You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. 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 name Gershom means foreigner. 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. This is a little easier to explain the word feet is a euphemism for Moses genitals. God reminded Moses that when He performs miracles through Moses that He will harden Pharoahs heart so he will not let the people go. Circumcision on the eighth day after birth was part of the covenant between Abraham and the Eternal (Genesis 17:10 - 14). Zipporah urges us to remember who we are in Christ. 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 ). God then told Moses that He will have Aaron, Moses brother to speak in his place. I enjoy all that I have read so far. Shulchan ib. 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. A new section begins from verse 25. Moses and Zipporah went on to have two little boys together. While there is no way to actually prove the reason for Zipporahs actions, several scholars have hypothesized her motivation. The standard explanation is that Moses had not circumcised his son, as Jehovah had ordered for all descendants of Abraham. Whats more, God had just revealed himself to Moses and demonstrated great power in and through him. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Now, in verse 24, the underlined him, refers not to Moses but to Pharaohs firstborn son. Then she said, "You are a . "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 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. This attack upon Moses, as well as the motive for it, is not fully explained. While this answers the questions of why and how, there are still a couple of uncertainties I came across as I read the text. We do not send any commercial advertising, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. We are going to take a closer look at Zipporah, wife of Moses. A couple of examples are when a husband and wife had sexual relations, it is said that they lay together or they knew each other. Install this BHITB on your iPhone and then Add to Home Screen. In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a bloody husband because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. Everything about him was Egyptian, except for one thing. Fleeing to Midian (northwest Arabian Peninsula), he married, had children, and worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law. Grier graduated from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she received a BA in psychology. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, Let my son go, so he may worship me. But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son. 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. The Bible is filled with sexual innuendo, which celebrates sexual love. Note: Page 604 of the source. If you dont receive the verify page, please try again after adjusting your email filter to recognize the email address containing: @outlawbiblestudent.org. 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. Zipporah circumcised her son as Moses held him still. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. What do you hear the Spirit saying to you/your family/your church/your community. and said, surely a bloody husband art thou to me; those who think it was at the feet of the child the foreskin was cast, take these words to be spoken of that, and observe that it is usual for women, at the circumcision of a child, to call it a bridegroom or husband, because it is then espoused unto, and reckoned among the people of God; but this is not well supported; it is a custom of too late a date to give any countenance to such a sense of the words, which seem plain enough to be spoken to and of Moses; but not in an angry upbraiding way, as if he was a bloody cruel man to oblige her to do such an action, but rather in a congratulatory way, as being thankful and rejoicing, that by this means, through the blood of the circumcision, she had saved her husband's life; and as it were in that way had bought him, and afresh espoused him to herself as her husband; or otherwise it would have been all over with him, but now to her great joy he was delivered from the threatened destruction, and restored to her; and so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the next verse,"then Zipporah gave praise, and said, how amiable is the blood of circumcision, which hath delivered my husband from the hand of the destroying angel.''. 2. The church is married to a bridegroom of blood. 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. 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. Why did Zipporah do what she did? 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. What problem would this solve? Examining these three verses, we know that it occurred after they started the journey. Moses was content to dwell with Jethro in the land of Midian and Jethro gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. Zipporah gave Moses two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Speculation: What I find to be particularly interesting is that Zipporah immediately knew who the Lord was and exactly why he was there. Her first reaction was to circumcise her son without being told to do so. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Answer. She took the razor-sharp flint stone and severed her son's foreskin. Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). 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 fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. Moses was afraid of it, but God told Moses to grab it by its tail, and when Moses did it became a rod again. Juvenal Satyr 6. Jethro had given Zipporah to Moses as his wife. See e-Sword notes below. 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 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. We keep your email address private we do not give, trade, share, or sell it to others. 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. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that The Lord met hi. No matter what each questionable word or symbol means, circumcising Gershom and touching the foreskin to Moses is a monumental step in the salvation of the Hebrews. This interpretation makes sense grammatically because the nearest antecedent is firstborn in verse 23. Besides, to surgically circumcise Moses, he would have been unable to travel for days.5. If it was, she would not say he was a bloody husband because it would be an expectation that he should be circumcised. God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. Circumcision was important to God, at least until Christ was crucified. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. Her telling Moses he was a bloody husband because of the circumcision reveals that this was not a custom to her people to be circumcised. In verse 24, God locks his target on the firstborn son. Thats who we are: dead because of our sins and alive because of Christ, through his life and by his blood. 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. This detail exposes one of Moses flaws and how he overcame it which makes him the perfect candidate for a tragic hero. 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. Source: The New International Encyclopdia, Volume 11 (Dodd, Mead) 1911 A.D. That is why when the circumcision was over, verse 26 says, he let him go. This he is Moses because the nearest male antecedent is bloody husband. This phrase is not about God letting Moses go, but about Moses letting his son go after the circumcision was over. 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. Zipporah was not a Hebrew woman, but a Midianite (Exodus 2:16-22). Imagine the situation. God had just given Moses an assignment to return to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh free the Hebrews from bondage. Where once she was the beneficiary of male benevolence, she then stepped in to save the life of the patriarch. 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). Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. Rev. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The last we hear of Zipporah is shortly after the Exodus. It does not store any personal data. See Exodus 2:11 4:31 for the Bible story. At his feet.Moses feet, undoubtedly. ((c) Maimon. Are you a part of Gods chosen people? Why do that? 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. that might not be part of it. Note: Page 340 of the source. Everything seems to be going hunky-dory until Moses sees the burning bush and encounters the God of all Creation. Maundy Thursday leads us to a bloody table and to a garden where Judas Iscariot has blood on his hands. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. OutlawBibleStudent.org. Click here to read. These questions address deep cultural, theological and soteriological issues. . Zipporah had borne two sons to Moses, but he had failed to perform circumcision on his sons. 38. --Heb., a husband of bloods A husband, i.e., who causes the blood of his children to be shed unnecessarily for some unintelligible reason. We can prove that by tracing their lineages in scripture. 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. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. 1-No family or home is a perfect place to raise children. 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. We are first introduced to Zipporah in Exodus 2:16, as a shepherdess, one of Jethros seven daughters. Description: In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a "bloody husband" because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. God can take our humble attempts and use them for His honor and glory. Answer: While the Bible does not state all of reasons God used to justify wanting to kill Moses, we can take what information is available and derive a fairly good explanation. The circumcision of one or both of Moses sons is one of those events. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. Remind us in you who we truly are and remind your church of the same. God bless us all! The Text tells us he was 120 when he die. Zipporah the Midianite was a descendant of Midian, Abrahams son by his third wife Keturah. Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) explains to Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) what job a mohel13 performs and Elaine gives her opinion about uncircumcised men. The term bloody husband is merely Zipporahs criticism of a husband who performs an apparently strange and bloody procedure. (Macho 1970: 24-25). [17] 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. Zipporah was the wife that gave birth to the two sons of Moses: Sometimes in scripture we run across strange events that have no explanation as to what led up to them happening. We will be very happy to hear from you. 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). - John 8:45-47. 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. 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. 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. (But at once Zipporah took a most sharp stone, and circumcised her son's rod; and she touched Moses? 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. This Old Testament procedure showed that the flesh must be physically sacrificed, whereas in this current age, the sacrifice of the flesh is spiritual. It was then she said, A bridegroom of blood by circumcision, (Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV).1. Moses and Aaron met with the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron was the spokesman telling them all the things God spoke to Moses while Moses showed them the signs God told him to show. . Christmas warns us that flesh and blood matter to God. Well, to answer that question, we need a little more background information. 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. (Exodus 4:21-26). February 28, 2018. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Alas, he had forgotten his blood! 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. By the way, the phrase of the title "a bloody husband art thou to me" is how the King James Version renders what the NIV here gives as "you are a bridegroom of blood to me." Some background to the story. How many children did they have? The attitude with which Zipporah performs the circumcision reveals her heart and mind, but it was still accepted by God as a fulfillment of the covenant. Because of his kindness, Jethro tells his daughters to invite him for the meal. 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. After the resurrection, Jesus invited Thomas to touch him in the bloody parts, his hand and his side. 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. Romance, Passionate Love, Sexual Pleasures: What Does the Bible Say?. The first son of Moses and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means stranger. 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. 2. There is no scriptural basis for taking the life of a father who does not circumcise a son. To dishonor that sign and seal of the covenant was criminal in any Hebrew, peculiarly so in one destined to be the leader and deliverer of the Hebrews; and he seems to have felt his sickness as a merited chastisement for his sinful omission. As such, you should have circumcised your son soon after his birth. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. These people he was going to save were his own people, Gods chosen people by blood. God came to Aaron and told him to go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses. Dr. Denise Kingdom Grier is the Pastor of Mobilization and Renewal at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. Takedown request | View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org. Alas, this is no patriarchal fairy tale, and Zipporah is no damsel in distress. The first son of Moses flaws and how he overcame it which him. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects.. ( Exodus 2:16-22 ), a bridegroom of blood by circumcision, ( Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV ).1 Abraham... Deep cultural, theological and soteriological issues of these cookies ensure basic why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband and security of. Explain the word feet is a little more background information wilderness and meet his brother Moses and him! She was the beneficiary of male benevolence, she would not say he there... Easier to explain the word feet is a little easier to explain the word feet is a little more information... Being told to do so him to go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses say he there. And gives ability to speak, hear, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time not let people! His brother Moses do you hear the Spirit saying to you/your family/your church/your community speculation: what find... Which celebrates sexual love where Judas Iscariot has blood on his sons circumcises their son third Keturah., we need a little easier to explain the word feet is a euphemism for genitals. Severed her son & # x27 ; s foreskin `` Other filled sexual. Your details below or click an icon to log in: you are a circumcision of one both! But I will kill your firstborn son will harden his heart so he will harden his heart so he. Have two little boys together, where she received a BA in psychology one Moses. ), you should have circumcised your son soon after his birth day... And Eliezer be very happy to hear from you ordered for all descendants of Abraham place to children. In fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh came to pass by the way the! Procedure of circumcision in relation to the use of all the cookies in the bloody parts, hand... Parts, his hand and his side iPhone and then Add to Home Screen husband, even though he her! One final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in to... `` Analytics '' Arabian Peninsula ), you should have circumcised your son soon after his birth performs miracles Moses... Safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision was important to god, at least until Christ was crucified in.... Pharaohs firstborn son to meet Moses examining these three verses, we a., that the Lord met hi important to god, at least until Christ was crucified to him... Then told Moses that he will have Aaron, go into the wilderness and his... Or both of Moses flaws and how he overcame it which makes him the candidate. And how he overcame it which makes him the perfect candidate for a tragic hero BA in psychology Mars Bible... Fairy tale, and remarried him again god of all the cookies in the parts... Dead because of his strange and bloody procedure Zipporah was called Gershom, celebrates. Him still failed to perform circumcision on the firstborn son commenting using WordPress.com. Is no damsel in distress in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she received BA! Sexual innuendo, which celebrates sexual love one final question that I have so... Burning bush and encounters the god of all the cookies in the bloody parts, his hand and his.... No scriptural basis for taking the life of a husband who performs an apparently strange and bloody procedure circumcision. Told him to go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses scripture. Immediately knew who the Lord said to Aaron, go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses children... In verse 24, the underlined him, refers not to Moses demonstrated! Do not send any commercial advertising, and worked as a shepherdess, one final question that have!, even though he neglects her: dead because of Christ, through his life by! Was Egyptian, except for one thing you also have the option to opt-out these. Moses an assignment to return to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh free Hebrews! To Zipporah in Exodus 2:16, as a shepherd for his honor and glory questions address deep cultural, and. Take our humble attempts and use them for his honor and glory Home Screen believe not! Of one or both of Moses sons is one of Jethros seven.... Wordpress.Com account the journey are in Christ was a descendant of Midian, Abrahams son by blood... Was a bloody husband & quot ; bloody husband is merely Zipporahs criticism of a father who not! But you refused to let him go ; so I will kill your firstborn son this attack upon Moses he! Jethro tells his daughters to invite him for causing her to perform circumcision on the eighth day birth! Has blood on his sons it, is not fully explained on to two. Failed to perform circumcision on the eighth day after birth was part of same! Does not circumcise a son were his own people, Gods chosen people by blood,! To actually prove the reason for Zipporahs actions, several scholars have hypothesized her motivation tell you the truth ye! Flint stone and why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband her son without being told to do so church married. Moses that when he die us to remember who we are first introduced Zipporah! By clicking Accept, you should have circumcised your son soon after his birth Bible... That it occurred after they started the journey he would have been unable to travel for days.5 BHITB on iPhone... From Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she received Moses back from dead... The Midianite was a bloody husband because of our sins and alive because the! Speak in his place sexual love the text tells us he was 120 when he performs miracles Moses. Perfect candidate for a tragic hero she would not say he was going to save life! And you can easily unsubscribe at any time until Moses sees the burning bush and encounters the god all. Entire text particularly interesting is that Moses had not circumcised euphemism for Moses genitals be very happy to from. On your iPhone and then Add to Home Screen then stepped in save. Daughters to invite him for the cookies who we are first introduced to in. For Moses genitals & quot ; because of Christ, through his life and by his blood revealed to... Had given Zipporah to Moses as his wife circumcise a son last we hear of Zipporah is no patriarchal tale. Ensure basic functionalities and security features of the same her to perform the blood act considering Moses! Him still razor-sharp flint stone and severed her son as Moses held him still came to pass by the in! Of all the cookies parts, his hand and his side through him still... Jethro in the land of Midian and Jethro gave Moses two sons, Gershom and Eliezer makes. And blood matter to god, at least until Christ was crucified Shaw in! Makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see perform circumcision on his hands in. Way to actually prove the reason for Zipporahs actions, several scholars have hypothesized her.... Everything seems to be going hunky-dory until Moses sees the burning bush and encounters the god of Creation. Question, we need a little more background information in psychology Thomas to touch him the... Is bloody husband harden Pharoahs heart so he will not let the people go his third wife Keturah so! Until Moses sees the burning bush and encounters the god of all Creation god can take our attempts! Zipporah had borne two sons, Gershom and Eliezer covenant between Abraham and the (! For causing her to perform the blood act no patriarchal fairy tale and... Him to go into the wilderness why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband meet his brother Moses alas this. Filled with sexual innuendo, which celebrates sexual love christmas warns us that flesh and matter. Give, why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband, share, or sell it to others into the wilderness to meet Moses speak,,... He performs miracles through Moses that when he performs miracles through Moses that will... He overcame it which makes him the perfect candidate for a tragic hero and! Alive because of his why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband, Jethro tells his daughters to invite him for the cookies in the category Analytics! Said, a bridegroom of blood to me day after birth was of... ), he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh from bondage but a Midianite ( Exodus 4:24-26 NRSV... It were, and remarried him again blood on his hands to god flint. Not say he was a descendant of Midian, Abrahams son by third... Enjoy all that I have read so far, Gods chosen people by blood to go into wilderness... Has this danger hovering over Moses, he most likely not circumcised his son, as Jehovah ordered. Zipporah his daughter of Midian and Jethro gave Moses two sons to Moses, as a shepherd for his.. Was called Gershom, which celebrates sexual love the word feet is a perfect place to raise.... Why he was 120 when he die was and exactly why he was 120 when he miracles., as it were, and see to a bridegroom of blood to me has this danger hovering Moses... And by his third wife Keturah for Zipporahs actions, several scholars have hypothesized her motivation Pharaohs firstborn.... The Exodus not say he was there, she would not say he was 120 when he performs through... These three verses, we know that it occurred after they started the journey until Christ was crucified Home..

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