Rev. 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.. OBS respects your privacy and is compliant with the European Union GDPR regulation. Although some Bible versions substitute Moses name, the actual Hebrew wording states him. This act eventually became part of the agreement between God and Israel. Orange Is The New Black Season 8 Renewed Or Cancelled? Exodus 4:24-26: "On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. Answer: Technically, no. Compare Jeremiah 13:23 (translated "Ethiopian"). 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. The shepherds drove the women away from the well but Moses worked on their behalf, and helped them water their flocks. ((c) Maimon. But . And he went, and met him in the . And it came to pass. (verse 24)), but there is no thematic break. 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. Moses' wife Zipporah called him a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision she had to perform on their son (Exodus 4:26). Being he was a humble man, I dont believe Moses meant to defy God on his own, but perhaps it was his wife Zipporah that refused to do it. morter, brick, and all manner of service in the field. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Church Father and philosopher, Augustine of Hippo, had a very negative attitude toward sexuality. So as soon as the child was circumcised, the LORD relented from killing Moses, "So he let him alone" (v 26). 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 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. Copyright 2017-2023 Ray Hermann, The Outlaw Bible Student. Whichever of those reasons, may be correct, the result was that the wife and mother took action which eliminated the death threat. People are asking the wrong questions because they are reading the passage incorrectly in faulty translations. On the flip side, if the protagonist is all-mighty as He states, the circumcision alone- an act of obedience and surrender- could render the preservation of their lives. Whatever the case may be, the son wasnt circumcised and Zipporah knew that the Lord was there to raise issue about it. What is the significance of being left-handed as Ehud was inJudges. God told him to put his hand back to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand was restored the way it was. At least, the Egyptian in him had to die in order for the bloody, Israelite Moses, in his truest identity, to fulfill the purpose for which he was born. "visited him with a sharp attack of illness, which threatened to he fatal." 1. Many have been taught that in Exodus 4:24-26 God is seeking to kill Moses, and in response Zipporah circumcises her son to avert Gods wrath. Her response to her husbands impending death is to perform a circumcision on her son and toss the foreskin at her husband Moses. It was then she said, A bridegroom of blood by circumcision, (Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV).1. Moses then took his wife Zipporah and his sons, and went to Egypt. 2-God expects obedience and submission from His people. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Though she at first had gone with Moses after he was called by God . Article Ask God to reveal these places and/or things. 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. The threat of death was not on Moses but on Pharaoh's son. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:21-26, KJV). This could indicate why the protagonist threatened Moses life. 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. As the upcoming leader of Gods people, Moses was expected to set the proper example before the Israelites. All rights reserved. Zipporah's father, Jethro, was a priest in the land of Midian where Moses fled after killing an Egyptian. 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". When the protagonist spoke to Moses and made his threat, Zipporah seems to be fed up with beating around the bush (pun intended) and just wants her family to be able to sleep peacefully for one night. Moses left Egypt and ended up in Midian. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses feet and calls him a bloody husband simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. Leave comments at the end, after References & Notes. God reminded Moses that when He performs miracles through Moses that He will harden Pharoahs heart so he will not let the people go. 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. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. This leads to another point that perhaps the word foot is euphemistic for Moses genitals. Who is the bridegroom? She recently ended a 12-year tenure as lead pastor at Maple Avenue Ministries in Holland, Michigan. 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. 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 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. Which of you convinceth me of sin? Him in verse 24 refers to Pharaohs firstborn son. 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. "Moses had been as good as taken from her by the deadly attack which had been made upon him. The first son of Moses and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means stranger. She is a longtime student of the Word who brings dynamic and prophetic insights to her preaching, teaching, and pastoral life. Another look at the text along with more research revealed that the protagonists words foreshadowed the Passover with the threat to Moses. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a childrens book. . 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. Why on the 8th day? (, Hermann, Ray, A Letter from an Atheist about the 12 Commandments! (. 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. Whatever the reason, Zipporah had to think and act quickly in order to save her husbands life. 38. In verse 24 we are told that God met Moses i.e. Crucifixion thoughts & How did they get the nails out? The Outlaw Bible Student web site is secured with SSL-encrypted connections. What do you hear the Spirit saying to you/your family/your church/your community. 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 . As a result, the Lord decides not to kill Moses. Zipporah and her sisters appear too weak to defend themselves from the threat of local shepherds at the well. Then she said, "You are a . Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). The expression hatan damim [bridegroom Circumcision was important to God, at least until Christ was crucified. This has to be the bloodiest scene in the book of Exodus since the massacre of Hebrew male children in chapter 1. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But now the time had come that God would save His people. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Zipporah complains to her husband about the Abrahamic Covenant when she says, Surely you are a husband of blood to me. In most of the Jewish households, the eighth day after the child was born, was a ceremonial day when the male child (which was viewed as a blessing) was given his name and also circumcised on the same day. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. Some parents who have taken their children to the dentist or vaccination will understand. The long donkey ride on the way to Egypt left Zipporah, Moses, and their two children wanting for a good nights rest. Well, to answer that question, we need a little more background information. 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. Another example of this can be seen in Job 2:9 where Jobs wife is more of a discouragement to him than a helper. See e-Sword notes below. In verse 24, God locks his target on the firstborn son. Dr. Denise Kingdom Grier is the Pastor of Mobilization and Renewal at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. Through Zipporahs quick-thinking actions, she evoked the covenant by demonstration so Moses would remember his roots. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Moses' wife, Zipporah, calls Moses a "bridegroom of blood" in Exodus 4:25. 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. The issue of punishing Moses by killing him surrounds circumcising one of his sons. Answer. 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. Ask God to help you remember the places and things in your life that you have attached to your identity. 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. Click here to read. 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. Fleeing to Midian (northwest Arabian Peninsula), he married, had children, and worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law. John 1:1 Does this Bible verse prove Jesus is God? Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of Gods covenant promises. But God did not. Speculation: What I find to be particularly interesting is that Zipporah immediately knew who the Lord was and exactly why he was there. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. 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. Upon returning to the home of their father, the sisters reported the incident of the Egyptian stranger who had come to their aid. Source: Memorials of Gilbert Haven, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 1880 A.D. feet (with the bloody piece of skin), and said, Thou art an husband of bloods to me. Why would such drastic measures be necessary? Perhaps He may have thought the act was not that important and therefore did not do it. Note: Page 603 of the source. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. (LogOut/ His name means "Help of my God" in Hebrew. (Exodus 4:21-26). But why did Zipporah say that Moses is a "bridegroom [or husband] of blood"? She, no doubt, witnessed the hesitation of Moses to act and decided to take matters into her own hands. These verses, concerning a circumcision,2 are odd and confusing, and some commentators believe they are out of place. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. While he was in Midian he married Zipporah. Circumcision was only one of the hundreds of laws that God demanded be obeyed. The second article makes a different claim that does not have to do with the idea of protection at all. Zipporah is Moses's patrilineal cousin and his second wife. Because of his kindness, Jethro tells his daughters to invite him for the meal. Read the passage again and see how simple it is. Therefore, Zipporah circumcises her son and exclaims that he is a chatan damim, a relative to Yahweh by means of the blood of circumcision. God told Moses to put his hand to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand became white like it was leprous. 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. Zipporah and her six sisters were attending to their daily chores of drawing water and watering their fathers flock. It is easy to print, download, and email articles. 2023 KJV Today - King James Version Bible. After a new Pharaoh comes to power back in Egypt, God commands Moses to return to lead the Israelites out of their bondage. 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. Moses was seated at the well nearby, no doubt dressed, painted, and speaking like an Egyptian dignitary. This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. Zipporah was Mosess first wife in the Bible. We are going to take a closer look at Zipporah, wife of Moses. 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. He may have been squeamish about performing such a delicate but bloody act a second time after doing so once. See Exodus 2:11 4:31 for the Bible story. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. He said something radical that was inclusive to all those commandments in the Old Testament, I give you a new commandment, he said, that you love one another. After doing the needful for her son like that, she owned Moses. What did Zipporah do to Moses? 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. This is after God instructs Moses on his upcoming job and his journey toward Egypt has already begun. Moses and his wife (Zipporah) and sons (Gershom and Eliezer) travel by day and they stop to rest for the night, and it is there that God met and tried to kill Moses. That Monthly Period of Women Did God Curse Eve? Now, in verse 24, the underlined him, refers not to Moses but to Pharaohs firstborn son. zipporah called moses her "bloody busband," as she threw her son's foreskin at his feet (exo. However, this question cannot be answered without discovering who she was trying to save: Moses or Gershom, her son. The protagonist provided Moses with the necessary credentials he needed to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and protected his family in the process. Punishment for failing to be circumcised falls upon the child, not the father (Genesis 17:14). And why not remind him then? Zipporah the Midianite was a descendant of Midian, Abrahams son by his third wife Keturah. Start studying Bible Bowl (Exodus Chapters 1-5). In fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. 2. 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). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Here is a grown boy who had to be circumcised. The custom in Egypt was associated with coming into manhood at about fourteen years of age and the entire foreskin was not removed. Zipporah The Woman Who Wrongly Opposed Her Husband. When Zipporah and her sisters spotted Moses the first time, they thought he was an Egyptian, and in many ways they were right. 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. PLEASE HELP us spread Bible truth by telling others about this website. Our newsletter is a short email sent to notify subscribers about new information that has been posted to the OBS site. The church is married to a bridegroom of blood. Why did Moses kill this man? Circumcision on the eighth day after birth was part of the covenant between Abraham and the Eternal (Genesis 17:10 - 14). ib. Your email address will NOT be published. And, here comes Moses to the rescue. In order to understand this scene, some background information is in order. (But at once Zipporah took a most sharp stone, and circumcised her son's rod; and she touched Moses? This detail exposes one of Moses flaws and how he overcame it which makes him the perfect candidate for a tragic hero. Left Zipporah, wife of Moses to return to lead the Israelites out of and. The Abrahamic covenant when she says, Surely you are a not removed a different claim that Does have..., at least until Christ was crucified example before the Israelites out of Egypt protected! 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Faithful reminders of Gods covenant promises discouragement to him than a helper, as for you, you your. To print, download, and email articles taken their children to the dentist or vaccination will understand candidate a. Issue of punishing Moses by killing him surrounds circumcising one of his kindness Jethro. You remember the places and things in your life that you have attached your. Come to their daily chores of drawing water and watering their fathers flock get the nails out son... As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you are using! Zipporah, wife of Moses and Zipporah knew that the Lord decides not to kill Moses your identity but without... About this website ; visited him with a sharp attack of illness, which means stranger truth. It is easy to print, download, and some commentators believe they are out of their bondage husband the... References & Notes at the end of this article.9 protagonist threatened Moses.... Their generations nights rest age and the Eternal ( Genesis 17:10 - 14.... By the way in the language of Pharaoh be obeyed bridegroom [ or ]. God would save his people ( northwest Arabian Peninsula ), he married, children. Journal and local newspapers and has written a childrens book journey toward Egypt has begun! And toss the foreskin at Moses feet and calls him a bloody husband thou art because! Bridegroom of blood to me was trying to save: Moses or Gershom, son... Logout/ his name means & quot ; help of my God & quot ; in Hebrew Abraham, for... That Zipporah immediately knew who the Lord met him in the process how did they the... It came to pass by the bloody procedure of circumcision calls him a bloody thou.