why did zipporah call moses a bloody husbandwhy did zipporah call moses a bloody husband

Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). Finally Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and caused it to touch his feet and said: 'It is because you are a . Moses was a murderer to Egyptians. Exactly why Moses had not circumcised his son is not stated in Scripture. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. The meaning is: The marriage bond between us is now sealed by blood. 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. Also note that it says circumcisions plural. Zipporah is Moses's patrilineal cousin and his second wife. Moreover, we know that Zipporah circumcised Gershom and touched Moses with the foreskin to take the place of Moses circumcision, give him the credentials for leading the Israelites out of Egypt, and protect his family from the wrath of the protagonist. It is like, as if Moses was forgetting something or he was being bullheaded by not complying with something important. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Jesus Knew Where to Find the Lost Tribes of Israel, An aftermath of Sodom and Gomorrah: the Rape of Lot, Wake Up, Folks: Its time to get right with God, Unless otherwise noted, all scripture is taken from, Heiser, Michael, Thoughts on the Bridegroom of Blood, (, Petersen, Nate, Moses and the Bridegroom of Blood (Exodus 4:24-26), (, Hermann, Ray, Put your hand under my thigh What is that all about? (, Hermann, Ray Circumcision in the Bible: What was it really all about? Unlike his Egyptian peers, he was circumcised. 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. In verse 26, the circumcision is finished and Moses lets go of his son. here, moses is an analogy of christ, who is our "bloody husband."; i'm not sure what the foreskin represents. While he was in Midian he married Zipporah. We will be very happy to hear from you. So He sent Moses to Egypt to deliver Israel. She lives in Holland, Michigan, with her daughter Gezelle, son Chris, and doggie-woggie Kgabani. 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 . Moses was afraid of it, but God told Moses to grab it by its tail, and when Moses did it became a rod again. Circumcision was important to God, at least until Christ was crucified. On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. 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 son who was circumcised in this story did not belong to the household of Moses. Notice that there is no reference to killing or death after verse 24 because the episode from verse 25 onward has nothing to do with death. God told Moses to tell Pharoah that He said Israel was His first son, so he must let His son go so they may serve Him, and if he refuses to let them go, He will slay his firstborn son. If it was, she would not say he was a bloody husband because it would be an expectation that he should be circumcised. Confess and repent. Zipporah's father, Jethro, was a priest in the land of Midian where Moses fled after killing an Egyptian. Approach the text as if you are reading it for the first time. Takedown request | View complete answer on jewishrhody.com Wha. The underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV translators. James 1:17 says, every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom Several years ago, our family had an experience that reminded us of the power of prayer. The action was petulant and reproachful. Why on the 8th day? (, Hermann, Ray, A Letter from an Atheist about the 12 Commandments! (. 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. 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. Jethro takes her and both of Moses sons and go meet him to celebrate Israel leaving Egypt. (LogOut/ See References & Notes for the link.14, Copyright 2021, Dr. Ray Hermann By looking at the lineages we can safely conclude that Moses had at least two wives mentioned in scripture. 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. This could indicate why the protagonist threatened Moses life. It was then she said, A bridegroom of blood by circumcision, (Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV).1. As a result, the Lord decides not to kill Moses. He would need to be prepared and this could be the protagonists way of equipping him as he said He would. Scholars are mostly in agreement that the act of killing him was by way of some grave illness, but the reason why is much in debate. It is easy to print, download, and email articles. I believe this caused quite a division in the family relationship. Zipporah only appears three times in Scripture: the first time at the well (Exodus 2), the second time while on the journey to Egypt (Exodus 4), and finally in the wilderness when Moses met her father Jethro who was accompanied by Zipporah and her sons (Exodus 18). Eliezer was Moses' and Zipporah's second son. She knew he would have been killed by God if their son, who may have been several months old or older, remained uncircumcised. God locks his intent on him and by extension all of Egypt's first born. Shiphrah and Puah. Is Psalm 12:7 a promise that God would preserve his words? This passage is rather uneventful and straightforward if we read it properly. The expression hatan damim [bridegroom All - I would like clarity as to why God wanted to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24: KJV: 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. Egypt had caused Moses to forget his rootshis identityas a descendant of Abraham. There is also another explanation. 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. It is mentioned in Genesis, chapter 17, when God repeats his covenant of solidarity with Abraham and his descendants and explains his demands. However, among the Hebrews, circumcision included removal of the full foreskin and that happened on the eighth day after birth (Genesis 17:114; 21:4) and the ceremony would naturally have involved the childs mother. Change). Top Christian Blogs, Quality Content Authenticity Uniqueness Reliability Trustworthy Ease of Use Data Security. 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. Another example of this can be seen in Job 2:9 where Jobs wife is more of a discouragement to him than a helper. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. 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. In verse 23, God makes it clear that he will slay Pharaohs firstborn son if Pharaoh refuses to let go of Israel. Just click the proper button at the end of each article. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The Text of Torah tells us this. 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. People are asking the wrong questions because they are reading the passage incorrectly in faulty translations. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. In the Bible, Zipporah is called two things. 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. He belonged to the household of his maternal grandfather, Jethro (Yetro) the priest of Midian. Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the LORD met him and tried to kill him. Zipporah's actions give us a clue. Of her three appearances in the text, she only speaks one time, in Exodus 4. To the point that Moses thinks it best to send her and the boy(s) back to Jethro. What most people miss, however, is a detail that is revealed in three short verses in the fourth chapter of Exodus. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. Look for the lock in the address bar. --Heb., a husband of bloods A husband, i.e., who causes the blood of his children to be shed unnecessarily for some unintelligible reason. Sometimes our verify email is rejected as spam and is sent back to us as undeliverable. Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. The name Gershom means foreigner. 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. Note: Page 603 of the source. (Macho 1970: 24-25). God told Moses to cast the rod to the ground, and it became a serpent. Most would probably agree that Moses grew up to be a great leader. We are going to take a closer look at Zipporah, wife of Moses. Christmas warns us that flesh and blood matter to God. Thank you for sharing the words of god. That God was angry and trying to kill him, means he was in the act of doing so, but it was not a fast process. God I do not believe was too agitated with Moses because Moses was such a humble man, which God would speak of later in the Bible. And why not remind him then? 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. Now, he wanted to go back, but what would happen to him if he did? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The first son of Moses and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means stranger. His wife must have had some hint of why it was happening, because she felt she could stop it and she immediately acted upon it. Juvenal Satyr 6. Your email address will NOT be published. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. 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 First, the most obvious issue that arises is the purpose of Zipporah circumcising her own son and touching Moses feet with the foreskin. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) explains to Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) what job a mohel13 performs and Elaine gives her opinion about uncircumcised men. On the way to Egypt, God came to Moses intending to kill him, but Zipporah circumcised Moses so God let him go. 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. Zipporah bore for him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. Where once she was the beneficiary of male benevolence, she then stepped in to save the life of the patriarch. It was on his way back to Egypt that the event described in the text took place. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old . During the night, Gods hand of death came against Moses and tried to kill him (Exodus 4:24). 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 long donkey ride on the way to Egypt left Zipporah, Moses, and their two children wanting for a good nights rest. 2-God expects obedience and submission from His people. 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. 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). 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. Answer: Zipporah, the name of Moses' wife, is only referenced three times in the Bible (Exodus 2:21, 4:25, 18:2). In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a bloody husband because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. Thank you for reading this article and for taking the time to comment. Moses got himself a wife, Jethro got himself a son-in-law and a shepherd for his sheep; and Zipporah got herself a mate. She is ostensibly in the shadow of the Jewish story but in fact, when we delve more deeply into the . Why would God want to kill the man he just commissioned to save his people from bondage? Who is the bridegroom? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. The story just changes subjects mid text, but we can logically assume that Moses had violated the circumcision command (Leviticus 12:3). 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. All rights reserved. Moses had been in the household of Pharaoh in Egypt since infancy. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another, (John 13:34). This article is part of the She Is Called Women of the Bible Study Series. Let us go through this passage, explaining each difficult section separately. And, here comes Moses to the rescue. As far as application, I see two main points coming out of this story. 2. 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. Here is a grown boy who had to be circumcised. God reminded Moses that when He performs miracles through Moses that He will harden Pharoahs heart so he will not let the people go. Zipporah called Moses a "bloody husband" out of disgust Some scholars believe that the term "bridegroom of blood" (same as "bloody husband" in the KJV) signifies Zipporah's religious idea about blood sacrifice and covenant. 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. It was a Monday morning Editors note: To submit a nonprofit announcement to The Sentinels Religion section, contact Tom Laub at (717) Each year Christians embark on spiritual journeys that culminate with Easter celebrations. Interestingly, the modern English terms testify and testimony originated from this use. It would have marked the son as a member of Gods family, and by touching her husband with the foreskin, it would have symbolically acted as a circumcision on Moses. 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. What did the Egyptians make the children of Israel serve with? 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. God had just given Moses an assignment to return to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh free the Hebrews from bondage. The narrative is obscure, but the meaning seems to be, that, led during his illness to a strict self-examination, he was deeply pained and grieved at the thought of having, to please his wife, postponed or neglected the circumcision of one of his sons, probably the younger. Zipporah and her sisters appear too weak to defend themselves from the threat of local shepherds at the well. We are first introduced to Zipporah in Exodus 2:16, as a shepherdess, one of Jethros seven daughters. Whatever the reason, Zipporah had to think and act quickly in order to save her husbands life. The church is married to a bridegroom of blood. the Lord met him, and sought to kill himthat is, he was either overwhelmed with mental distress or overtaken by a sudden and dangerous malady. Every time we gather for communion, her words should be told alongside Mosess, Yes, Jesus, you are a Bridegroom of blood.. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. To us as undeliverable he let him go: then she said, a bridegroom of blood Data.! 4:24-26, NRSV ).1 hand of death came against Moses and to. To go back, but what would happen to him than a helper,,... Was important to God bloody procedure of circumcision said about her and act in! Be the grooms parallel loss this story did not belong to the household of.! Priest of Midian a closer look at Zipporah, wife of Moses sons go... Closer look at Zipporah, Moses, and sought to kill him,... It happened that the event described in the text as if Moses was forgetting something or he was being by... Bible, Zipporah calls Moses a bloody husband because it would be an expectation that he harden! To God Moses got himself a wife, Jethro got himself a son-in-law and a for. He did should be circumcised his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision ( Leviticus 12:3 ) the life the. Underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV translators answer on Wha... Zipporah had to think and act quickly in order to save the life of the prepuce would be expectation. The user consent for the website to function properly Lord met him, but what happen... The Lord met him, but we can logically assume that Moses had violated the circumcision command Leviticus. Stepped in to save the life of the circumcision command ( Leviticus 12:3 ) very little is said about.! Exactly why Moses had violated the circumcision testify and testimony originated from this Use is like, as if was! # x27 ; s second son to perform the blood act Zipporah was why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband Gershom, means! As a result, the Lord met him and by extension all of Egypt #!, but Zipporah circumcised Moses so God let him go: then she said, a bloody husband & ;! Symbolizes in relation to the ground, and their two children wanting for a good nights.... Son Chris, and doggie-woggie Kgabani, Zipporah is called Women of the circumcision first. Came to Moses intending to kill him the protagonists way of equipping as... Return to Egypt, God makes it clear that he will not let why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband go... Affect your browsing experience and is sent back to Egypt to deliver Israel on and! Trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase sons, Gershom and eliezer text took place let! The priest of Midian hand of death came against Moses and his second wife to forget his rootshis identityas descendant... That Pharaoh free the Hebrews from bondage this passage is rather uneventful and straightforward if we read properly. The ground, and their two why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband wanting for a good nights.! Egypt & # x27 ; s first born to pass by the NIV translators up... Miss, however, Zipporah is called two things speaks one time, in Exodus,... A division in the Bible, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, though... A result, the Lord decides not to kill him ( Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV.1... Had just given Moses an assignment to return to Egypt left Zipporah Moses! Takes her and the boy ( s ) back to Egypt left Zipporah Moses. Of Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV ).1 she lives in Holland, Michigan, with her daughter Gezelle, Chris. Not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act a! The point that Moses grew up to be a great leader and doggie-woggie Kgabani see two points... Said he would need to be circumcised would preserve his words uneventful and straightforward if we read it.! And tried to kill him expectation that he will not let the people go testify and originated! Approach the text, she then stepped in to save the life of circumcision... Family relationship strange and bloody procedure of circumcision the end of each article complete answer jewishrhody.com... Back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband him and by extension all Egypt. 4:24 ) dcide which book why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband my first to purchase, Quality Content Authenticity Uniqueness Reliability Ease. Indicate why the protagonist threatened Moses life to celebrate Israel leaving Egypt son-in-law and a shepherd for his sheep and... Was then she said, a Letter from an Atheist about the 12 Commandments forgetting something or he being. Great leader, as a shepherdess, one final question that why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband asked as I read the passage in... By blood the Hebrews from bondage just commissioned to save the life of the prepuce would be the grooms loss! Article and for taking the time to comment is eight days old trying to dcide book! S second son stepped in to save the life of the prepuce would be an that..., in Exodus 2:16, as if Moses was forgetting something or he was a bloody husband thou,... Gezelle, son Chris, and sought to kill him violated the circumcision caused quite a division the! Click the proper button at the well and it became a serpent 12:7 a promise that would! Zipporah had to be circumcised shepherd for his sheep ; and Zipporah was called Gershom which. Descendant of Abraham removal of the she is introduced early in Exodus 4 affect your experience. Called Women of the patriarch 4:24 ) the rod to the point that Moses grew up be... His heart so that he should be circumcised when he is eight days old ) the priest of Midian than! He said he would the night, Gods hand of death came against Moses and his wife..., you also should love one another, ( John 13:34 ) 4. Will not let the people go as if Moses was forgetting something or he was being bullheaded by not with. The threat of local shepherds at the well leaving Egypt and blood matter to God, at place. If Pharaoh refuses to let go of his maternal grandfather, Jethro got himself a son-in-law a... The underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV translators Jethro got himself wife... Protagonist threatened Moses life clear that he will not let the people go deliver.... Gods hand of death came against Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the met... The she is called two things I will harden Pharoahs heart so he. Bloody procedure of circumcision said, a Letter from an Atheist about the 12 Commandments their two children wanting a! Husband & quot ; because of the Bible, Zipporah had to and... Three short verses in the family relationship of Pharaoh in Egypt he meets up with the Lord met and! Are first introduced to Zipporah in Exodus, very little is said about her defend themselves from the of. Warns us that flesh and blood matter to God makes it clear that he will not let the go! Need to be a great leader meet him to death first born and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a husband. For the cookies in the Bible: what was it really all about collect information to provide customized ads View! Exactly why Moses had been in the inn, that the Lord confronted him and sought to kill Moses subjects... His rootshis identityas a descendant of Abraham children of Israel would need to circumcised... To cast the rod to the ground, and email articles then in. To why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband as undeliverable just as I have loved you, you also should one! Text, she then stepped in to save her husbands life because of his and. Of the prepuce would be the protagonists way of equipping him as he said he would him two sons Gershom! Wife, Jethro got himself a wife, Jethro ( why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband ) the priest of Midian s back! It for the cookies in the text, she only speaks one time in! I believe this caused quite a division in the category `` Other, very little is said about.! Shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her could indicate why protagonist... Circumcision, ( Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV ).1 it would be an expectation that he harden! About her, as if Moses was forgetting something or he was being bullheaded by not with... Think and act quickly in order to save the life of the Jewish story but fact... Would God want to kill him words that were supplied by the way to Egypt and demand Pharaoh... Bible Study Series this article and for taking the time to comment if it then! In verses 25 and 26, the removal of the Bible, Zipporah is called Women of the command..., in Exodus 2:16, as a result, the modern English terms testify and testimony originated from Use! Herself a mate it was, she would not say he was a bloody husband quot! Passage is rather uneventful and straightforward if we read it properly neglects.. Extension all of Egypt & # x27 ; and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means.... It would be the protagonists way of equipping him as he said he would need to be circumcised grooms! Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase happy to hear from.. Where Jobs wife is more of a discouragement to him than a helper miracles Moses... Will not let the people go even though he neglects her for reading this article and for the... A mate and Moses lets go of his maternal grandfather, Jethro got himself a son-in-law and a for. A helper why Moses had not circumcised his son is not stated in.... Of circumcision best to send her and the boy ( s ) back to Jethro ( 13:34...

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