She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. This criticism displeases God, who punishes Miriam with Tzaraath (often glossed as leprosy). Jethro helped his son-in-law by encouraging him to delegate some of his responsibilities. Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. Page from the Rylands Haggadah. I am so excited to get this information. 18: . It was then that she said, A bridegroom of blood, because of the circumcision. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, and we dont know the details of their relationships. She may be Zipporah, the known wife of Moses (Exod 2:21, 18:2), or another woman. Ibn Ezra on Exodus 18:2 : , : ( :). He originally had a wife named Zipporah who was the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15 - 21). See e.g. The Untold Story of Zipporah, Wife of Moses - What Do You Think Zipporahs enigmatic statement has two possible explanations: she flings the foreskin atMosessfeet, saying, You are a bridegroom of blood to me (NRSV), or she flings it atGodsfeet, saying, You are a blood father-in-law to me.(Damimmeans blood, andhatancan mean either bridegroom or father-in-law.) Either way, her deed and words stop the attack. Higger], chap. 18:2). Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. 31 December 1999. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. 2:1517). 12)? The most popular incident is when Moses is challenged by Aaron and Miriam, because of his marriage to an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1). The Bible does not say when Zipporah and her sons rejoined Reuel/Jethro, only that after he heard of what God did for the Israelites, he brought Moses' family to him. The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. She then flings the foreskin at his feet, declaring that he ishatan damimto her(Exod 4:26). Moses then left the Ethiopians after forty years of ruler-ship (Jasher 76:5-12). Rabbah 5:8). Shalom. The Israelites, too, are called Kushiim in Amos 9:7: To me, O Israelites, you are just like the Ethiopians [Kushiim], because of the difference between them and the other peoples of the earth, since they observe the commandments (Sifrei on Numbers chap. Ask him in to break bread (Ex. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2011. There are several interesting passages about interactions between Zipporah, her husband, and her in-laws. He meets the seven daughters of Reuel, priest of Midian, at a well; rescues them from shepherds who are harassing them; and fills their jugs with water. [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. Thanks for the expository (article). Ive read all these accounts and one time believe them to be the same but after reading Josephus to them to be two separate marriages and ladies. In the Torah, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. Countertraditions A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). According to the biblical narrative, Moses lived 120 years and was 80 when he confronted Pharaoh, but there is no indication how old he was when he went to see the Hebrews. The most common translation is that Moses sent her away, but another grammatically permissible translation is that she sent things or persons, perhaps the announcement of the victory over Amalek. Dont forget to share this with someone that needs it. Regardless of which parent failed to have their son circumcised, both had to confront this choice later in life, and Gershom paid a price for that. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. Boast Not Against The Branches: Olive Tree Bible Verse Explained. When the daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, were being harassed, Moses helped them. 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!So he let him alone. Like many other prominent biblical characters, Zipporah is depicted in several works of art. Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. Her mysterious life leaves us with more questions than answers, but it does not mean her life was not worth studying. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Zipporah: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive I wouldnt call Jasher non biblical. Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. Yet on the journey, God tried to kill Moses. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. In the midrashic expansion, when the daughters of Jethro returned home, they told their father that a stranger had saved them from the shepherds, and he asked them: Why did you leave the man? At the time of Moses marriage to Zipporah he was no longer married to the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis). He did not withdraw from his wife because she aged or because she was no longer desirable in his eyes; rather, his abstinence resulted from a divine command. But where did it come from? More research shows a biblical record that supports the information presented by Josephus concerning Moses war against the Ethiopians when he was the king of the Ethiopians. Who was Moses' wife? If we dont study then were only left with half the truth. Strangers in the land were commanded to faithfully observe God's holy Sabbath Day (Exodus 20:10) and keep the annual Feast of Tabernacles in the fall (Deuteronomy 16:13 - 14). But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. 31 December 1999. Blessings to you and your family, Shalom! He planted the staff in the garden of his house, and no man could approach it. There are many lessons to learn from the marriage of Moses and Zipporah about leadership, communication, and how there can be unintended consequences to zealous obedience. Who knows, but it gives me hope to relate to Moses in this thing. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word. So that they also keep Yahs commands (John 14:21-27) and enter his kingdom too. Another interpretation, however, has this danger hovering over Moses, and in order to save him, Zipporah circumcises their son. Although any alien or Gentile (a term used for anyone of a race different that Israel) that was not circumcised could not partake of the yearly Passover ceremony, they still were required by law to do several things. Reuel's daughter, who became the wife of Moses ( Exodus 2:21).In consequence of the event recorded in Exodus 4:24-26, she and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when so far on the way with Moses toward Egypt, were sent back by him to her own kinsfolk, the Midianites, with whom they sojourned till Moses afterwards joined them ( 18:2-6). I trust Him. Zipporah was one of them. Hi I had been reading the book of yasher over Passover and Ive been finding it very interesting! They believed Zipporahs ethnicity disqualified him from being Gods sole mouthpiece. What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition? "Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah." And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, I have been a sojournerin a foreign land), and the name of the other, Eliezer(for he said, The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh). This passage mostly focuses on Jethro aiding Moses in getting help judging the conflicts among the tribes. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. The Midianites themselves were later on depicted at times in non-Biblical sources as dark-skinned and called Kushim, a Hebrew word used for dark-skinned Africans. Note that God makes no distinction between those who are Israelites and those who are "strangers" (Gentiles, aliens, sojourners, those who were not of Israel by "race") in regard to the need to offer sacrifices, the ability to receive forgiveness of sins, and even the punishment for presumptuous sins! a female bird. Most people know that Moses had a staff which he carried when he performed the eleven miracles against Pharaoh in Egypt. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. Yet another exegetical tradition explains that Zipporah differed from other women in her deeds (BT Moed Katan 16b). Since modesty is appropriate for the relations between a man and his wife, how did Miriam learn of Mosess abstinence? Interpretations differ on whether this Cushite woman[he] was one and the same as Zipporah, or another woman, and whether he was married to them simultaneously (which would make him a polygamist) or successively. If youre equating marriage to sex that is not a biblical understanding. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. At some point before the exodus from Egypt, Moses sends her and the children away(Exod 18:2). 4:24). He puts her in a group of what he calls "notable and sainted Ethiopians". Af and Hemah (the destructive angels of wrath and anger) came and swallowed Moses, leaving only his legs. After God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey. There are some people in the Bible whose lives we only see in bits and pieces, and Zipporah is one of those figures. Salem Media Group. Moses goes out to greet Jethro and takes him into his tent, but nothing is said about his greeting Zipporah. Context matters: Why Miriam and Aaron dare rebuke Moses After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. Who Was Zipporah and What Can We Learn from Her Life? - Bible Study Tools When her father identified Moses as his future son-in-law, she ran to bring him from the well, and hence became his wife. She saved his life in the night encampment when she made haste to circumcise her son. The underlying aim of the midrashim that recount how Zipporahs beauty was preserved in her old age is to aggrandize Moses. Those "strangers in a strange land," the non-Israelites of another race living in the Promised Land, received the same blessings as those natural citizens who obeyed the Eternal. The details of the passage are unclear and subject to debate. This information sheds a clear light on the question, whether Moses was married to an Ethiopian? If the Rabbis identify the Cushite woman with Zipporah, and the word Cushite describes her positive qualities (her beauty and her deeds), what flaw did Miriam and Aaron find in her when they spoke against Moses (Num. That Bloody Bridegroom (Exodus 4:2426). Vetus What mattered was whether the "stranger" or non-Israelite was willing to be obedient to God's laws and thus become a citizen of Israel. 4:2426. Vetus I have an better understanding also who Josephus the historian is and also the book of Jasher. As you can see above Abrahams second wife Kenturah gave birth to children and one of them was the father of the Midianites. Her right hand is to her chest. Then at the age of sixty-six he went to the land of Midian and married Zipporah the Midianite. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. It is also noted that Zipporah is often rejected by her husband, who is always waiting to hear new words from God. 49 And all the mighty men of the Kinites tried to pluck it when they endeavored to get Zipporah his daughter, but they were unsuccessful. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. What Is The True Sabbath Day? The Rabbis ascribe many traits to her; they considered her different than other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. Some women are beautiful to others but not to their husband, and there are women who are beautiful to their husband but not to others; while Zipporah was lovely in the eyes of her husband and of everyone who beheld her (Midrash Tehillim 7:18). Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again. So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. In the Book of Chronicles, two of her grandsons are mentioned: Shebuel, son of Gershom; and Rehabiah, son of Eliezer (1 Chronicles 23:1617). Thank you, for this informative article. what is biblical or not) were not Hebrews, they slaughtered the Hebrews. Much more likely is that Zipporah had died (although her death is not recorded in Scripture) and that Moses had remarried. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . In conversations we have daily on the Word of God and the life of great men like Moses my questions are answered know. This is the first time I have heard that Moses had an Ethiopian wife! and to be the occasion of the great danger the Ethiopians were in, when they had before boasted of their great achievements, she fell deeply in love with him; and upon the prevalency of that passion, sent to him the most faithful of all her servants to discourse with him about their marriage. in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. [Hence, it is no longer dangerous to have him in our home.] The circumcision performed by Zipporah is one of the most intriguing moments in the Bible, though the meaning behind her words is still unclear. The latter tries to help, and is punished. How can we know which is correct? The answer is no: Moses never had more than four wives. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Corporation, 1967. The ones that are, are in the minority and they are a blessing. On the road, they stayed at an inn, where God came to kill Moses.