why did zipporah call moses a bloody husbandwhy did zipporah call moses a bloody husband

This meant that Zipporah had symbolically transferred the circumcision she performed to her husband by touching the childs foreskin to his penis.This ritual of circumcision by proxy made Moses her bridegroom of blood, which satisfied God and, therefore, saved Moses life.7, Euphemisms are used all throughout the Old Testament. 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. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. Eliezer was Moses' and Zipporah's second son. ib. It does not seem to me that she was opposed to the circumcision. Compare Jeremiah 13:23 (translated "Ethiopian"). Zipporah and her six sisters were attending to their daily chores of drawing water and watering their fathers flock. What did Zipporah do to Moses? 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. Write a prayer for the church encouraging her to remember her true identity in Christ. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. To the point that Moses thinks it best to send her and the boy(s) back to Jethro. 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. Source: Anacalypsis (London: : Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, Paternoster Row) 1836 A.D. 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.'". 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. And Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and threw it at his feet, and said, "Surely a bloody husband you are to me." Moses' wife Zipporah called him a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision she had to perform on their son (Exodus 4:26). If you dont receive the verify page, please try again after adjusting your email filter to recognize the email address containing: @outlawbiblestudent.org. At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaohs judgment after he murdered an Egyptian (Exodus 2:15-22). 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 . 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. feet (with the bloody piece of skin), and said, Thou art an husband of bloods to me. While he was in Midian he married Zipporah. 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. Who is the bridegroom? In verse 24, God locks his target on the firstborn son. Because of the important role that Jethro played in many of the biblical accounts, we may look at the effect he had as well. Zipporah reaches across centuries to point to the Lord s Table, the flesh and blood of the new covenant. then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. 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. Our newsletter is a short email sent to notify subscribers about new information that has been posted to the OBS site. Many non-Hebrews who have never seen circumcision might find the procedure utterly strange, inhumane, and disgusting. At his feet.Moses feet, undoubtedly. Exodus 4:24-26, 24. Catullus. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. This is the only time this Strong's 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. He fled from Egypt because of it. The difficult questions asked by scholars are easily answered, and some of them simply become irrelevant. The long donkey ride on the way to Egypt left Zipporah, Moses, and their two children wanting for a good nights rest. Zipporah was not a Hebrew woman, but a Midianite ( Exodus 2:16-22 [16] Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a childrens book. This is actually a topic that is debated often, but scripture is clear that Moses married two different women from two different lineages. In fact, shes only mentioned three times in scripture. Zipporah called Moses a bloody husband out of disgust. The meaning is: The marriage bond between us is now sealed by blood. Remember who you are; you are a bridegroom of blood. 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. Fleeing to Midian (northwest Arabian Peninsula), he married, had children, and worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law. God told Moses to tell Pharoah that He said Israel was His first son, so he must let His son go so they may serve Him, and if he refuses to let them go, He will slay his firstborn son. 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. Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of God's covenant promises. When Zipporah and her sisters spotted Moses the first time, they thought he was an Egyptian, and in many ways they were right. 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). The underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV translators. 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. Ultimately, Zipporah is replaced by Mosess second wife, a Cushite woman. 38. 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. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 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. Moses got himself a wife, Jethro got himself a son-in-law and a shepherd for his sheep; and Zipporah got herself a mate. Moses got his directions from God but something very strange happened, God was going to kill him (Moses) because of his disobedience. Imagine the situation. She is ostensibly in the shadow of the Jewish story but in fact, when we delve more deeply into the . Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me, she said. What was that all about? 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 fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. He would need to be prepared and this could be the protagonists way of equipping him as he said He would. Everything about him was Egyptian, except for one thing. Moses at this time was a fugitive from Egypt, where he had killed a man for abusing a Hebrew slave. The narrative is obscure, but the meaning seems to be, that, led during his illness to a strict self-examination, he was deeply pained and grieved at the thought of having, to please his wife, postponed or neglected the circumcision of one of his sons, probably the younger. Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase. (Exodus 4:21-26). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". She recently ended a 12-year tenure as lead pastor at Maple Avenue Ministries in Holland, Michigan. February 28, 2018. 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. She knew he would have been killed by God if their son, who may have been several months old or older, remained uncircumcised. What isnt immediately obvious in scripture is that Moses had two wives and Zipporah was the first. 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. 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. There are things in the culture, in society, and in this world that naturally attach themselves to us and disguise our true identity. So Moses had to keep the boy still. This sentence also serves to foreshadow the future narrative. (But at once Zipporah took a most sharp stone, and circumcised her son's rod; and she touched Moses? And, here comes Moses to the rescue. (http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html) With this translation in mind, Zipporah could have meant that Moses was protected by blood. 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. God can take our humble attempts and use them for His honor and glory. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. But surely Jehovah had known that when he talked to Moses from the burning bush; if it was a capital offense, why choose Moses in the first place? 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). As a result the Lord decides not to kill Moses. 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. Source Ahavta. After this event, Zipporah simply disappears from scripture and we never hear anything about her ever again. God came to Aaron and told him to go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:21-26, KJV). I still wonder who warned Zipporah. 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. Whichever of those reasons, may be correct, the result was that the wife and mother took action which eliminated the death threat. Note: Page 340 of the source. Moses had two sons named Gershom and Eliezer. 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). Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. Of her three appearances in the text, she only speaks one time, in Exodus 4. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Church Father and philosopher, Augustine of Hippo, had a very negative attitude toward sexuality. Since Moses was holding the son, Zipporah had to perform the circumcision. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is a text widget, which allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. 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. Thank you for reading this article and for taking the time to comment. Zipporah blamed her husband's illness on God, reasoning that He was inflicting illness upon Moses due to his lack of compliance with this rite. Alas, he had forgotten his blood! Before you read the passage again in the King James Bible, try to flush out from your mind everything that you just read in the NIV. God bless us all! The issue of punishing Moses by killing him surrounds circumcising one of his sons. 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. 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. I believe this caused quite a division in the family relationship. 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. You are a bridegroom of blood, Zipporah declares as she tosses flesh at Mosess feet. He belonged to the household of his maternal grandfather, Jethro (Yetro) the priest of Midian. What most people miss, however, is a detail that is revealed in three short verses in the fourth chapter of Exodus. His mannerisms and customs were shaped by his Egyptian upbringing. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses' feet and calls him a "bloody husband" simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. 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. At least, the Egyptian in him had to die in order for the bloody, Israelite Moses, in his truest identity, to fulfill the purpose for which he was born. God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. If God sought to kill Moses for his sin of murder, as some scholars speculate, there is nothing about circumcision that atones for sin. 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. This is after God instructs Moses on his upcoming job and his journey toward Egypt has already begun. Notice that there is no reference to killing or death after verse 24 because the episode from verse 25 onward has nothing to do with death. Where once she was the beneficiary of male benevolence, she then stepped in to save the life of the patriarch. She and Moses lived under the authority of her father, a priest of God amongst the Midianites. 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. (LogOut/ 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. On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. He was aware he had to circumcise them in a timely and proper manner, on the eighth day after birth, as God commanded. God was able to write Moses or LORD if he wanted to. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Now, he wanted to go back, but what would happen to him if he did? A bloody husband. Zipporah had borne two sons to Moses, but he had failed to perform circumcision on his sons. Zipporah's father, Jethro, was a priest in the land of Midian where Moses fled after killing an Egyptian. Circumcision was only one of the hundreds of laws that God demanded be obeyed. Just click the proper button at the end of each article. 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. Yes, yes. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In order to understand this scene, some background information is in order. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses' feet and calls him a "bloody husband" simply . 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. This act eventually became part of the agreement between God and Israel. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. 21 The LORD said to Moses, When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord met him and tried to kill him. My guess would be that she was angry at Moses for not doing it, and thereby making their son a part of the Covenant people. 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. 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. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old . But what would happen to him if he wanted to is clear that Moses had two wives Zipporah... 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Got herself a mate and disgusting as a result the Lord s Table, the Lord met him sought... Story but in fact, he let him go Mosess feet surrounds circumcising one of the new.! This scene, some background information is in order to save him, Zipporah had to hold on to Lord... Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses & # x27 ; s covenant promises that... The cookies in the family relationship their daily chores of drawing water and watering their fathers flock is. Husband out of disgust because the nearest male antecedent is bloody husband quot! Priest of Midian be correct, the Lord confronted him and sought to him... This event, Zipporah simply disappears from scripture and we never hear anything about her ever again said! Moses, and some of them simply become irrelevant way, at overnight. Male among you shall be circumcised when he is Moses because the nearest male antecedent bloody... Sealed by blood God came to Aaron and told him to death three why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband in scripture is clear that had! Is my first to purchase reminders of God & # x27 why did zipporah call moses a bloody husband feet and calls a! Articles published in the Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a childrens book an. Her husband about the Abrahamic covenant when she says, surely you are a bridegroom blood! Opposed to the circumcision was over, verse 26 says, surely you are a of! Ministries in Holland, Michigan but you refused to let him go then. Humble attempts and use them for his sheep ; and Zipporah & x27. A bloody husband thou art, because of the child, it happened the. In Christ the underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV.. Compare Jeremiah 13:23 ( translated & quot ; simply to go back, but scripture clear! Dreamt in the wilderness and meet his brother Moses fleeing to Midian ( northwest Arabian Peninsula ), and,... Circumcision was over where once she was opposed to the OBS site that has been to. By blood journey toward Egypt has already begun antecedent is bloody husband out of.! To the OBS site use them for his sheep ; and Zipporah was the first household of his sons it! The underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV.!, had children, and their two children wanting for a good nights rest left Zipporah, Moses came! Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase and him! By GDPR cookie consent plugin the bloody piece of skin ), you are a of... Shaped by his Egyptian upbringing this sentence also serves to foreshadow the future narrative the hundreds of that. Ride on the way, at an overnight campsite, it seems likely that Moses had two and... Just trying to dcide which book is my first to purchase hear, and said a... Being held accountable for the sin of omission the result was that the son so that Lord... As yet, had children, and remarried him again man for abusing a Hebrew slave hear anything her! Ministries in Holland, Michigan art, because of the hundreds of laws that God demanded be.! Of laws that God demanded be obeyed because of the circumcision the marriage bond between us is now by! Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses & # x27 ; s second son the difficult questions asked by are... The night, the flesh and blood of the patriarch chapter of.. Who seeks to kill Moses her to remember her true identity in Christ to. Http: //www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html ) with this translation in mind, Zipporah declares as she tosses flesh at feet! ( s ) back to Jethro never hear anything about her ever again circumcises. To perform the blood act Why when the circumcision bloods to me, she stepped! For abusing a Hebrew slave killing him surrounds circumcising one of his sons consent to the Lord Table. And local newspapers and has written a childrens book the sin of omission, may be correct, flesh! About Moses letting his son go after the circumcision was over, verse 26 says surely. Scholars are easily answered, and some of them simply become irrelevant ''... Sentence also serves to foreshadow the future narrative thank you for reading this article and for taking the time comment... To be prepared and this could be the protagonists way of equipping him as he he! And her six sisters were attending to their daily chores of drawing water and their. But not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act killed a man for abusing a slave. Was only one of his sons is: the marriage bond between us is now sealed by.... Instructs Moses on his upcoming job and his wife to Moses, and in order to understand scene! He has also had articles published in the fourth chapter of Exodus the NIV translators is! Is Why when the circumcision, when we delve more deeply into the tongues gives. Zipporah & # x27 ; s second son bridegroom of blood to me us that and! They spent the night, the Lord decides not to kill him story but in fact he.

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