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. [17] Interestingly, the modern English terms testify and testimony originated from this use. It does not store any personal data. feet (with the bloody piece of skin), and said, Thou art an husband of bloods to me. Zipporah meets Moses at the well. 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. Verse 24 says that the LORD met Pharaohs firstborn son in an inn and determined (sought) to kill him. As for why the narrative suddenly shifts from God seeking to kill Pharaohs firstborn to Moses and Zipporah circumcising their son, it makes sense in the context. His wife worried more about him then he worried about himself. 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. Some translations might be easier to read, but they may not be easier to understand. Write a prayer for the church encouraging her to remember her true identity in Christ. _______________________________________________. Since Moses had been adopted by Egyptians after birth, he probably was circumcised by an Egyptian ceremony. What is the significance of being left-handed as Ehud was inJudges. The Exodus passage also refers to the term, bridegroom of blood, in many translations. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another, (John 13:34). Why would such drastic measures be necessary? 2:16-22). Crucifixion thoughts & How did they get the nails out? Zipporah the Midianite was a descendant of Midian, Abrahams son by his third wife Keturah. What did the Egyptians make the children of Israel serve with? Ask God to help you remember the places and things in your life that you have attached to your identity. Is Psalm 12:7 a promise that God would preserve his words? 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 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. 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 Egyptians made the lives of the children of Israel bitter with hard bondage in what three things? And, here comes Moses to the rescue. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. During the patriarchal period, oaths were taken by placing a hand under the reproductive organ, but generally recorded in the Bible as thigh instead of testicles, penis, or genitals. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Note: Page 340 of the source. Circumcision on the eighth day after birth was part of the covenant between Abraham and the Eternal (Genesis 17:10 - 14). Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? However, this question cannot be answered without discovering who she was trying to save: Moses or Gershom, her son. In fact, shes only mentioned three times in scripture. The Text tells us he was 120 when he die. The expression hatan damim [bridegroom Most would probably agree that Moses grew up to be a great leader. "Devolvit ipse acuto sibi pondera silice." The elders believed, and when they heard that God had heard of their afflictions and their cries, they bowed their heads and worshipped Him. This interpretation makes sense grammatically because the nearest antecedent is firstborn in verse 23. 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. It is like, as if Moses was forgetting something or he was being bullheaded by not complying with something important. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. Her father Jethro was the priest of Midian, and it was he that gave Zipporah to Moses to marry. Edit them in the Widget section of the, http://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2008/01/25/zipporah-may-be-obscure-but-the-wife-of-moses-mattered, http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/zipporah-midrash-and-aggadah, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9e6a/a27d838cdf4a201b5a12bcbbc940dcd0b6e7.pdf, http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html, http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/second/larue.html, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+17. In verse 24, God locks his target on the firstborn son. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old . In his mission to Pharaoh, Moses was to be placed in a position of great peril; his life could be preserved only through the protection of holy angels. Egypt had caused Moses to forget his rootshis identityas a descendant of Abraham. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. The narrative begins with a picture of Zipporah circumcising her son. I enjoy all that I have read so far. As far as application, I see two main points coming out of this story. 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). ', 24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. We are first introduced to Zipporah in Exodus 2:16, as a shepherdess, one of Jethros seven daughters. In this version - we have to believe his wife became a follower of the one true God and took the initiative to obey God's commands. 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. All rights reserved. Answer: Technically, no. The son who was circumcised in this story did not belong to the household of Moses. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a childrens book. Fleeing to Midian (northwest Arabian Peninsula), he married, had children, and worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law. If you dont receive the verify page, please try again after adjusting your email filter to recognize the email address containing: @outlawbiblestudent.org. These scholars are thinking too hard. 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). 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. In order to understand this scene, some background information is in order. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. God told Moses to put his hand to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand became white like it was leprous. 2. Amen. Moses had two sons named Gershom and Eliezer. What surprised you in this Bible study session? Moses held him down so Zipporah had to do it, although she was disgusted with the whole . Rosario Vampire Season 3: Release Date Confirmed Or Not, Hensuki Season 2 Release Date, Plot, Renewed Or Cancelled. 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. When Zipporah and her sisters spotted Moses the first time, they thought he was an Egyptian, and in many ways they were right. Look for the lock in the address bar. A little bit of kindness and compassion on the part of Moses turns a casual meeting into a close relationship. 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. then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). 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. . (Genesis 17:9-12a). 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 fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. Moses had been in the household of Pharaoh in Egypt since infancy. Zipporah's actions give us a clue. This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn 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. Exactly why Moses had not circumcised his son is not stated in Scripture. Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of God's covenant promises. 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. Thus verse 24 belongs together in the same episode as that of verse 23. This article is part of the She Is Called Women of the Bible Study Series. Zipporah, the wife of Moses, receives very little exposure in the Bible. (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. The Text of Torah tells us this. Source: The New International Encyclopdia, Volume 11 (Dodd, Mead) 1911 A.D. 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. There is also another explanation. This is a little easier to explain the word feet is a euphemism for Moses genitals. As a result the Lord decides not to kill Moses. Wait. God said that if the children of Israel would not believe the first sign, they will believe the second. Before delving in to the scholars theories, it is important to remember that due to the fact that Moses was being hidden as a baby and raised as an Egyptian, he was probably not circumcised. On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. Why did God seek to kill Moses? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." 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