People are asking the wrong questions because they are reading the passage incorrectly in faulty translations. As we reflect on Zipporahs witness, let us consider this: The Hebrew word for remember invites us to focus on a thing until it leads us to repentance. God told Moses to put his hand to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand became white like it was leprous. 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. Maundy Thursday leads us to a bloody table and to a garden where Judas Iscariot has blood on his hands. Zipporah bore for him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Note: Page 340 of the source. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Note: Page 209 of the source. But the problem is that these supplied names are incorrect. 2. During the night, Gods hand of death came against Moses and tried to kill him (Exodus 4:24). Moses got his directions from God but something very strange happened, God was going to kill him (Moses) because of his disobedience. Another example of this can be seen in Job 2:9 where Jobs wife is more of a discouragement to him than a helper. 2:16-22). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. Remember who you are; you are a bridegroom of blood. rigour. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Who is the bridegroom? 1. 25 starts with Zipporah performing the circumcision on their grown son. 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. Takedown request | View complete answer on jewishrhody.com Wha. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Christmas warns us that flesh and blood matter to God. This is the marriage pattern of Horite Hebrew rulers. 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. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. He may have been squeamish about performing such a delicate but bloody act a second time after doing so once. The term bloody husband is merely Zipporahs criticism of a husband who performs an apparently strange and bloody procedure. Although it may seem outwardly there was nothing wrong, to God nothing is hidden! Source Ahavta. 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. Then she said, "You are a . . Holy Week drags us reluctantly down the bloody path to Golgotha. Naturally, this man who rescued these vulnerable young women was a likely suitor for one of the daughters of the Priest of Midian, and they lived happily ever after. Why did Zipporah say to her husband "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me" in Exodus 4:25? Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another, (John 13:34). When Zipporah and her sisters spotted Moses the first time, they thought he was an Egyptian, and in many ways they were right. Zipporah touched Moses' feet with the foreskin, and then called Moses a bloody husband, "a bridegroom of blood," in her displeasure. This short excerpt that seems disgusting and meaningless to most readers is actually a tale of obedience and preparation for the duties and years to come as Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. sect. Zipporah reaches across centuries to point to the Lord s Table, the flesh and blood of the new covenant. Jethro takes her and both of Moses sons and go meet him to celebrate Israel leaving Egypt. The custom in Egypt was associated with coming into manhood at about fourteen years of age and the entire foreskin was not removed. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. Moses and Zipporah went on to have two little boys together. This has to be the bloodiest scene in the book of Exodus since the massacre of Hebrew male children in chapter 1. Zipporah, the wife of Moses, receives very little exposure in the Bible. By performing the rite, Zipporah had recovered her husband; his life was purchased for her by the blood of her child. here, moses is an analogy of christ, who is our "bloody husband."; i'm not sure what the foreskin represents. On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. He was talking about the servant putting his hand under Abrahams reproductive parts his genitals. There are things in the culture, in society, and in this world that naturally attach themselves to us and disguise our true identity. Rev. God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. Till 24, Pharaoh's first born son was the subject. 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. 1. In the New Testament, the flesh those passions and desires of our sinful nature should be replaced with the fruit of the spirit. 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. Romance, Passionate Love, Sexual Pleasures: What Does the Bible Say?. Yet, we know Moses, his wife, and their son . Ask Anything. OBS respects your privacy and is compliant with the European Union GDPR regulation. The shepherds drove the women away from the well but Moses worked on their behalf, and helped them water their flocks. This act eventually became part of the agreement between God and Israel. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. As a result the Lord decides not to kill Moses. Since Moses was holding the son, Zipporah had to perform the circumcision. Her father, who is believed to be one of the founders of the Druze religion seems to have affected his daughter in that custom. A typical child would not stay still for a scary procedure such as circumcision. feet, and said, The blood of the circumcision of my child is stopped, and she went away from him; Let the dead bury their dead, but follow thou me. His mannerisms and customs were shaped by his Egyptian upbringing. Moses then took his wife Zipporah and his sons, and went to Egypt. 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. Now, he wanted to go back, but what would happen to him if he did? Zipporah The Woman Who Wrongly Opposed Her Husband. --Heb., a husband of bloods A husband, i.e., who causes the blood of his children to be shed unnecessarily for some unintelligible reason. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. If God sought to kill Moses for his sin of murder, as some scholars speculate, there is nothing about circumcision that atones for sin. Approach the text as if you are reading it for the first time. If you have any suggestions and queries you can contact us on the below details. 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. Zipporah said to Moses "A bloody husband you are to me, because of the circumcision." One may wonder why God would come to Moses to kill him before he was circumcised, but I think it's a safe assumption that the Lord had told him to be circumcised but he refused. 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. Some translations might be easier to read, but they may not be easier to understand. If he was going to Egypt to free his people, his identification with Egypt had to die. Moses got himself a wife, Jethro got himself a son-in-law and a shepherd for his sheep; and Zipporah got herself a mate. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. This Old Testament procedure showed that the flesh must be physically sacrificed, whereas in this current age, the sacrifice of the flesh is spiritual. Note: Page 603 of the source. While he was in Midian he married Zipporah. Egypt had caused Moses to forget his rootshis identityas a descendant of Abraham. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. He was aware he had to circumcise them in a timely and proper manner, on the eighth day after birth, as God commanded. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Yore Dea, Hilchot Milah, c. 264. sect. God said that if the children of Israel would not believe the first sign, they will believe the second. Moses fears for the safety of his son because the son had not yet entered into a covenant relationship with God. Moses said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land." - John 8:45-47. Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase. According to the Samaritan version of this episode, Zipporah took a sharp flint and cut herselfas a physical sign of repentance, because she realized that God was angry at Moses for bringing her and their two sons along on the divine mission to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Still, she was angry and flung the foreskin at "his feet," and said in Exodus 4:25 KJV, "'Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.'". It is evident that Zipporah regarded this rite as both barbarous and unnecessary. God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses' feet and calls him a "bloody husband" simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. Something extraordinary took place, however, while he and his family travelled to the land of Pharaoh. Now we can return to the obvious question at hand. As far as application, I see two main points coming out of this story. Most people read over it and dont understand what it all means. So Moses had to keep the boy still. You are a bridegroom of blood, Zipporah declares as she tosses flesh at Mosess feet. Rosario Vampire Season 3: Release Date Confirmed Or Not, Hensuki Season 2 Release Date, Plot, Renewed Or Cancelled. Two verses before the excerpt provide Gods words for Pharaoh which warns of the plague that will kill each first-born son of families that do not adhere to the instructions of the protagonist. Moses was a murderer to Egyptians. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. As a result, the Lord decides not to kill Moses. 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. 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. John 1:1 Does this Bible verse prove Jesus is God? 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). 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. Every male child had to be circumcised or else 'that person shall be cut off from his people' (Genesis 17:14). Why do that? Source: The New International Encyclopdia, Volume 11 (Dodd, Mead) 1911 A.D. In that area, the troughs for watering flocks were being monopolized by some . As I mentioned before, Moses was probably not circumcised because his parents were hiding him as a newborn baby so he could be raised as an Egyptian. Zipporah gave Moses two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. 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. Zipporah, being a woman, probably did not have enough strength to completely keep still a grown boy. Upon returning to the home of their father, the sisters reported the incident of the Egyptian stranger who had come to their aid. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Note: Page 604 of the source. 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. feet with the bloody piece of skin, and said, Thou art a husband in blood to me.) (Exodus 4:21-26). It does not store any personal data. 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. 2-God expects obedience and submission from His people. Moreover, the failure to be circumcised is punishable by exclusion from the Abrahamic covenant, not death (Genesis 17:14). Nedarim, fol. However, this question cannot be answered without discovering who she was trying to save: Moses or Gershom, her son. And he went, and met him in the . Thus in verse 25, Zipporah circumcises her son as Moses holds him still. And it came to pass by the way, in the inn, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him (Exodus 4:24, HBFV). How did circumcision avert God's wrath? O Zipporah says this "bloody Husband" phrase twice. When local shepherds drove the sisters away from the well in an act of gender-based violence, Moses rose to their defense and he watered their fathers flocks. (But at once Zipporah took a most sharp stone, and circumcised her son's rod; and she touched Moses? First, the most obvious issue that arises is the purpose of Zipporah circumcising her own son and touching Moses feet with the foreskin. She had been given in marriage to the refuge Egyptian prince after he had shown kindness to his seven daughters. (http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html) Circumcising Moses oldest son, despite the several year delay, can be seen as a symbol that Moses family is protected by the blood as the Egyptian families were protected by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a childrens book. Circumcision was important to God, at least until Christ was crucified. Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of Gods covenant promises. "Moses had been as good as taken from her by the deadly attack which had been made upon him. The threat of death was not on Moses but on Pharaoh's son. QUESTION: Why is Moses saved by Zipporah circumcising his son in Ex 4:24-26? Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Leave comments at the end, after References & Notes. 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. Why would God want to kill Moses? And Jethro, Moses father-in-law came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness. Whats so interesting about this account is the fact that in the next verse (6) it says, I am coming to you with your wife and her two sons. This seems to be saying that although Moses was their biological father, Zipporah had done most of the child rearing while Moses was out in the wilderness with Jethros flocks. Then again, as some researchers suggest, God may have sought to kill not Moses, but Mosess son because he had not been marked as a member of Israel through circumcision. 25 So Zipporah took a flint, cut off her son's foreskin, and threw it at Moses' feet. It was on his way back to Egypt that the event described in the text took place. (http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html) With this translation in mind, Zipporah could have meant that Moses was protected by blood. (Macho 1970: 24-25). It would also appear that she had successfully persuaded Moses to go along with her in refusing to circumcise the child. | View complete answer on jewishrhody.com Wha to him if he was talking about the servant putting his hand Abrahams... Moreover, the wife of Moses sons and go meet him to.. 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Just as I have loved you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations circumcise flesh... And your offspring after you throughout their generations act a second time after doing so once reading passage. Verse prove Jesus is God but the problem is that these supplied names incorrect.
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