This is a unique case in the entire Bible when a woman performed the circumcision. In order to understand this scene, some background information is in order. He has self-published three books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016 and Eye of a Needle in 2017 and Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019. (b) Maimon. 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. Remind us in you who we truly are and remind your church of the same. Verses 22-26 are summarized as follows: In verses 22-23, God tells Moses that God would kill Pharaohs firstborn son. As a result the Lord decides not to kill Moses. 1-No family or home is a perfect place to raise children. 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. He was talking about the servant putting his hand under Abrahams reproductive parts his genitals. 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. Install this BHITB on your iPhone and then Add to Home Screen. Just click the proper button at the end of each article. why Zipporah called Moses a bloody husband circumcision, UNANSWERED QUESTIONS TO YOUR WORD SEARCHES (CHURCH OFPHILADELPHIA), why did God want to kill Moses unless he was circumcised. Now we can return to the obvious question at hand. Whats more, God had just revealed himself to Moses and demonstrated great power in and through him. She, no doubt, witnessed the hesitation of Moses to act and decided to take matters into her own hands. Zipporah, the wife of Moses, receives very little exposure in the Bible. If it was, she would not say he was a bloody husband because it would be an expectation that he should be circumcised. This interpretation makes sense grammatically because the nearest antecedent is firstborn in verse 23. Alas, he had forgotten his blood! 38. You are a bridegroom of blood, Zipporah declares as she tosses flesh at Mosess feet. Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. 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 . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. How many children did they have? What was that all about? Why did Zipporah circumcise her son rather than letting Moses do it? Holy Week drags us reluctantly down the bloody path to Golgotha. Verse 24 says that the LORD met Pharaohs firstborn son in an inn and determined (sought) to kill him. Thank you for sharing the words of god. His mannerisms and customs were shaped by his Egyptian upbringing. 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. Unlike his Egyptian peers, he was circumcised. 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. If he was going to Egypt to free his people, his identification with Egypt had to die. Moses heard the words and the instruction from the Lord, but said that the Israelites will not believe him when he tells them that he saw the Lord. 2. Eliezer was Moses' and Zipporah's second son. 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. - John 8:45-47. Moses got his directions from God but something very strange happened, God was going to kill him (Moses) because of his disobedience. 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. He may have been squeamish about performing such a delicate but bloody act a second time after doing so once. 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 Should the Bible include Acts 8:37: "And Philip said, If. 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. The Egyptians made the lives of the children of Israel bitter with hard bondage in what three things? In Exodus 2 Moses marries Zipporah, a Gentile, who gives birth to Gershom. zipporah called moses her "bloody busband," as she threw her son's foreskin at his feet (exo. 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. Approach the text as if you are reading it for the first time. 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. Chapter 4 verses 24 through 26 states, At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. "Kiss the Son" or "Do homage in purity" in Psalm 2:12? Change). This passage is rather uneventful and straightforward if we read it properly. Answer: Zipporah, the name of Moses' wife, is only referenced three times in the Bible (Exodus 2:21, 4:25, 18:2). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The threat of death was not on Moses but on Pharaoh's son. Wait. This has to be the bloodiest scene in the book of Exodus since the massacre of Hebrew male children in chapter 1. rigour. 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. In the Samaritan Bible, which featured the first five books of Moses, Zipporah is called Kaashet . It does not store any personal data. 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. (LogOut/ God reminded Moses that when He performs miracles through Moses that He will harden Pharoahs heart so he will not let the people go. ((c) Maimon. (New American Standard translation) . 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). Now, in verse 24, the underlined him, refers not to Moses but to Pharaohs firstborn son. 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. But God did not. 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. 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. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. (http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html) With this translation in mind, Zipporah could have meant that Moses was protected by blood. Why did God seek to kill Moses? Zipporah, having circumcised her son, corrected the mistake and saved her husband, whose life was in danger due to non-observance of the commandment. Why did Zipporah do what she did? Zipporah's father was Jethro, also called Reuel. They had two sons before Moses. All rights reserved. Another example of this can be seen in Job 2:9 where Jobs wife is more of a discouragement to him than a helper. So He sent Moses to Egypt to deliver Israel. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV translators. Why his feet? Note: Page 209 of the source. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. God then told Moses that He will have Aaron, Moses brother to speak in his place. 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. God told Moses to put his hand to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand became white like it was leprous. 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. Ask God to reveal these places and/or things. It does not seem to me that she was opposed to the 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. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." 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. There does seem to be some anger on behalf of Zipporah against Moses, throwing the bloodied foreskin at his feet, and calling him a bloody husband to me. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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 . Many non-Hebrews who have never seen circumcision might find the procedure utterly strange, inhumane, and disgusting. The immediate question is, Why is Moses not performing the circumcision? The answer is that Moses had to hold on to the son so that the son would stay still. 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. 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. Also note that it says circumcisions plural. Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase. Moses' brother, Aaron, married a woman named Elisheba . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Soon after meeting the One Who instructs him to return to Egypt in order to lead his Israelite brethren out of bondage in Egypt, "Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt." (Exodus 4:20.) Her father, who is believed to be one of the founders of the Druze religion seems to have affected his daughter in that custom. Her father Jethro was the priest of Midian, and it was he that gave Zipporah to Moses to marry. 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). 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). If you have any suggestions and queries you can contact us on the below details. "visited him with a sharp attack of illness, which threatened to he fatal." All the evidence seems to point to Zipporah and Jethro as being against it, but Moses was still held accountable before God. Yore Dea, Hilchot Milah, c. 264. sect. Our study will be but three verses in chapter four of the Book of Exodus. Leave comments at the end, after References & Notes. Takedown request | View complete answer on jewishrhody.com Wha. Maundy Thursday leads us to a bloody table and to a garden where Judas Iscariot has blood on his hands. Another look at the text along with more research revealed that the protagonists words foreshadowed the Passover with the threat to Moses. 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. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. Moses was seated at the well nearby, no doubt dressed, painted, and speaking like an Egyptian dignitary. Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that The Lord met hi. So, she had this encounter with the Lord just as what Jacob did before he met Esau again. that might not be part of it. She also seems to be angry because of the circumcision requirement, pointing to the possibility that her and Moses may have had a conversation and possibly an argument about it, ending in her refusal to allow it. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses' feet and calls him a "bloody husband" simply . 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. 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 . From the material I have read, it looks like Zipporah put some pressure on her hubby not to circumcise the boy. Zipporah the Midianite was a descendant of Midian, Abrahams son by his third wife Keturah. Moses got his directions from God but something very strange happened, God was going to kill him (Moses) because of his disobedience. And why not remind him then? She is also RCA Global Missions coordinator for Setshabelo Family and Child Services in the Free State Province in South Africa. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Amen. Where once she was the beneficiary of male benevolence, she then stepped in to save the life of the patriarch. The story just changes subjects mid text, but we can logically assume that Moses had violated the circumcision command (Leviticus 12:3). There is no scriptural basis for taking the life of a father who does not circumcise a son. The scripture says Zipporah touched his feet, with the foreskin. 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. 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