Approach the text as if you are reading it for the first time. Zipporah circumcised her son as Moses held him still. Confess and repent. 4:25). 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. Zipporah calls Moses a bridegroom because she had been compelled to acquire and purchase him anew as a husband by shedding the blood of her son, hence a bridegroom of blood. Zipporah is in blue. She took the razor-sharp flint stone and severed her son's foreskin. It was then she said, A bridegroom of blood by circumcision, (Exodus 4:24-26, NRSV).1. Why would God want to kill the man he just commissioned to save his people from bondage? (Exodus 4:21-26). God told Moses to cast the rod to the ground, and it became a serpent. 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 en.wikipedia.org. We keep your email address private we do not give, trade, share, or sell it to others. You can see our basic rules for comments by clicking The Fine Print on the top menu bar. This article is part of the She Is Called Women of the Bible Study Series Prayer Great I Am, light the path before us we pray. His name means "Help of my God" in Hebrew. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 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 first son of Moses and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means stranger. (At that time she said bridegroom of blood, referring to circumcision.) Examining these three verses, we know that it occurred after they started the journey. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. In Numbers 12:1, she also is called a Cushite ("black" or ancient "Ethiopian") woman. Is Psalm 12:7 a promise that God would preserve his words? God came to Aaron and told him to go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses. (e) "tetigitque pedes ejus", V. L. (f) T. Hieros. Holy Week drags us reluctantly down the bloody path to Golgotha. . (Genesis 17:9-12a). At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaohs judgment after he murdered an Egyptian (Exodus 2:15-22). 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. If you have any suggestions and queries you can contact us on the below details. The Text tells us he was 120 when he die. Circumcision was important to God, at least until Christ was crucified. Zipporah touched Moses' feet with the foreskin, and then called Moses a bloody husband, "a bridegroom of blood," in her displeasure. 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). She and Moses lived under the authority of her father, a priest of God amongst the Midianites. Zipporah reaches across centuries to point to the Lord s Table, the flesh and blood of the new covenant. Jesus changed the law with a single word: love.12, To wrap up this article and end with a bit of humor, we have a 40-second video clip from an old Seinfeld television program from the 1990s, concerning the subject of circumcision. 38. 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. If God sought to kill Moses for his sin of murder, as some scholars speculate, there is nothing about circumcision that atones for sin. Moses said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land." This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The standard explanation is that Moses had not circumcised his son, as Jehovah had ordered for all descendants of Abraham. Circumcision was only one of the hundreds of laws that God demanded be obeyed. What were the names of the two Hebrew midwives? So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. 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. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Till 24, Pharaoh's first born son was the subject. morter, brick, and all manner of service in the field. Gershom is now identified as one of the Hebrew people because of the visible blood sign of his circumcision and enjoys Yahweh's protection. 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. How did circumcision avert God's wrath? Unlike his Egyptian peers, he was circumcised. Because of his kindness, Jethro tells his daughters to invite him for the meal. 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. This leads to another point that perhaps the word foot is euphemistic for Moses genitals. In fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Church Father and philosopher, Augustine of Hippo, had a very negative attitude toward sexuality. Source: The New International Encyclopdia, Volume 11 (Dodd, Mead) 1911 A.D. The Exodus passage also refers to the term, bridegroom of blood, in many translations. 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. It is mentioned in Genesis, chapter 17, when God repeats his covenant of solidarity with Abraham and his descendants and explains his demands. 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 called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. Zipporah is Moses's patrilineal cousin and his second wife. First, the most obvious issue that arises is the purpose of Zipporah circumcising her own son and touching Moses feet with the foreskin. Eliezer was Moses' and Zipporah's second son. Moses' wife, Zipporah, calls Moses a "bridegroom of blood" in Exodus 4:25. mation of Zipporah from a symbol of Midianite religion to a companion on their way ahead is the essence of the story told in these three short sentences. 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. 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. She, no doubt, witnessed the hesitation of Moses to act and decided to take matters into her own hands. 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. Note: Page 603 of the source. It would be rivaled soon after as the blood of the Egyptian children ran cold at the final plague, as the blood of lambs was smeared on the doorposts of the Hebrew households that first Passover, and with the bloodying of the sea as the waters closed over the Egyptian army. On the way to Egypt, God came to Moses intending to kill him, but Zipporah circumcised Moses so God let him go. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Circumcision is a covenant, not a sacrifice that atones for sin. 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. Although it may seem outwardly there was nothing wrong, to God nothing is hidden! It might refer to the child, for in response Zipporah cuts off her sons foreskin and thus saves his life. Brother of Goliath or Goliath in 2 Samuel 21:19? And why not remind him then? 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. Punishment for failing to be circumcised falls upon the child, not the father (Genesis 17:14). Why would God want to kill Moses? 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. The scripture says Zipporah touched his feet, with the foreskin. 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). On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. Moses became a shepherd and dwelt with Jethro. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Well, to answer that question, we need a little more background information. We are urged to die to all our false identities and to remember our true identity as siblings of the flesh and blood of the Bridegroom. Then she said, "You are a . After God brought His people out of Egypt through the leadership of Moses, Jethro reunites Moses and his family in Exodus 18:5-6. 22:13-19), the removal of the prepuce would be the grooms parallel loss. (http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/second/larue.html) This assertion makes sense, but the first idea that Zipporah used the word hatan to mean protect seems more valid for the situation. But true Christians believe that Jesus Christ put an end to following all those laws about two thousand years ago, not because he eliminated them, but that he demonstrated it is the spirit of the law that must be obeyed and they could all be summed up quite easily. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. It does not store any personal data. 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. Romance, Passionate Love, Sexual Pleasures: What Does the Bible Say?. "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 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 did Moses kill this man? Moses was a murderer to Egyptians. _______________________________________________. The difficult questions asked by scholars are easily answered, and some of them simply become irrelevant. 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 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. (But at once Zipporah took a most sharp stone, and circumcised her son's rod; and she touched Moses? Answer: Technically, no. In Hebrew, Zipporah ( Tspporah) means "bird.". But now the time had come that God would save His people. 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. 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). 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. Zipporah The Woman Who Wrongly Opposed Her Husband. 2. God can take our humble attempts and use them for His honor and glory. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Shiphrah and Puah. Listed on Blogspots 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. What did the Egyptians make the children of Israel serve with? Description: In verses 25 and 26, Zipporah calls Moses a "bloody husband" because of his strange and bloody procedure of circumcision. Juvenal Satyr 6. 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." So He let him go. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And he went, and met him in the . Everything about him was Egyptian, except for one thing. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". She recently ended a 12-year tenure as lead pastor at Maple Avenue Ministries in Holland, Michigan. How might these things have been allowed to trump your identity in Christ? Ask God to help you remember the places and things in your life that you have attached to your identity. HaShem found Zipporah most acceptable as Moses wife, she was a loving woman that chose to save her husband's life to include the lives of the masses when Moses failed to circumcise one of his sons. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Ask God to reveal these places and/or things. This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. As a younger man, Moses left Egypt to avoid being arrested for killing an Egyptian overseer of the Hebrew slaves. 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