Our study will be but three verses in chapter four of the Book of Exodus. This passage has perplexed many students of the word over the years. 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. The scripture, after all, did not actually name Moses as who was to be killed; all it states is tried to kill him, (Exodus 4:24b). 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. Why on the 8th day? It is listed in References & Notes.11. He fled from Egypt because of it. (LogOut/ Exactly why Moses had not circumcised his son is not stated in Scripture. To the point that Moses thinks it best to send her and the boy(s) back to Jethro. 2. Also note that it says circumcisions plural. Some translations might be easier to read, but they may not be easier to understand. ((c) Maimon. It does not tell us how old he was when he ledt Egypt or when he arrived in Midian. While he was in Midian he married Zipporah. Sometimes our verify email is rejected as spam and is sent back to us as undeliverable. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free John 8:32, (NIV). When the passage is read correctly in the King James Bible, the passage becomes easy to understand. His name means "Help of my God" in Hebrew. 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. In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a bloody husband because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. OBS respects your privacy and is compliant with the European Union GDPR regulation. 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. Note: Page 603 of the source. 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. The last we hear of Zipporah is shortly after the Exodus. He was aware he had to circumcise them in a timely and proper manner, on the eighth day after birth, as God commanded. Zipporah's actions give us a clue. Because Moses had chosen to side with the oppressed (the Hebrew slaves) rather than the oppressors (the ruling Egyptians). 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. What do you hear the Spirit saying to you/your family/your church/your community. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Moses had been in the household of Pharaoh in Egypt since infancy. This has to be the bloodiest scene in the book of Exodus since the massacre of Hebrew male children in chapter 1. Zipporah's actions give us a clue. Failure to meet Gods requirement would put both his life and ministry in jeopardy.3. By performing the rite, Zipporah had recovered her husband; his life was purchased for her by the blood of her child. When Zipporah saw her husband dying before her eyes at the hand of the Lord, she made a split second decision to circumcise her son and throw his foreskin at the feet of her husband. 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. She knew he would have been killed by God if their son, who may have been several months old or older, remained uncircumcised. Through Zipporahs quick-thinking actions, she evoked the covenant by demonstration so Moses would remember his roots. Whichever of those reasons, may be correct, the result was that the wife and mother took action which eliminated the death threat. Another example is when Abraham said to his servant, Put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. Zipporah and her sisters appear too weak to defend themselves from the threat of local shepherds at the well. As a result the Lord decides not to kill Moses. 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. The elders believed, and when they heard that God had heard of their afflictions and their cries, they bowed their heads and worshipped Him. Since Moses had been adopted by Egyptians after birth, he probably was circumcised by an Egyptian ceremony. Circumcision is a covenant, not a sacrifice that atones for sin. Zipporah's 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. What were the names of the two Hebrew midwives? Upon returning to the home of their father, the sisters reported the incident of the Egyptian stranger who had come to their aid. There is also another explanation. Till 24, Pharaoh's first born son was the subject. Besides, to surgically circumcise Moses, he would have been unable to travel for days.5. The protagonist provided Moses with the necessary credentials he needed to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and protected his family in the process. The meaning is: The marriage bond between us is now sealed by blood. So as soon as the child was circumcised, the LORD relented from killing Moses, "So he let him alone" (v 26). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. This is a unique case in the entire Bible when a woman performed the circumcision. So he let him go: So, God let Moses go; God did not take his life.] Read the passage again and see how simple it is. With the prowess of The Lion Kings Mufasa to his son, Simba, Zipporahs actions roar, Remember who you are. You, Moses, are of the bloodline of Abraham. (New American Standard translation) . "Kiss the Son" or "Do homage in purity" in Psalm 2:12? Now, in verse 24, the underlined him, refers not to Moses but to Pharaohs firstborn son. So Moses had to keep the boy still. How might these things have been allowed to trump your identity in Christ? God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. 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". Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. (Exodus 4:21-26). Thus in verse 25, Zipporah circumcises her son as Moses holds him still. . 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. "Devolvit ipse acuto sibi pondera silice." His wife worried more about him then he worried about himself. Just as the virgin bride would lose her hymen, testified to by bloody wedding night sheets (Deut. Now, he wanted to go back, but what would happen to him if he did? She heroically saves Moses and her sons from a random attack from an angel by cutting off her son's foreskin; the explanation for this act is unclear. The custom in Egypt was associated with coming into manhood at about fourteen years of age and the entire foreskin was not removed. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the LORD met him and tried to kill him. Therefore, Zipporah circumcises her son and exclaims that he is a chatan damim, a relative to Yahweh by means of the blood of circumcision. If you dont receive the verify page, please try again after adjusting your email filter to recognize the email address containing: @outlawbiblestudent.org. God came to Aaron and told him to go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses. She took the razor-sharp flint stone and severed her son's foreskin. The Text tells us he was 120 when he die. Something extraordinary took place, however, while he and his family travelled to the land of Pharaoh. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. Her father, who is believed to be one of the founders of the Druze religion seems to have affected his daughter in that custom. 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. Dr. Denise Kingdom Grier is the Pastor of Mobilization and Renewal at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. . (Genesis 17:9-12a). ((d) "Mollia qui rupta secuit genitalia testa." In order to understand this scene, some background information is in order. If it was, she would not say he was a bloody husband because it would be an expectation that he should be circumcised. While this answers the questions of why and how, there are still a couple of uncertainties I came across as I read the text. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. Why would such drastic measures be necessary? This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. It was on his way back to Egypt that the event described in the text took place. Yore Dea, Hilchot Milah, c. 264. sect. So she does what she has to do. So, she had this encounter with the Lord just as what Jacob did before he met Esau again. Note: Page 340 of the source. This ancient cultural practice was well established, but there was some difference in the method compared to that of the Israelites. Zipporah's father was Jethro, also called Reuel. . Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) explains to Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) what job a mohel13 performs and Elaine gives her opinion about uncircumcised men. "visited him with a sharp attack of illness, which threatened to he fatal." morter, brick, and all manner of service in the field. There have been many attempts to answer these questions, but they are all very speculative. Thank you for reading this article and for taking the time to comment. Are you a part of Gods chosen people? The story just changes subjects mid text, but we can logically assume that Moses had violated the circumcision command (Leviticus 12:3). He belonged to the household of his maternal grandfather, Jethro (Yetro) the priest of Midian. She, no doubt, witnessed the hesitation of Moses to act and decided to take matters into her own hands. 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. Copyright 2017-2023 Ray Hermann, The Outlaw Bible Student. The circumcision of one or both of Moses sons is one of those events. Exodus 4:24-26: "On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. In Numbers 12:1, she also is called a Cushite ("black" or ancient "Ethiopian") woman. Does the Masoretic Text Underlying the KJV omit Joshua 21:36-37? She received Moses back from the dead, as it were, and remarried him again. This is symbolic of humankind being dead to God, but then he provides redemption through a blood sacrifice and brings humankind back to himself. Perhaps He may have thought the act was not that important and therefore did not do it. Why She greatly disliked this rite but executed it in a successful attempt to spare Moses' life. 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? 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. Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of Gods covenant promises. here, moses is an analogy of christ, who is our "bloody husband."; i'm not sure what the foreskin represents. So He let him go. This could indicate why the protagonist threatened Moses life. Answer. 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. Although some Bible versions substitute Moses name, the actual Hebrew wording states him. Article Once we get the correct understanding of the passage, the hard questions that have plagued theologians for years will vanish. Why did God seek to kill Moses? While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. What action can you take to remind the church of her true identity? Moses becomes her "bridegroom," her newly-acquired husband, because they both were culturally new persons. . All rights reserved. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:21-26, KJV). It might refer to the child, for in response Zipporah cuts off her sons foreskin and thus saves his life. 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). Some parents who have taken their children to the dentist or vaccination will understand. Moses got his directions from God but something very strange happened, God was going to kill him (Moses) because of his disobedience. Christmas warns us that flesh and blood matter to God. Now we can return to the obvious question at hand. God locks his intent on him and by extension all of Egypt's first born. In order to complete his assignment, Moses had to die. Ask Anything. What? --Heb., a husband of bloods A husband, i.e., who causes the blood of his children to be shed unnecessarily for some unintelligible reason. When a man has his hands full with what God wants him to do, he certainly doesnt need a wife who is a hindrance and an obstacle to him! Exodus 4:25 (WYC) Zipporah took anon a most sharp stone, and circumcised the rod of her son; and she touched Moses? His mannerisms and customs were shaped by his Egyptian upbringing. The story of Moses being born to a Hebrew, hidden from the Pharaohs men until he was three months old, placed in a homemade basket on the Nile River, and found and raised by Pharaohs daughter is one of the most famous tales from the Old Testament. The threat of death was not on Moses but on Pharaoh's son. Why did Zipporah do what she did? From the material I have read, it looks like Zipporah put some pressure on her hubby not to circumcise the boy. The original Hebrew only has pronouns such as he and him in those places. Moses was on his way to Egypt with his wife, Zipporah, and his sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when the following incident occurred: "It came about on the road at the lodging place that Jehovah got to meet him and kept looking for a way to put him to death. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. Takedown request | View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org. The scripture says Zipporah touched his feet, with the foreskin. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old . Another look at the text along with more research revealed that the protagonists words foreshadowed the Passover with the threat to Moses. (http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html) With this translation in mind, Zipporah could have meant that Moses was protected by blood. Imagine the situation. Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. Moreover, the failure to be circumcised is punishable by exclusion from the Abrahamic covenant, not death (Genesis 17:14). 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. It is mentioned in Genesis, chapter 17, when God repeats his covenant of solidarity with Abraham and his descendants and explains his demands. She is a longtime student of the Word who brings dynamic and prophetic insights to her preaching, teaching, and pastoral life. 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." Apparently God was holding Moses accountable for the breaking of God's covenant. You can see our basic rules for comments by clicking The Fine Print on the top menu bar. Her response to her husbands impending death is to perform a circumcision on her son and toss the foreskin at her husband Moses. The name Gershom means foreigner. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. In Genesis 17:14 it says, 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. Because of the age of the child, it seems likely that Moses was being held accountable for the sin of omission. Zipporah regarded the bloody rites of her husbands 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. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. In verse 26, the circumcision is finished and Moses lets go of his son. PLEASE HELP us spread Bible truth by telling others about this website. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses' feet and calls him a "bloody husband" simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. If you are referring to Exodus 4:21-26 in King James Version then it is because his wife had to perform a circumcision of their son and she "cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his. Juvenal Satyr 6. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. . (Genesis 24:2-3).
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