Moses saw Zipporah's act of self-mutilation as a remnant of his wife's idolatrous upbringing, and a demonstration that God's displeasure at her presence was indeed well-founded. God told Moses that those who sought his life in Egypt, meaning especially Pharoah, had died. Asked By Wiki User. See All...? Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!”. At this time, Moses was 80 years old, though we do not know the age of his son. The first son of Moses and Zipporah was called Gershom, which means stranger. 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. This … Moses then took his wife Zipporah and his sons, and went to Egypt. Moses is told that his father-in-law Jethro is “coming to see you, with your wife and her two sons” (Exod i8:6). What did Aaron do to Moses when he saw him. Her telling Moses he was a bloody husband because of the circumcision … God told Moses in time that he will take water from the Nile and pour it on dry land, and the water and the river will become like blood. There is no reason why Zipporah should circumcise her son. On the road, they stayed in an inn, where God came to kill Moses. Why would Zipporah be the one to do the circumcision? 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. Non Existent Revisions in the King James Bible, From the time of Abraham, all the boys of the tribes of Israel were to be circumcised (. (Exodus 4:24-26) Lord, I am here again. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. It consequently only makes sense if Zipporah has circumcised her son, Gershom, and then symbolically transferred that circumcision to Moses by taking the foreskin and touching Moses’ genitals. Unanswered Questions. 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. I see this story, like so many in the Scriptures, as one where the outsider (Zipporah) understands the covenant practices of God better than the insider (Moses). Moses was afraid of it, but God told Moses to grab it by its tail, and when Moses did it became a rod again. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. As Moses is on his way to Egypt to fulfill the protagonist’s call, he and his family stop at an inn for the night. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.—Exodus 4:24-26 ( ESV) exodus moses. Ex 4:24-26 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Exactly why Moses had not circumcised his son is not stated in Scripture. In summary, then, Zipporah's actions and words could very well be symbolic of having rescued her husband Moses from death, and through her act of obedience she received Moses back from the dead, as it were, for a second chance at marriage. In Exodus 4:24-26 [24] And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. His son must be circumcised. Zipporah was not a Hebrew woman, but a Midianite (Exodus 2:16-22). Scripture describes how, after Moses protected Jethro ’s daughters from shepherds who did not allow them to access the local well, Jethro “gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.”3. Hence we hear her say, "You are indeed a … Here are the facts: The facts and conclusions give us a solid framework in which to understand the rest of the story. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. Whether it was the case that Zipporah had died, or whether the two had been effectively divorced as a result of this incident, or whether the Cushite woman was Moses' second wife, scripture does not say. Where did the LORD tell Aaron to go to meet Moses… The details of the passage are unclear and subject to debate. the wilderness. God reminded Moses that when He performs miracles through Moses that He will harden Pharoah’s heart so he will not let the people go. share. Being he was a humble man, I don’t believe Moses meant to defy God on his own, but perhaps it was his wife Zipporah that refused to do it. “Zipporah May be Obscure, but the Wife of Moses Mattered” is the title given to an article by Beth Brophy in the Jan. 25, 2008 edition of US News and World Report magazine.1 I couldn’t have said it better. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. Moses’ wife Zipporah called him a “bloody husband” because of the circumcision she had to perform on their son (Exodus 4:26). The Exodus Moses' sons certainly did (cf. Zipporah was not a Hebrew woman, but a Midianite (. She greatly disliked this rite but executed it in a successful attempt to spare Moses’ life. Where did God tell Aaron to go Moses. Moses went to Jethro, his father in law, and asked him to let him go so he could go to his brothers in Egypt. Why would God want to kill Moses? 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. In order to understand this scene, some background information is in order. Her words that followed to Moses were “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” (Ex 4:25). Are you ready for our last woman of influence? How can Zipporah be both Moses' mother and wife? She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. 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. Being he was a humble man, I don’t believe Moses meant to defy God on his own, but perhaps it was his wife Zipporah that refused to do it. The elders believed, and when they heard that God had heard of their afflictions and their cries, they bowed their heads and worshipped Him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut … Sometimes, with a passage like this, it is best to start with what we do know and can safely conclude. Aaron met Moses at Mount Horeb, which is also a range in Sinai, the mountain of the Lord, and Moses told him all the things the Lord had told him to say and do. At some point before the exodus from Egypt, Moses sends her and the children away (Exod 18:2). Zipporah means “small bird.” “So He [God] let him [Moses] go: then she [Zipporah] said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.” Exodus 4:26. It appears that he was so sick that he was unable to do it himself, so Zipporah did it. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. He must have his own house in order. Maybe, when Moses brought up the subject of Gershom’s circumcision, Zipporah objected. We know from this passage that the son of Moses had not been circumcised before Moses headed for Egypt. God told him to put his hand back to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand was restored the way it was. Moses told God that he wasn’t eloquent with his speech, which aggravated God. However, even at this point, Moses was more prone to give in to his wife's opposition than to God's command. What did Zipporah call her Moses after she circumcised her son? the mount of God. Why did Zipporah call Moses a bloody husband. 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. What kind of husband did Zipporah say Moses was? I think we can also safely assume that God was demanding that Moses immediately obey the covenant God had made to Abraham. A bloody husband. God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. Only a little assumption shows us that Geshom had not been circumcised because of the opposition of his Midianite mother. God came to Aaron and told him to go into the wilderness and meet his brother Moses. In fact, quoting the article: “Bizarre is typical of how biblical scholars describe the tale of Zipporah and her husband, Moses, especially the section i… God said that if the children of Israel would not believe the first sign, they will believe the second. Moses is the bloody bridegroom because he hasn't fully taken his family under the covenant sign and his wife has to do this for him to protect her child. We don’t know which son it was, but Zipporah took a sharp stone and circumcised her son and cast the foreskin at Moses’ feet, saying, “Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.” It may have been because of her own unbelief and disdain for the things of the Lord, that Moses eventually sent her and their two boys back to Midian. God told Moses to cast the rod to the ground, and it became a serpent. 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. Zipporah quickly circumcised her son with a sharp stone and touched Moses' feet with the foreskin, saying "Surely you are a husband of blood to me!" Under the circumstances, Moses would have been incapacitated and they were already on the way to Egypt; God was satisfied by the ritual act (Exod 4:26). Can you explain Exodus 4:24And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. These scholars are thinking too hard. The Midrash provides a fascinating backstory of how this union came to be. Moses' son had not been circumcised on the eighth day after his birth as commanded. Moses fell suddenly into a serious illness, because he had forgotten or postponed the circumcision of his son. Moses had avoided pressing the issue until God pressured him. But now, Moses was taking his place as the man that God had chosen to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. God then left Moses alone (Exodus 4:24-26). 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. There are many lessons to be drawn from this story, but I will leave them for you to dip from God's living water for yourself. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. This name was given to him as a testimony by Moses that he was "a stranger in a strange land" (Exodus 2:22). Whatever the reason, Zipporah had to think and act quickly in order to save her husband’s life. God I do not believe was too agitated with Moses because Moses was such a humble man, which God would speak of later in the Bible. 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. Her response to her husband’s impending death is to perform a circumcision on her son and toss the foreskin at her husband Moses. Ex:18:2: Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, ... Why did moses wife call him a bloody husband? "Moses had been as good as taken from her by the deadly attack which had been made upon him. 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. Moses knew God’s command to Abraham, but had nevertheless failed to observe it. So he let him alone. 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. One gets the impression from Zipporah’s anger in casting the foreskin at Moses feet and saying to him (twice in the text), “A bloody husband thou art to me,” that she had opposed it. If it was, she would not say he was a bloody husband because it would be an expectation that he should be circumcised. Our last influential woman, named Zipporah, has a lot of mystery surrounding her story. When Zipporah saw that God was ready to take her husband's life because of this disobedience, she circumcised Gershom herself, but not without a last attack on the character of her husband. 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. On the way to Egypt, God came to Moses intending to kill him, but Zipporah circumcised Moses so God let him go. 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. Why was God seeking to kill Moses? “Though not an Israelite, Zipporah was a worshiper of the true God. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. 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. God asked Moses what was in his hand, and Moses said “a rod”. 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. See All... we find a strange story inserted in the record of the journey of Moses from the wilderness to Egypt in order to free the Israelites from bondage. This helps him to explain another curious point of the story. One gets the impression from Zipporah’s anger in casting the foreskin at Moses feet and saying to him (twice in the text), “A bloody husband thou art to me,” that she had opposed it. Therefore, Moses sent Zipporah and their two sons back to her family in Midian. why Zipporah called Moses a bloody husband circumcision, UNANSWERED QUESTIONS TO YOUR WORD SEARCHES (CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA), why did God want to kill Moses unless he was circumcised. kissed him. they bowed their heads and worshipped. ), and Moses is later re-married to a Cushite woman (Num.12). 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). 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. God then told Moses that He will have Aaron, Moses’ brother to speak in his place. After the exodus, her father, the priest of Midian (here called Jethro), comes to visit Moses, bringing Zipporah and her two sons. because of the circumcision. Most believe that she was opposed to infant circumcision (as were her Midianite people), so Moses did not perform the circumcision in order to please her. Why was his circumcision such an issue at this moment? [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. I don’t think you’ll forget her. a bloody husband. The ancient interpreters made the assumption that Jethro or Zipporah herself did not allow the eldest son of Moses Girsam to be circumcised, because in their tribe, circumcision was performed only in the 13th year of life. In Exodus 4:25-26, she calls Moses a “bloody husband.” Perhaps Moses intended to do it eventually, but Zipporah begged him to … So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art , because of the circumcision.” It is unclear why Moses had neglected to keep this covenant, but it is clear that Zipporah was clearly upset and repulsed by the practice. The question remains: why did Moses resist such a clear command of God and did not circumcise his son? God told Moses to put his hand to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand became white like it was leprous. [26] So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Why did Zipporah call Moses a bloody husband? 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. a bloody husband. Where did Aaron met Moses. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. the genealogy of his sons in 1Chron.23:15ff. God, having been obeyed (though unwillingly) allowed Moses to go on his way.