In order to complete his assignment, Moses had to die. Zipporah gave Moses two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. 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. During this period, he married Zipporah, Jethro's daughter, and they had a son (Ex. . Every time we gather for communion, her words should be told alongside Mosess, Yes, Jesus, you are a Bridegroom of blood.. rigour. Zipporah, the wife of Moses, receives very little exposure in the Bible. Scripture References Exodus 2:21, 22; 4:24, 25; 18:1-6. When the passage is read correctly in the King James Bible, the passage becomes easy to understand. Zipporah's father, Jethro, was a priest in the land of Midian where Moses fled after killing an Egyptian. Moses was content to dwell with Jethro in the land of Midian and Jethro gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. Approach the text as if you are reading it for the first time. Shulchan ib. (LogOut/ Punishment for failing to be circumcised falls upon the child, not the father (Genesis 17:14). 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. (At that time she said bridegroom of blood, referring to circumcision.) This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Still, she was angry and flung the foreskin at "his feet," and said in Exodus 4:25 KJV, "'Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.'". Having a break between verse 23 and 24 is not necessarily wrong because there seems to be a chronological break between the two verses (e.g. Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. 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. Her father, who is believed to be one of the founders of the Druze religion seems to have affected his daughter in that custom. here, moses is an analogy of christ, who is our "bloody husband."; i'm not sure what the foreskin represents. 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. Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com. However, this question cannot be answered without discovering who she was trying to save: Moses or Gershom, her son. 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? The difficult questions asked by scholars are easily answered, and some of them simply become irrelevant. 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.. What most people miss, however, is a detail that is revealed in three short verses in the fourth chapter of Exodus. God locks his intent on him and by extension all of Egypt's first born. 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. 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. Zipporah bore for him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. 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). She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. Yes, yes. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. The two boys were known as her sons. In Hebrew, Zipporah ( Tspporah) means "bird.". God can take our humble attempts and use them for His honor and glory. It is like, as if Moses was forgetting something or he was being bullheaded by not complying with something important. 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. 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 . Are you a part of Gods chosen people? Moses left Egypt and ended up in Midian. Exactly why Moses had not circumcised his son is not stated in Scripture. Rev. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. It was then she said, A bridegroom of blood by circumcision, (Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV).1. Though she at first had gone with Moses after he was called by God . 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. She is a longtime student of the Word who brings dynamic and prophetic insights to her preaching, teaching, and pastoral life. This Old Testament procedure showed that the flesh must be physically sacrificed, whereas in this current age, the sacrifice of the flesh is spiritual. Read the passage again and see how simple it is. The problem is not with the answers, but with the questions. We are committed to writing about what God wants you to know not what some churches only want you to hear. Zipporah was Mosess first wife in the Bible. Zipporah and her sisters appear too weak to defend themselves from the threat of local shepherds at the well. (Exodus 4:21-26). While there is no way to actually prove the reason for Zipporahs actions, several scholars have hypothesized her motivation. This is a unique case in the entire Bible when a woman performed the circumcision. 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. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 26. 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. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. . (Genesis 24:2-3). Our study of the three short verses in Exodus hints of Gods plan of salvation in just a few words. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Blood and water flow from the side of the bridegroom in those last moments on the cross. Moses told God that he wasnt eloquent with his speech, which aggravated God. In fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. See Exodus 2:11 4:31 for the Bible story. 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. 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. Zipporah meets Moses at the well. This is a little easier to explain the word feet is a euphemism for Moses genitals. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Holy Week drags us reluctantly down the bloody path to Golgotha. I enjoy all that I have read so far. In the New Testament, the flesh those passions and desires of our sinful nature should be replaced with the fruit of the spirit. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:21-26, KJV). You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Orange Is The New Black Season 8 Renewed Or Cancelled? The term bloody husband is merely Zipporahs criticism of a husband who performs an apparently strange and bloody procedure. Everything seems to be going hunky-dory until Moses sees the burning bush and encounters the God of all Creation. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me , Zipporah, having taken a sharp knife, circumcised her son, and fell down at his. Just click the proper button at the end of each article. By performing the rite, Zipporah had recovered her husband; his life was purchased for her by the blood of her child. Well, to answer that question, we need a little more background information. (http://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2008/01/25/zipporah-may-be-obscure-but-the-wife-of-moses-mattered) Another scholar has a similar point of view when he states that the predicate of this verse is unclear. A bloody husband.Heb., a husband of bloods A husband, i.e., who causes the blood of his children to be shed unnecessarily for some unintelligible reason. 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. There is also another explanation. See e-Sword notes below. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free John 8:32, (NIV). Great I Am, light the path before us we pray. . Now we can return to the obvious question at hand. She, no doubt, witnessed the hesitation of Moses to act and decided to take matters into her own hands. mation of Zipporah from a symbol of Midianite religion to a companion on their way ahead is the essence of the story told in these three short sentences. 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). Moses said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land." When local shepherds drove the sisters away from the well in an act of gender-based violence, Moses rose to their defense and he watered their fathers flocks. 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. 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. 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). Why? The first son of Moses and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means stranger. 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. Her father Jethro was the priest of Midian, and it was he that gave Zipporah to Moses to marry. Zipporah's actions give us a clue. Article 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. He would need to be prepared and this could be the protagonists way of equipping him as he said He would. Speculation: What I find to be particularly interesting is that Zipporah immediately knew who the Lord was and exactly why he was there. Moses becomes her "bridegroom," her newly-acquired husband, because they both were culturally new persons. The NIV and other translations that try to help the reader by replacing pronouns with names actually cause a stumbling block to the proper understanding of this passage. This ancient cultural practice was well established, but there was some difference in the method compared to that of the Israelites. Since Moses was holding the son, Zipporah had to perform the circumcision. We can prove that by tracing their lineages in scripture. 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. Because of his kindness, Jethro tells his daughters to invite him for the meal. Should the Bible include Acts 8:37: "And Philip said, If. Thank you for reading this article and for taking the time to comment. Moses went to Jethro, his father in law, and asked him to let him go so he could go to his brothers in Egypt. It is evident that Zipporah regarded this rite as both barbarous and unnecessary. Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase. _______________________________________________. Why did Zipporah call Moses a bloody husband? Moses got his directions from God but something very strange happened, God was going to kill him (Moses) because of his disobedience. . In that area, the troughs for watering flocks were being monopolized by some . Why would such drastic measures be necessary? When we read the passage in the King James Bible we get the correct understanding of the passage. 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. Exodus 4:24-26 (KJV) 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. QUESTION: Why is Moses saved by Zipporah circumcising his son in Ex 4:24-26? Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. 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. Note: Page 340 of the source. 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. 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. 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. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the . 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Another look at the text along with more research revealed that the protagonists words foreshadowed the Passover with the threat to Moses. God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. Egypt had caused Moses to forget his rootshis identityas a descendant of Abraham. . But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Circumcision was not the same medical practice it is today, but circumcision was a sign of the covenant God had made with Abraham and his descendants. God told him to put his hand back to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand was restored the way it was. Answer. Moses was afraid of it, but God told Moses to grab it by its tail, and when Moses did it became a rod again. You can also send a message to your friends about an article just by clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, or other Social Site buttons. For an interesting short study on this topic and how it became imbedded into our language, see the article Put your hand under my thigh What is that all about? which is listed in References & Notes at the end of this article.9. Zipporah is in blue. 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. 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 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 . Zipporah, having circumcised her son, corrected the mistake and saved her husband, whose life was in danger due to non-observance of the commandment. John 1:1 Does this Bible verse prove Jesus is God? 2:16-22). 2-God expects obedience and submission from His people. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. 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. Most would probably agree that Moses grew up to be a great leader. Source: Anacalypsis (London: : Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, Paternoster Row) 1836 A.D. ((d) "Mollia qui rupta secuit genitalia testa." (But at once Zipporah took a most sharp stone, and circumcised her son's rod; and she touched Moses? OBS respects your privacy and is compliant with the European Union GDPR regulation. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her sons foreskin and touched Moses feet with it and said, Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me! So he let him alone. In verse 24 we are told that God met Moses i.e. Moses' brother, Aaron, married a woman named Elisheba . Romance, Passionate Love, Sexual Pleasures: What Does the Bible Say?. Zipporah and her six sisters were attending to their daily chores of drawing water and watering their fathers flock. 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. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses feet and calls him a bloody husband simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. In Exodus 2 Moses marries Zipporah, a Gentile, who gives birth to Gershom. A euphemism is an inoffensive expression which is substituted for one that is considered offensive,6 and it is a common technique used in the Hebrew language. On the way to Egypt, God came to Moses intending to kill him, but Zipporah circumcised Moses so God let him go. - John 8:45-47. 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. Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of Gods covenant promises. Zipporah knew she was as much to blame for Moses' neglect. 2. 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 ). Many translations (even some KJV editions) begin a new section after verse 23 (often with a new section heading), obscuring the fact that him in verse 24 refers to Pharaohs firstborn son mentioned in verse 23. The threat of death was not on Moses but on Pharaoh's son. Catullus. In an act which seems to indicate Zipporahs displeasure (in some Bible versions), she circumcises her son and touches Moses with the removed foreskin. 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