how old was zipporah when she married moses
So even though I have always hated the idea of divorce, no matter how much she drove me nuts or didnt step up to the plate when it came to our family, I patiently accepted her for who she was because she was the woman I chose, even though our relationship didnt start in Gods way, and now maybe God is rewarding me for that patience. 4:20 relates that Moses took Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when he returned to Egypt, and describes an incident that occurred on their journey in the night encampment. Wm. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. Zipporah noticed her husband was at risk and swiftly used a stone to cut their son's foreskin. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Based on the Bible, there is no prohibition against what people define as different "races" from being married. Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of the ability of women to perform circumcision. Whose legs did she touch? The Bible records, "She gave birth to a son, and . 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. 40 And he approached the stick and he looked, and behold the name of the Lord God of hosts was engraved thereon, written and developed upon the stick. [14][15][16][17][18] Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah after helping save Jethro's daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. Moses and the latter met at the mountain of God when Moses was on his way to Egypt (Ex. If you havent read the apocrypha (It fills the gap between Malachi and Matthew), the book of Maccabees within it will shed light on the Romans conquest over Israel. Upon their return home, their father asked them, "How is it that you have come home so early today?" Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] An opposing view, however, argues that a woman is not deemed to be as if already circumcised; this commandment is not relevant for the woman, and since she herself is not circumcised, she may not circumcise others. In the Torah, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. The Rabbis interpret the vague wording of the verse in different ways. The answer is no: Moses never had more than four wives. Aaron goes forth to greet his brother and hugs and kisses him. Reuel was so grateful, he decided to receive Moses as a guest in his house and offered up his daughter Zipporah to Moses to marry. The law you quote is in Deuteronomy, which was not yet in existence when Moses married the Cushite - it was spoken at the very end of Moses' life (Deut 4:44-5:1). 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). Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011. Who Was Tharbis and Did Moses Marry Twice? - christianity.com Jewish Women's Archive. So the question is, who is the Ethiopian woman that Aaron and Miriam had an issue with Moses about? What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition? All I ever wanted was to protect and provide for them. But no children are ever recorded for a second wife of Moses. Just as Joseph was a Hebrew, with his wife being and Egyptian, yet his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, were Israelites due to their father's line. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb. And Moses cried to the Lord, O God, please heal herplease. But the Lord said to Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? The circumcision performed by Zipporah is one of the most intriguing moments in the Bible, though the meaning behind her words is still unclear. 45 And when Abraham had given all he had to his son Isaac, he also gave to him this stick. 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. Mosess hope that his family would be present at the Giving of the Torah would nonetheless be realized, because the Torah tells of their reunion in Ex. 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! However, while Moses was uneasy at the armys lying idle, (for the enemies durst not come to a battle,) this accident happened: Tharbis was the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians: she happened to see Moses as he led the army near the walls, and fought with great courage; and admiring the subtility of his undertakings, and believing him to be the author of the Egyptians success, when they had before despaired of recovering their liberty. [19] It has been expressed by prominent Druze such as Amal Nasser el-Din[20] and Salman Tarif, who was a prominent Druze shaykh, that this makes the Druze related to the Jews through marriage. I have an better understanding also who Josephus the historian is and also the book of Jasher. Jethro helped his son-in-law by encouraging him to delegate some of his responsibilities. It may refer to the African country of Cush (see Gen 10:6; 1 Chr 1:8) or to Midian, the region east of the Gulf of Aqabah from which Zipporah came (see Exod 3:1, 18:1; Hab 3:7). Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. I also came across the fact that he had been married to an Ethiopian woman and it had me looking into the relationship between the Midians and the Ethiopians. Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, "I . Zipporah, or Tzipora (/zpr, zpr/; Hebrew: , ippr, "bird"),[a] is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest and prince of Midian.[2]. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. It is always good to study the Scriptures deeper and further. This passage reveals that sometime after the exit from Egypt, Zipporah gave birth to another son named Eliezer, and was either sent back, or returned to Midian to be with her father. Alonso de Sandoval, 17th century Jesuit, reasoned that Zipporah and the Cushite woman was the same person, and that she was black. Race of Moses' Wife - Bible Study Zipporah lived a fascinating life, getting to travel great distances, and being in an inter-cultural relationship. Zipporah was a midianite who are a nation that were birthed by Abraham, which made Zipporah Shemitic. 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. Ive already told friends about what Ive read. This is something that Ive always wondered about, because when I checked the background of Moses wife I never found this to be true. If youre equating marriage to sex that is not a biblical understanding. Testamentum 36 (1986): 447461. Moses and his Ethiopian wife Zipporah - Wikipedia Instead, she was a married single for the rest of her life. Testamentum 43 (1993): 495518. Zipporah was rejoined with Moses early on the Exodus (see Exodus 2:16-22; 18:2-6). Thank you! 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). Remember the only way to know if scripture is valid is to read it. He planted the staff in the garden of his house, and no man could approach it. shillach meaning "dismissed, i.e. On the road, they stayed at an inn, where God came to kill Moses. After the Giving of the Torah, a life of sexual abstinence was imposed on Moses. After the crown was given to Moses Adoniah the former kings wife married Moses. Moses neglect of Zipporah is obvious, as he (not God) tells the men at Sinai not to approach any women in preparation for Gods approach in three days(Exod 19:2). Mercy and compassion were to be shown to aliens. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. Salem Media Group. Ibn Ezra on Exodus 18:2 : , : ( :). 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). And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. My prayers will go out to you. "Zipporah: Bible." In Hebrew, her name means "bird" or "little bird.". Eventually they will walk their own path. They said: Moses is haughty. He knew God wanted his son circumcised, and Zipporah felt forced to take action. Who was Moses' wife? Did Moses have more than one wife? | GotQuestions.org Citizens born into the land were forbidden by God's law to "vex" (oppress or otherwise mistreat) those aliens around them as they, too, were at one time strangers in Egypt (Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:33). This passage mostly focuses on Jethro aiding Moses in getting help judging the conflicts among the tribes. Marriage takes hard work and clear communication from both sides: Zipporah and Moses did not always understand one another, and sometimes Moses got so caught up dealing with his responsibilities to the Hebrew people he forgot about his duties at home. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. of 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. 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. This information sheds a clear light on the question, whether Moses was married to an Ethiopian? This passage can be difficult to understand, and different thinkers and theologians have various interpretations of what happened here. Exodus 3:1 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. Moses - Years and deeds | Britannica a female bird. Moses marries Zipporah during his time in Midian. What can be understood is that Moses had not had his son circumcised eight days after his birth, neglecting his covenant responsibility as a descendent of Abraham. Zipporah was one of seven Midianite sisters that mistook Moses for an Egyptian after he saved them from the men at the well ( Exodus 2:16-19 ). The story is already difficult for the narrator, who adds a comment thathatan damimrefers to circumcision. The Truth About Moses' Wife Zipporah - Grunge The Israelite Samaritan Version of the Torah: First English Translation Compared with the Masoretic Version. Num. The misconception is that Zipporah was Ethiopian and she was not, she was Shemitic. According to the Rabbis, Miriam intended to praise her brother, and she wanted to increase procreative activity, but nevertheless was punished, because of the severity of gossip (Sifrei on Numbers chap. The Untold Story of Zipporah, Wife of Moses - What Do You Think My wife left me, and after 5 months of wrestling with God, and much turmoil (I know there is more grieving still to be done), and a several-hour prayer last night, I woke up this morning with that song from The Prince of Egypt in my head, all Ive ever wanted. I know its an animated film and not 100% accurate (it might not even be 10% accurate, who knows), but Ive been wrestling with the fact that I covenanted to this woman, had 4 kids with her, was happier than I ever thought possible, then bam, without warning shes gone. How did Zipporah know that Mosess life was threatened because of the circumcision? Who was Zipporah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Context matters: Why Miriam and Aaron dare rebuke Moses Even if he got to keep his first wife concurrently with his second (from these records its a little unclear, maybe Miriam and Moses were telling Moses he should put away his Ethiopian wife who wasnt given to him in a spiritual way, and only have one wife, Zippporah, who was acquired in a spiritual manner). Thank you so much. Who Was Zipporah in the Bible? - Christianity.com In conversations we have daily on the Word of God and the life of great men like Moses my questions are answered know. Its your duty to train them up in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6). The Great Moses Divorced and Remarried? | Hoshana Rabbah Blog Answer (1 of 4): This is a very difficult Question to answer because this portion of Moses' life is pretty much presented in A-B-C straightforward chronological fashion, emphasizing only the order in which events occurred and giving very little credence or point of reference to the exact year(s) . They answer that just as a Cushite has different skin, Zipporah was different, since she was more comely than all other women. 18:2). Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)? - wearehebrew.com Miriam and Aaron spoke about Moses because of the beautiful woman he had married, for he had separated from the beautiful woman he married. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges ( Judges 4:11) as Hobab. Have an update or correction? Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The Bible records, She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land (Exodus 2:22). Losing mine has been so painful, but I know that pain will be swallowed up in Christ at some point, but for now I have to suffer it. That Bloody Bridegroom (Exodus 4:2426). Vetus [5] The word that makes this difficult is shelucheiha, the sendings [away] of her (Ex. Why Didn't Moses Enter the Promised Land. He was instrumental in getting back the Ethiopian castle after it was abducted by Balaam the Magician and his two sons. She is later reunited with Moses when her father . God then left Moses alone (Exodus 4:2426). Here you can see that Moses married an Ethiopian called Adoniah (Tharbis): Above Moses married his first wife the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis), when he was around twenty-seven (Jasher 73:2) years old. In another midrashic account, Jethro agreed to the marriage between Moses and Zipporah on condition that their firstborn would be an idolater (see below). Lutzer, Erwin. The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. 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. The Torah does not specify when Zipporah left Moses, nor the reason for this parting. Before the Giving of the Torah, God ordered Moses to sanctify the people, and he said to them (Ex. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. She circumcised her. 4.1K views, 50 likes, 28 loves, 154 comments, 48 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7th District AME Church: Thursday Morning Opening Session [23], Zipporah is often included in Exodus-related drama. 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 ascribe many traits to Zipporah, whom they considered as differing from other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. Pardes, Ilana. 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. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com. 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). His father-in-law eventually brought Zipporah and her children to Moses, but he doesn't seem to have been happy to see her (via Jewish Women's Archive). Zipporahis a Midianite woman who becomes the wife of Moses. This is the land that Moses dwelt in when he took refuge from Pharaoh. The Rabbis resolve this by identifying the Cushite woman with Zipporah. At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaoh's judgment after he . According to this A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).midrash, Zipporah wanted to marry Moses, acted accordingly, and achieved her goal. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Who was she? After killing an Egyptian, Moses runs away to Midian, where he marries Zipporah, the daughter of the local priest (Exod 2:15-22). We are told that Moses led the Ethiopians in battle against the Magician Balaam and his two sons (Jasher 72:3,6), who had taken over the Ethiopian castle and convinced the Ethiopians to betray their original king while he was in battle. Zipporah found very this difficult and she Miriam, forming a bond of feminine solidarity as Miriam lent an attentive ear and tried to help. 31 December 1999. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on May 1, 2023)
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