She heroically saves Moses and her sons from a random attack from an angel by cutting off her son's foreskin; the explanation for this act is unclear. People are asking the wrong questions because they are reading the passage incorrectly in faulty translations. Answer (1 of 3): The verses in question are Exodus 4:24-26, the context is Moses, his wife Zipporah and their son Gershom reaching an inn on their way from Midian to Egypt to announce the plagues to the Pharaoh. Moses fears for the safety of his son because the son had not yet entered into a covenant relationship with God. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Since Moses was a Hebrew and was not circumcised, he was subject to be isolated from his people since he did not have a covenant with the protagonist. There is no scriptural basis for taking the life of a father who does not circumcise a son. If we read the preceding verses, we see that this occurs after God had just given Moses instructions as to what to say to Pharaoh. The expression hatan damim [bridegroom In the New Testament, the flesh those passions and desires of our sinful nature should be replaced with the fruit of the spirit. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. Shulchan Aruch, par. 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. Description: In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a "bloody husband" because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. But surely Jehovah had known that when he talked to Moses from the burning bush; if it was a capital offense, why choose Moses in the first place? Thank you for sharing the words of god. Zipporah, being a woman, probably did not have enough strength to completely keep still a grown boy. Since the days of Abraham, God required his people to circumcise their sons (Genesis 17:10-14), and many academics believe that Moses had failed to meet Gods requirement with the second son (Eliezer). This leads to another point that perhaps the word foot is euphemistic for Moses genitals. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. here, moses is an analogy of christ, who is our "bloody husband."; i'm not sure what the foreskin represents. Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). After functioning as a social worker for many years, she went on to become the first African American female to graduate from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, with both the master of divinity and doctorate of ministry degrees. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Moses becomes her "bridegroom," her newly-acquired husband, because they both were culturally new persons. God said that if the children of Israel would not believe the first sign, they will believe the second. Wait. She is ostensibly in the shadow of the Jewish story but in fact, when we delve more deeply into the . Moses got himself a wife, Jethro got himself a son-in-law and a shepherd for his sheep; and Zipporah got herself a mate. 26 So the LORD let him alone. And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? His first wife was his Kushite half-sister. Zipporahs story should always be told alongside Mosess, for without her, he would surely have died before returning to Egypt, still unclear about his true identity. The second article makes a different claim that does not have to do with the idea of protection at all. According to the Samaritan version of this episode, Zipporah took a sharp flint and cut herselfas a physical sign of repentance, because she realized that God was angry at Moses for bringing her and their two sons along on the divine mission to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Edit them in the Widget section of the, http://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2008/01/25/zipporah-may-be-obscure-but-the-wife-of-moses-mattered, http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/zipporah-midrash-and-aggadah, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9e6a/a27d838cdf4a201b5a12bcbbc940dcd0b6e7.pdf, http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html, http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/second/larue.html, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+17. Some translations might be easier to read, but they may not be easier to understand. The protagonist speaks to Moses and Zipporah feels that her family is being threatened and does what she can to save her husband and/or her children. In fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. What did Zipporah do to Moses? To understand the appellation and the circumstance leading up to Zipporah's use of it, we will look back about 400 years: Genesis ends with Joseph as the prime minister of Egypt who, by God's providence, saved Egypt from the famine and welcomed all his . Zipporah immediately takes a sharp stone cuts the foreskin off of her son and throws it at the feet of Moses and declares he is a bloody husband. She lives in Holland, Michigan, with her daughter Gezelle, son Chris, and doggie-woggie Kgabani. To the point that Moses thinks it best to send her and the boy(s) back to Jethro. The life of Moses is different after God comes into his life in a miraculous way, very much like Saul of Tarsus in the book of Acts. [17] "Moses had been as good as taken from her by the deadly attack which had been made upon him. We who are in Christ cannot deny the sacrifice, the pain, the very life that runs through our souls in the blood of Christ, our resurrected Lord. The scripture says Zipporah touched his feet, with the foreskin. Why would God want to kill Moses? Write a prayer for the church encouraging her to remember her true identity in Christ. . (Genesis 24:2-3). WE ENCOURAGE SHARING. Exodus 4:24-26: "On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Note: Page 209 of the source. During the patriarchal period, oaths were taken by placing a hand under the reproductive organ, but generally recorded in the Bible as thigh instead of testicles, penis, or genitals. God can take our humble attempts and use them for His honor and glory. Our study will be but three verses in chapter four of the Book of Exodus. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The trappings of Pharaohs house made it easy for Moses to forget Abels sacrifice, the ram who saved Isaac, and the Hebrew blood that ran through his veins. Catullus. Zipporah was one of seven Midianite sisters that mistook Moses for an Egyptian after he saved them from the men at the well (Exodus 2:16-19). The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Please be aware that, although the majority of posts found on this website are for general audiences, there may be certain controversial, mature, or adult content. John 1:1 Does this Bible verse prove Jesus is God? Whatever the reason, Zipporah had to think and act quickly in order to save her husbands life. 2:16-22). that might not be part of it. Orange Is The New Black Season 8 Renewed Or Cancelled? 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. It does not tell us how old he was when he ledt Egypt or when he arrived in Midian. Halter portrays Zipporah as a proud, black-skinned woman who refuses to marry Moses, even after bearing his two sons, until he accepts God's mission to lead his people out of slavery. God locks his intent on him and by extension all of Egypt's first born. Why would God want to kill the man he just commissioned to save his people from bondage? Zipporah circumcised her son as Moses held him still. She felt that this was God's way of showing His. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the . Ask God to help you remember the places and things in your life that you have attached to your identity. (LogOut/ 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. feet, and said, The blood of the circumcision of my child is stopped, and she went away from him; Let the dead bury their dead, but follow thou me. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. She received Moses back from the dead, as it were, and remarried him again. This is symbolic of humankind being dead to God, but then he provides redemption through a blood sacrifice and brings humankind back to himself. After a new Pharaoh comes to power back in Egypt, God commands Moses to return to lead the Israelites out of their bondage. (e) "tetigitque pedes ejus", V. L. (f) T. Hieros. Zipporah was not a Hebrew woman, but a Midianite (Exodus 2:16-22). Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. That Monthly Period of Women Did God Curse Eve? And in the Book of Ruth, it says, When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do, (Ruth 3:4).8. When Zipporah saw her husband dying before her eyes at the hand of the Lord, she made a split second decision to circumcise her son and throw his foreskin at the feet of her husband. In verse 23, God makes it clear that he will slay Pharaohs firstborn son if Pharaoh refuses to let go of Israel. Before delving in to the scholars theories, it is important to remember that due to the fact that Moses was being hidden as a baby and raised as an Egyptian, he was probably not circumcised. For the people of Israel, this was no small thing. Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. Zipporah immediately takes a sharp stone cuts the foreskin off of her son and throws it at the feet of Moses and declares he is a bloody husband. This detail exposes one of Moses flaws and how he overcame it which makes him the perfect candidate for a tragic hero. Only the Midrash, the Oral Traditions of Judaism, clarifies this answer. Moses' wife Zipporah called him a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision she had to perform on their son (Exodus 4:26). Cast it at his feet - Showing at once her abhorrence of the rite, and her feeling that by it she had saved her husband's life. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint and cut off her sons foreskin, and touched Moses feet with it, and said, Truly you are a bridegroom of blood to me! So he let him alone. Moses had been in the household of Pharaoh in Egypt since infancy. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. OBS respects your privacy and is compliant with the European Union GDPR regulation. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. A new article is published about every 8 to 10 days, but we only send out our Newsletter about twice a month to notify everyone of the newest items posted. The name Gershom means foreigner. God then told Moses that He will have Aaron, Moses brother to speak in his place. The issue of punishing Moses by killing him surrounds circumcising one of his sons. You can also send a message to your friends about an article just by clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, or other Social Site buttons. Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) explains to Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) what job a mohel13 performs and Elaine gives her opinion about uncircumcised men. Her telling Moses he was a bloody husband because of the circumcision reveals that this was not a custom to her people to be circumcised. A typical child would not stay still for a scary procedure such as circumcision. Yore Dea, Hilchot Milah, c. 264. sect. There is also another explanation. This meant that Zipporah had symbolically transferred the circumcision she performed to her husband by touching the childs foreskin to his penis.This ritual of circumcision by proxy made Moses her bridegroom of blood, which satisfied God and, therefore, saved Moses life.7, Euphemisms are used all throughout the Old Testament. Imagine the situation. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The narrative begins with a picture of Zipporah circumcising her son. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Why did Zipporah circumcise her son rather than letting Moses do it? The term bloody husband is merely Zipporahs criticism of a husband who performs an apparently strange and bloody procedure. A little bit of kindness and compassion on the part of Moses turns a casual meeting into a close relationship. Moreover, the failure to be circumcised is punishable by exclusion from the Abrahamic covenant, not death (Genesis 17:14). When Zipporah and her sisters spotted Moses the first time, they thought he was an Egyptian, and in many ways they were right.
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