John 1:1 Does this Bible verse prove Jesus is God? As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. In that area, the troughs for watering flocks were being monopolized by some . It does not store any personal data. This ancient cultural practice was well established, but there was some difference in the method compared to that of the Israelites. Another example is when Abraham said to his servant, Put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. Ultimately, Zipporah is replaced by Mosess second wife, a Cushite woman. There is no scriptural basis for taking the life of a father who does not circumcise a son. 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. This is actually a topic that is debated often, but scripture is clear that Moses married two different women from two different lineages. She is a longtime student of the Word who brings dynamic and prophetic insights to her preaching, teaching, and pastoral life. It was then that she said, A bridegroom of blood, because of the circumcision. (http://www.esvbible.org/Exodus+4/) The portion of the text from which this passage comes yields several questions about the purpose of Zipporahs actions, whose life she was actually saving, the meaning of the phrase bridegroom of blood and what the overall situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. A bloody husband - Literally, "a husband of blood," or "bloods." It would also appear that she had successfully persuaded Moses to go along with her in refusing to circumcise the child. This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. Just click the proper button at the end of each article. Moses told God that he wasnt eloquent with his speech, which aggravated God. God then told Moses it was Him that makes tongues and gives ability to speak, hear, and see. Zipporah bore for him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. 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. Also note that it says circumcisions plural. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. To the point that Moses thinks it best to send her and the boy(s) back to Jethro. We do not send any commercial advertising, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. Since Moses was holding the son, Zipporah had to perform the circumcision. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Zipporah was Mosess first wife in the Bible. Some parents who have taken their children to the dentist or vaccination will understand. The Egyptians made the lives of the children of Israel bitter with hard bondage in what three things? Zipporah's actions give us a clue. 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. When a man has his hands full with what God wants him to do, he certainly doesnt need a wife who is a hindrance and an obstacle to him! 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. 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. Zipporah casts the foreskin at Moses feet and calls him a bloody husband simply because she is disgusted by the bloody procedure of circumcision. 1. As such, you should have circumcised your son soon after his birth. We must remember who we arebride of Christ, circumcised in our hearts, dead to sin, our flesh perpetually cast at the feet of Jesus in confession and repentance. Jethro had given Zipporah to Moses as his wife. We are committed to writing about what God wants you to know not what some churches only want you to hear. God was able to write Moses or LORD if he wanted to. Compare Jeremiah 13:23 (translated "Ethiopian"). Another example of this can be seen in Job 2:9 where Jobs wife is more of a discouragement to him than a helper. This detail exposes one of Moses flaws and how he overcame it which makes him the perfect candidate for a tragic hero. 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. If he was going to Egypt to free his people, his identification with Egypt had to die. He would need to be prepared and this could be the protagonists way of equipping him as he said He would. 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. 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). But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Something extraordinary took place, however, while he and his family travelled to the land of Pharaoh. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Zipporah's 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. 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. In Numbers 12:1, she also is called a Cushite ("black" or ancient "Ethiopian") woman. In fact, shes only mentioned three times in scripture. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. 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. 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. Approach the text as if you are reading it for the first time. A new section begins from verse 25. The term bloody husband is merely Zipporahs criticism of a husband who performs an apparently strange and bloody procedure. What was that all about? Well, to answer that question, we need a little more background information. Eliezer was Moses' and Zipporah's second son. Note: Page 209 of the source. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Exodus 4:24-26, 24. His first wife was his Kushite half-sister. When the passage is read correctly in the King James Bible, the passage becomes easy to understand. Amen. 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. See Exodus 2:11 4:31 for the Bible story. Why do that? Did Moses write the first five books of the Old Testament? 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 supported by a midrash (Jewish interpretation) in the Book of Jasher (Sepir Ha Yasher) 79:8-12 (which is not the authentic Book of Jasher mentioned in the Old Testament). ', 24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. Some translations might be easier to read, but they may not be easier to understand. Thus verse 24 belongs together in the same episode as that of verse 23. It was then she said, A bridegroom of blood by circumcision.. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. Upon returning to the home of their father, the sisters reported the incident of the Egyptian stranger who had come to their aid. 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. She called Moses a "bloody husband" because of the circumcision. Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). 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. Ask Anything. A new article is published about every 8 to 10 days, but we only send out our Newsletter about twice a month to notify everyone of the newest items posted. To understand the appellation and the circumstance leading up to Zipporah's use of it, we will look back about 400 years: Genesis ends with Joseph as the prime minister of Egypt who, by God's providence, saved Egypt from the famine and welcomed all his . What action can you take to remind the church of her true identity? . 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. Zipporah knew she was as much to blame for Moses' neglect. 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. 2. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. 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. Here is a grown boy who had to be circumcised. Maundy Thursday leads us to a bloody table and to a garden where Judas Iscariot has blood on his hands. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. Zipporah and her sisters appear too weak to defend themselves from the threat of local shepherds at the well. Who is the bridegroom? 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