This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Sometimes our verify email is rejected as spam and is sent back to us as undeliverable. By performing the rite, Zipporah had recovered her husband; his life was purchased for her by the blood of her child. 25 starts with Zipporah performing the circumcision on their grown son. Zipporah was Moses's first wife in the Bible. She is ostensibly in the shadow of the Jewish story but in fact, when we delve more deeply into the . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Shiphrah and Puah. Zipporah, like most mothers, probably would have been so anxious about having to travel to Egypt with her children that by the time they made it to the inn, she was exhausted and just wanted to rest. The attitude with which Zipporah performs the circumcision reveals her heart and mind, but it was still accepted by God as a fulfillment of the covenant. Whatever the reason, Zipporah had to think and act quickly in order to save her husbands life. 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. 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 its a safe assumption that the Lord had told him to be circumcised but he refused. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In the Samaritan Bible, which featured the first five books of Moses, Zipporah is called Kaashet . Name MeaningA Midian name, Zipporah means "a little bird," "a sparrow."Wilkinson observes that "the feminine termination ah added to the common word Zippor, which is also the father of Balak, king of Moab." Such a name like "dove" or "lamb" would originally be a . Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The Hidden Books (1 Esdras 2 Maccabees), Godfrey Higgins Mentions That 12th Century Edrisi Noted That Jews Were on the West Coast of Africa, Jews of Africa Have the Skeletal Type of the Earliest Jews and Sephardim, 1880 Brown Natives of Palestine Looked Like Black Slaves In America. PLEASE HELP us spread Bible truth by telling others about this website. So He sent Moses to Egypt to deliver Israel. 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. Rev. 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. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Gershom is now identified as one of the Hebrew people because of the visible blood sign of his circumcision and enjoys Yahweh's protection. Now, he wanted to go back, but what would happen to him if he did? Now we can return to the obvious question at hand. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. "Kiss the Son" or "Do homage in purity" in Psalm 2:12? Answer: While the Bible does not state all of reasons God used to justify wanting to kill Moses, we can take what information is available and derive a fairly good explanation. 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. . But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Every Israelite wife and mother would have, thus, been reminded of the covenant between God and Israel, through the circumcision of her sons.4, Because Moses may not have been properly circumcised (by Hebrew custom) before marriage, Zipporah may have achieved two things by circumcising her son. Moses went to Jethro, his father in law, and asked him to let him go so he could go to his brothers in Egypt. Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. 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. Her father, who is believed to be one of the founders of the Druze religion seems to have affected his daughter in that custom. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. Zipporah referred to Moses as a "bridegroom of blood", which seems to fit Yeshua's position: the Bridegroom of the Covenant. Verses 22-26 are summarized as follows: In verses 22-23, God tells Moses that God would kill Pharaohs firstborn son. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. In fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. 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. In verse 26, the circumcision is finished and Moses lets go of his son. On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the LORD met him and tried to kill him. The custom in Egypt was associated with coming into manhood at about fourteen years of age and the entire foreskin was not removed. Why do that? Moses told God that he wasnt eloquent with his speech, which aggravated God. This interpretation makes sense grammatically because the nearest antecedent is firstborn in verse 23. Zipporah knew she was as much to blame for Moses' neglect. (Macho 1970: 24-25). A bloody husband. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:21-26, KJV). Does the Masoretic Text Underlying the KJV omit Joshua 21:36-37? Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. What is the significance of being left-handed as Ehud was inJudges. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Thank you for reading this article and for taking the time to comment. This is after God instructs Moses on his upcoming job and his journey toward Egypt has already begun. Rev. https://drmsh.com/thoughts-on-the-bridegroom-of-blood/, https://www.awordaboutgod.com/post/moses-and-the-bridegroom-of-blood-exodus-4-24-26, https://outlawbiblestudent.org/put-your-hand-under-my-thigh-what-is-that-all-about/, https://truththatinspires.com/biblical-insights/bridegroom-of-blood/, https://outlawbiblestudent.org/circumcision-in-the-bible-what-was-it-really-all-about-why-on-the-8th-day/, https://outlawbiblestudent.org/a-letter-from-an-atheist-about-the-12-commandments/, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-mohel/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zxkA95PQc, Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Apocalypse, A Strange Hospital Stay During the Covid Pandemic. Another look at the text along with more research revealed that the protagonists words foreshadowed the Passover with the threat to Moses. Look for the lock in the address bar. Concerned for her husband's safety, Zipporah overcomes her maternal feelings of aversion to the painful rite, performs herself, by means of one of the sharp flints with which that part of the desert abounds, an operation which her husband, on whom the duty devolved, was unable to do, and having brought the bloody evidence, exclaimed in the painful excitement of her feelings that from love to him she had risked the life of her child [Calvin, Bullinger, Rosenmuller]. Zipporah, daughter of Jethro Reuel of Midian, was the wife of Moses. His first wife was his Kushite half-sister. 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. Moses becomes her "bridegroom," her newly-acquired husband, because they both were culturally new persons. Everything about him was Egyptian, except for one thing. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. morter, brick, and all manner of service in the field. Everything seems to be going hunky-dory until Moses sees the burning bush and encounters the God of all Creation. Read the passage again and see how simple it is. Moses became a shepherd and dwelt with Jethro. Sometimes we must utilize the resources we have and make the most of them. One article states that the Hebrew word for bridegroom is hatan which means protected or circumcised in the closely related languages of Akkadian and Arabic. However, this question cannot be answered without discovering who she was trying to save: Moses or Gershom, her son. This passage is rather uneventful and straightforward if we read it properly. 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. She and Moses lived under the authority of her father, a priest of God amongst the Midianites. Christmas warns us that flesh and blood matter to God. Why would such drastic measures be necessary? You can use them to display text, links, images, HTML, or a combination of these. Therefore, Zipporah circumcises her son and exclaims that he is a chatan damim, a relative to Yahweh by means of the blood of circumcision. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. This Old Testament procedure showed that the flesh must be physically sacrificed, whereas in this current age, the sacrifice of the flesh is spiritual. Why would God want to kill Moses? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Church Father and philosopher, Augustine of Hippo, had a very negative attitude toward sexuality. The story of Moses being born to a Hebrew, hidden from the Pharaohs men until he was three months old, placed in a homemade basket on the Nile River, and found and raised by Pharaohs daughter is one of the most famous tales from the Old Testament. Through Zipporahs quick-thinking actions, she evoked the covenant by demonstration so Moses would remember his roots. Zipporah urges us to remember who we are in Christ. "Son of God" or "Son of the gods" in Daniel 3:25? Moses said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land." Ask God to help you remember the places and things in your life that you have attached to your identity. Exodus 4:25-26 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. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com. 1)Why did God seek to kill Moses 2) or was is his son that the angel wanted to kill since the passage said "him" 3)why Zipporah called Moses "bloody husband" 4) why would an angel seek to kill an ordained messenger on his journey Punishment for failing to be circumcised falls upon the child, not the father (Genesis 17:14). One scholar believes that the surrounding verses highlight Moses as fearful or ill-equipped and Zipporah counteracts his timid behavior by stepping up to circumcise her son in order to save Moses and the Hebrews lives. 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. [17] Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses' feet and calls him a "bloody husband" simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses feet and calls him a bloody husband simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. 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. Speculation: What I find to be particularly interesting is that Zipporah immediately knew who the Lord was and exactly why he was there. God can take our humble attempts and use them for His honor and glory. Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase. Source: Anacalypsis (London: : Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, Paternoster Row) 1836 A.D. The term bloody husband is merely Zipporahs criticism of a husband who performs an apparently strange and bloody procedure. Zipporah regarded the bloody rites of her husband's 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. Exodus 4:24-26: "On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. Because of his kindness, Jethro tells his daughters to invite him for the meal. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. In Exodus 4:24-26 it says, And it came to pass, at the encampment (inn), that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.. 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. You are a bridegroom of blood, Zipporah declares as she tosses flesh at Mosess feet. Zipporah calls Moses a blood-bridegroom, "because she had been compelled, as it were, to acquire and purchase him anew as a husband by shedding the blood of her son" (Glass). Zipporah circumcised her son as Moses held him still. Thank you for the explanation in simple terms. Examining these three verses, we know that it occurred after they started the journey. Answer: Zipporah, the name of Moses' wife, is only referenced three times in the Bible (Exodus 2:21, 4:25, 18:2). Are you a part of Gods chosen people? Before you read the passage again in the King James Bible, try to flush out from your mind everything that you just read in the NIV. I enjoy all that I have read so far. God told Moses that those who sought his life in Egypt, meaning especially Pharoah, had died. 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). These verses, concerning a circumcision,2 are odd and confusing, and some commentators believe they are out of place. Sent Moses to Egypt to deliver Israel to function properly knew who the met.: what I find to be particularly interesting is that Zipporah immediately knew who the LORD who to. Zipporah urges us to remember who we are in Christ at the text along more... As I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the foreskin..., a priest of God amongst the Midianites ; her newly-acquired husband because. How visitors interact with the LORD was and exactly why he was there LORD who seeks to kill.! God amongst the Midianites with coming into manhood at about fourteen years age... 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