how old was zipporah when she married moses

Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of the ability of women to perform circumcision. Parents share responsibility for raising their children: The incident at the inn where Zipporah circumcised their son is difficult to understand, especially in a modern context. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. He fled from the scene of a crimehe had murdered an Egyptian for being cruel to an Israelite slave. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. [26] She is the main character in Marek Halter's novel Zipporah, Wife of Moses (2005).[27]. The Bible records, "She gave birth to a son, and . Moses was that man, when he took it out the ground Reuel saw him with it, and it was at that moment he knew Moses was special, so he gave him his daughter Zipporah. 31 December 1999. Moses first Marriage was to Adoniah as previously mentioned and his second marriage was to Reuel (Jethro) the Midianites daughter Zipporah. Zipporah first appeared in the Book of Exodus after Moses fled Egypt. She then touched Moses saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" Expository Zipporah is presented as the leaders wife, who suffers from the life of abstinence decreed for her husband. Rabbah 5:8). The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. 19:15): Be ready for the third day: do not go near a woman. All Israel withdrew from their wives, and Moses withdrew from his wife. Let us know. Heres a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporahs father was a Midianite. Moses then left the Ethiopians after forty years of ruler-ship (Jasher 76:5-12). There's not a lot mentioned about her in the Bible; however, she's known for one major thing and it's a bit strange. 1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. The girls answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock." Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. On the road, they stayed at an inn, where God came to kill Moses. Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. 2:1517). At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaoh's judgment after he . The Meaning Of Maccabees, Is Purgatory A Dogma? Wm. She heroically saves Moses and her sons from a random attack from an angel by cutting off her son's foreskin; the explanation for this act is unclear. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. 11) with the conversation between Miriam and Aaron (chap. It is always good to study the Scriptures deeper and further. : . Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Zipporah was one of them. While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. Pardes, Ilana. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. She heroically saved Moses from an attack by circumcising her son. "Where is he then? The story is definitely the same, although the name of the Cushite (Ethiopian) queen is different, it is clearly the same history being recorded. Exodus 18:2-5. After Zipporah performed the circumcision, she took the foreskin and touched his legs (v. 25). 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. 18:26, when Jethro brings Zipporah and her two sons to Moses in the wilderness, after she had been sent home (v. 2). One is that Satan sought to kill the uncircumcised baby, and the appellation a bridegroom [hatan] of blood was given to the child himself, who thereby become a hatan (the title given to the child who undergoes circumcision). The second position is that Moses was negligent regarding his sons circumcision. Then at the age of sixty-six he went to the land of Midian and married Zipporah the Midianite. Blessings to you and your family, Shalom! And Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have d15one foolishly and have sinned. 12:1): because of the Cushite woman he had marriedhe married her because she was a Cushite woman (Sifrei Zuta 12:1). The most popular incident is when Moses is challenged by Aaron and Miriam, because of his marriage to an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1). 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. 44 And the stick came down to Noah and was given to Shem and his descendants, until it came into the hand of Abraham the Hebrew. Book of Numbers 12:1 states that Moses was criticized by his older siblings for having married a "Cushite woman", Aethiopissa in the Latin Vulgate Bible version. The Rabbis also find an allusion to Zipporahs beauty in her name, which means gaze and see [zafu ve-rau] how comely she is (Sifrei on Numbers chap. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Just as everyone speaks of the blackness of the Cushite, so do all proclaim the beauty of Zipporah (Tanhuma, Zav 13). Intercultural/interracial marriages can work and are Biblical: Zipporah and Moses came from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. It explains the wars that Moses was a part of when he left Egypt. Her mysterious life leaves us with more questions than answers, but it does not mean her life was not worth studying. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to Zipporah, whom they considered as differing from other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. [6] The idea that Moses separated from Zipporah could be adduced from the description of Jethro bringing Moses his wife, "after she had been sent home" ( ) in Exod. The two latter midrashim are based on the juxtaposition of the appointment of the seventy elders and the prophesying of Eldad and Medad (Num. In Hebrew, her name means "bird" or "little bird.". However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. Mercy and compassion were to be shown to aliens. Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. After the crown was given to Moses Adoniah the former kings wife married Moses. Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. Many of us are familiar with Moses' wife, Zipporah. 99). 99). It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc. Reuel then gave Moses Zipporah as his wife (Exodus 2:1121). 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. This Talmudic source (albeit with opposing views) highlights Zipporahs uniqueness, as the only woman in the Bible said to have performed a circumcision. He read the symbols on it, extended his hand, and took it. I havent broken my covenant to her, and maybe God will still honor it in the next life, and maybe she will too when her mental illnesses are then gone. 45 And when Abraham had given all he had to his son Isaac, he also gave to him this stick. This teaches that at some point Zipporah and her sons had been sent back to Midian, where they stayed with Jethro until he brought them to Moses in the wilderness. Following their appointment, all Israel kindled lamps and engaged in celebrations, rejoicing at the elders having attained their exalted status. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. Sorry to here about the break up. It was then that she said, A bridegroom of blood, because of the circumcision. Have an update or correction? (Exodus 4:24). In Gods eyes, it does not matter whether Moses' wife was a Midianite, Cushite or whatever "race" she was. This is powerful, No correction Abraham is a descendant of Moses, Glad you appreciate the story. 4.1K views, 50 likes, 28 loves, 154 comments, 48 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7th District AME Church: Thursday Morning Opening Session Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? The truth is, as you have seen throughout this article, is that this assumption is based off a lack of knowledge and thorough study of the scriptures. He thereupon accepted the offer, on condition she would procure the delivering up of the city; and gave her the assurance of an oath to take her to his wife; and that when he had once taken possession of the city, he would not break his oath to her. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges ( Judges 4:11) as Hobab. At some point before the exodus from Egypt, Moses sends her and the children away(Exod 18:2). Because of this pledge, Moses had to return to Midian after he had been sent to Egypt, as it is said (Ex. She is also described as a practical woman capable of taking action at the right moment. The latter understanding is based on Zipporah's declaration in the following verse (25) that you are truly a bridegroom of blood to me, which is directed to her bridegroom, Moses. Moses had killed an Egyptian by accident and fled to the Midianites since the Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. Its worth reading and very insightful. : 247 Inspiration. The answer is no: Moses never had more than four wives. Moses recognized this quality in her, as it is said (Num. 18: . Saturday Or Sunday? Some people believe that the "Cushite woman" the text referred to whom Moses married was not a second wife, but Zipporah (via My Jewish Learning). They believed Zipporahs ethnicity disqualified him from being Gods sole mouthpiece. This article helped to throw more light on issues and matters concerning one of the Biblical figures Moses. Zipporah found very this difficult and she Miriam, forming a bond of feminine solidarity as Miriam lent an attentive ear and tried to help. Like many other prominent biblical characters, Zipporah is depicted in several works of art. Thank you for this! 12:1 attests that Miriam and Aaron spoke against the Cushite woman whom Moses had married. Cambridge, MA: 1992. Upon hearing her father, Zipporah immediately ran after Moses like a bird (ke-zippor, i.e., with alacrity) (Ex. We would have to read it and compare, and the Spirit should lead you, Shalom. After having performed this rite, Zipporah says (v. 26): A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision [la-mulot, in the plural], from which the Rabbis deduced two elements of the circumcision procedure: periah (uncovering the corona) and zizin (the shreds of the corona, that invalidate the circumcision) (JT Nedarim 3:9, 38b; Deut. Below you will see one of the sons Abraham had with his late wife Keturah. This criticism displeases God, who punishes Miriam with Tzaraath (often glossed as leprosy). 51 And when Reuel saw the stick in the hand of Moses, he wondered at it, and he gave him his daughter Zipporah for a wife. As you can see above Abrahams second wife Kenturah gave birth to children and one of them was the father of the Midianites. And not for a few months as Moses may have assumed. Thank you! Eventually Reuel the Midianite ended up with the stick after the death of Joseph. A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. This information sheds a clear light on the question, whether Moses was married to an Ethiopian? 5:2627): Go, say to them, Return to your tents. But you remain here with MeIsrael shall return to their wives, but you shall not return to marital relations (Tanhuma, Zav 13). Zipporah noticed her husband was at risk and swiftly used a stone to cut their son's foreskin. When the daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, were being harassed, Moses helped them. Alonso de Sandoval, 17th century Jesuit, reasoned that Zipporah and the Cushite woman was the same person, and that she was black. When reading the scriptures youll find that Moses was married to Zipporah at the time when he was accused of being married to an Ethiopian. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,and I say to you, Let my son go that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son. At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 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. Shalom. Moses first wife was Adoniah (Tharbis) and his second wife was Zipporah. While most people would feel grateful when a person saves their lives, Moses didn't seem to appreciate it. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? 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. When we research the lineage of Zipporah Moses wife we see that it goes back to the Midianites. After the exodus, her father, the priest of Midian (here called Jethro), comes to visit Moses, bringing Zipporah and her two sons. Upon their return home, their father asked them, "How is it that you have come home so early today?" slimming world honey chilli chicken,

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