His first wife was his Kushite half-sister. The scripture says Zipporah touched his feet, with the foreskin. Zipporah was not a Hebrew woman, but a Midianite (Exodus 2:16-22). Ask Anything. And it came to pass by the way, in the inn, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him (Exodus 4:24, HBFV). Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. She greatly disliked this rite but executed it in a successful attempt to spare Moses' life. Note: Page 340 of the source. The meaning is: The marriage bond between us is now sealed by blood. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the . 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. Now, he wanted to go back, but what would happen to him if he did? Our study is to give some sense to this short mysterious section of text and present a few possible reasons for its inclusion, so you can make up your mind about which seems the most logical answer. 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. Moses and Zipporah went on to have two little boys together. Your email address will NOT be published. One scholar, named John Durham, hypothesizes that Zipporahs only option to save her family was to circumcise her son and touch Moses with the foreskin to transfer the effects of the rite to Moses. (https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9e6a/a27d838cdf4a201b5a12bcbbc940dcd0b6e7.pdf) This hypothesis sounds reasonable considering that Moses was most likely not circumcised. In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a bloody husband because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. How did circumcision avert God's wrath? Moses was a murderer to Egyptians. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. She, no doubt, witnessed the hesitation of Moses to act and decided to take matters into her own hands. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Leave comments at the end, after References & Notes. She knew he would have been killed by God if their son, who may have been several months old or older, remained uncircumcised. There is no scriptural basis for taking the life of a father who does not circumcise a son. Maundy Thursday leads us to a bloody table and to a garden where Judas Iscariot has blood on his hands. These speculative answers flirt with unscriptural principles. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Why did God seek to kill Moses? In the Bible, Zipporah is called two things. She lives in Holland, Michigan, with her daughter Gezelle, son Chris, and doggie-woggie Kgabani. Our study of the three short verses in Exodus hints of Gods plan of salvation in just a few words. Exodus 4:25 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. The expression hatan damim [bridegroom In what ways do you see the church dying, as Moses was dying on that road to Egypt? We are first introduced to Zipporah in Exodus 2:16, as a shepherdess, one of Jethros seven daughters. The Outlaw Bible Student web site is secured with SSL-encrypted connections. Note: Page 604 of the source. It does not store any personal data. Source Ahavta. She calls Moses, who represents Christ, a "bloody husband" and this represents the tribulation time. This Old Testament procedure showed that the flesh must be physically sacrificed, whereas in this current age, the sacrifice of the flesh is spiritual. Moses becomes her "bridegroom," her newly-acquired husband, because they both were culturally new persons. Are you a part of Gods chosen people? Many non-Hebrews who have never seen circumcision might find the procedure utterly strange, inhumane, and disgusting. If under the age of 13, or the age of majority in your country, you may use this website only with the consent of a parent or guardian. Everything about him was Egyptian, except for one thing. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that The Lord met hi. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. In fact, they might even be aware that he was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt in the episode called the Exodus. Zipporah is in blue. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Exodus 4:24-26. QUESTION: Why is Moses saved by Zipporah circumcising his son in Ex 4:24-26? Why did Moses kill this man? These scholars are thinking too hard. Moses told God that he wasnt eloquent with his speech, which aggravated God. Zipporah, having circumcised her son, corrected the mistake and saved her husband, whose life was in danger due to non-observance of the commandment. The long donkey ride on the way to Egypt left Zipporah, Moses, and their two children wanting for a good nights rest. In gratitude, the father urged them to go back and bring the kind Egyptian Moses to their village, and soon after, Zipporah would become Mosess wife. So He let him go. (http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html) Circumcising Moses oldest son, despite the several year delay, can be seen as a symbol that Moses family is protected by the blood as the Egyptian families were protected by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of God's covenant promises. 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". In Hebrew, her name means bird or little bird. We first meet Zipporahwho later became Mosess wifeat a well in her hometown of Midian. The action was petulant and reproachful. In an act which seems to indicate Zipporahs displeasure (in some Bible versions), she circumcises her son and touches Moses with the removed foreskin. By performing the rite, Zipporah had recovered her husband; his life was purchased for her by the blood of her child. 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. Description: In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a "bloody husband" because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. God told him to put his hand back to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand was restored the way it was. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. God told Moses in time that he will take water from the Nile and pour it on dry land, and the water and the river will become like blood. This interpretation makes sense grammatically because the nearest antecedent is firstborn in verse 23. (LogOut/ Moses then took his wife Zipporah and his sons, and went to Egypt. Click here to read. God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. 2. He belonged to the household of his maternal grandfather, Jethro (Yetro) the priest of Midian. Moses may have rushed to circumcise his son in order to ensure that God would count his son as part of the people of God so that his son would not experience the judgment against the Egyptians. There is no need to ask these difficult questions. Where once she was the beneficiary of male benevolence, she then stepped in to save the life of the patriarch. 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]. We are going to take a closer look at Zipporah, wife of Moses. 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. 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. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. It is mentioned in Genesis, chapter 17, when God repeats his covenant of solidarity with Abraham and his descendants and explains his demands. God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. Zipporah circumcised her son as Moses held him still. Great I Am, light the path before us we pray. Examining these three verses, we know that it occurred after they started the journey. 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. Install this BHITB on your iPhone and then Add to Home Screen. Moreover, the failure to be circumcised is punishable by exclusion from the Abrahamic covenant, not death (Genesis 17:14). 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. In Numbers 12:1, she also is called a Cushite ("black" or ancient "Ethiopian") woman. Compare Jeremiah 13:23 (translated "Ethiopian"). ', 24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. Because Moses had chosen to side with the oppressed (the Hebrew slaves) rather than the oppressors (the ruling Egyptians). Moses and Aaron met with the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron was the spokesman telling them all the things God spoke to Moses while Moses showed them the signs God told him to show. OBS respects your privacy and is compliant with the European Union GDPR regulation. Devils Line Season 2: Release Date CONFIRMED or CANCELED! The first concerns the meaning of the phrase bridegroom of blood which is mentioned twice in the excerpt. PLEASE HELP us spread Bible truth by telling others about this website. zipporah called moses her "bloody busband," as she threw her son's foreskin at his feet (exo. (b) Maimon. Moses had two sons named Gershom and Eliezer. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, Let my son go, so he may worship me. But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son. Moses' wife, Zipporah, calls Moses a "bridegroom of blood" in Exodus 4:25. Zipporah knew she was as much to blame for Moses' neglect. This is the only time this Strong's morter, brick, and all manner of service in the field. Jesus changed the law with a single word: love.12, To wrap up this article and end with a bit of humor, we have a 40-second video clip from an old Seinfeld television program from the 1990s, concerning the subject of circumcision. 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). On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. Holy Week drags us reluctantly down the bloody path to Golgotha. 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. It is evident that Zipporah regarded this rite as both barbarous and unnecessary. Who is the bridegroom? He fled from Egypt because of it. Zipporah referred to Moses as a "bridegroom of blood", which seems to fit Yeshua's position: the Bridegroom of the Covenant. Just click the proper button at the end of each article. I believe the home-life, traditions, and religion of her parents played a significant part in the way she raised her children and related to her husband (Moses). (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. Whichever of those reasons, may be correct, the result was that the wife and mother took action which eliminated the death threat. Gershom is now identified as one of the Hebrew people because of the visible blood sign of his circumcision and enjoys Yahweh's protection. Why 4:25). This act eventually became part of the agreement between God and Israel. 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. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her sons foreskin and touched Moses feet with it. This sentence also serves to foreshadow the future narrative. 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. Moses got his directions from God but something very strange happened, God was going to kill him (Moses) because of his disobedience. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. In verse 23 God had pronounced a judgment upon Pharaohs son, but it may have been obvious to Moses that Gods judgment affects not only the king of Egypt but all the Egyptians. 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