Being married to a person with a passion or calling can be hard: Zipporahs husband confronted the most powerful ruler in the world at the time, saw God so much he was physically changed, and led people through the wilderness for forty years. 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. 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. Catholic Daily Mass - Daily TV Mass - April 22, 2023 - Facebook [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. He went to Jethro and asked: "Give me your daughter Zipporah in marriage." Jethro replied: "Do you want to do to me what your ancestor Jacob did? Thank you, for this informative article. Moses married an Ethiopian woman who was not of Shemitic lineage, she was Hamitic (this information is only found in the book of Yasher), that is why Miriam spoke against her. Zipporah was one of them. Zipporah's father was a Midianite, which means that she was a Midianite as well. After the Giving of the Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit. After killing an Egyptian, Moses runs away to Midian, where he marries Zipporah, the daughter of the local priest (Exod 2:15-22). All these were the children of Keturah. Exodus 18:2-5. 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. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Corporation, 1967. There are several interesting passages about interactions between Zipporah, her husband, and her in-laws. Who was she? As you can see above Abrahams second wife Kenturah gave birth to children and one of them was the father of the Midianites. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29 . Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive Touched by Greatness Women in the Life of Moses. Numbers 12:1 is the only passage in the Old Testament where Moses' wife is identified as a "Cushite.". Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. Other shepherds arrived and drove the girls away, so that they could water their own flocks first. Lockyer, Herbert. 42 And this is the stick with which all the works of our God were performed, after he had created heaven and earth, and all the host of them, seas, rivers and all their fishes. God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word. Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)? - wearehebrew.com There are women who are poor, the children of the poor, who do not know how to conduct themselves when they come in contact with royalty. Zipporah: Reminding Us Who We Are - Faithward.org Zipporah: The Midianite Wife of Moses - Black History In The Bible 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. I havent lost my family. InNum 12:1Miriamand Aaron speak against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he married, but they do not mention her name. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 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. Shalom! 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. 46 And when Jacob had fled to Padan-aram, he took it into his hand, and when he returned to his father he had not left it behind him. The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Who knows, but it gives me hope to relate to Moses in this thing. Gen. 17:13 states they must be circumcised [ha-yimol yimol, literally, he who is circumcised shall circumcise], from which the Rabbis deduced that only one who is circumcised may circumcise others. This is something that Ive always wondered about, because when I checked the background of Moses wife I never found this to be true. After God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey. So everybody naturally assumes that she was the 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). They were also bring the commanded sacrificial offerings when they committed sins of ignorance. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Another interpretation supporting the opposition to circumcision by women is that Zipporah began the circumcision, but someone else came and completed it (BT Avodah Zarah 27a). The midrash discloses that the existence of normal marital relations is important for a woman, and constitutes a significant part of her femininity and her self-perception. This exegesis explains why only one of Mosess sons was uncircumcised, and why they were not in such mortal danger immediately after his birth, but only after they had left Jethros home and were released from his vow. Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. It might refer to the child, for in response Zipporah cuts off her sons foreskin and thus saves his life. Most people know that Moses had a staff which he carried when he performed the eleven miracles against Pharaoh in Egypt. This totally contradicts the idea that Moses wife could have been an Ethiopian. 47 Also when he went down to Egypt he took it into his hand and gave it to Joseph, one portion above his brethren, for Jacob had taken it by force from his brother Esau. Propp, William. Then at the age of sixty-six he went to the land of Midian and married Zipporah the Midianite. : . The common assumption made is that Zipporah was Ethiopian, some even say that there is some type of biblical error. Proud member (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . Sorry to here about the break up. 4:24). Much of the tension in their marriage is documented only after Moses began to step into his role as the liberator of the Hebrews. Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] How did she fit in with Moses life after God called him to lead the Hebrew people? Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. 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) . 4:18): Moses went back to his father-in-law Jether [yeter], from which the Rabbis learn that Moses went to Egypt, but returned to Midian to be released from (le-hatir) his vow (Ex. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. 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. How can we know which is correct? According toU.S. News and World Report, removing the foreskin was mandatory among Hebrews, as God had told Abraham. At some point, God told Moses to bring his family to Egypt in order to free his people. 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. After Moses kills an Egyptian, he flees from the pharaoh and settles among the Midianites, an Arab people who occupied desert areas in southern Transjordan, northern Arabia, and the Sinai. Instead, she was a married single for the rest of her life. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. More proof of Moses marriage to the Ethiopian queen Tharbis known as Adoniah in the book of Jasher can be found below: 30 So Moses took the city by his wisdom, and the children of Cush placed him on the throne instead of Kikianus king of Cush. But no children are ever recorded for a second wife of Moses. Cambridge, MA: 1992. When Moses asked Jethro to marry his daughter Zipporah, Jethro had told him: If you accept the thing that I will tell you, then I will give her in marriage to you. Moses asked: What is this thing? To which Jethro replied: The first son born to you shall be for idolatry, and your following sons will be for Heaven. Moses accepted Jethros condition (Mehilta de-Rabbi Ishmael Masekhta de-Amalek, Yitro 1). Invite him for supper to break bread." 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. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? Robinson, Bernard P. Zipporah to the Rescue: A Contextual Study of Exodus Much more likely is that Zipporah had died (although her death is not recorded in Scripture) and that Moses had remarried. The Torah does not specify when Zipporah left Moses, nor the reason for this parting. Im a Christian and I find this very informative. The details of the passage are unclear and subject to debate. Ashby, Godfrey. Eventually they will walk their own path. The Truth About Moses' Wife Zipporah - Grunge She was born at the very moment when Jacob and his entire household, Levi and his wife among them, had just entered the gates of Egypt. Mercy and compassion were to be shown to aliens. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. 45 And when Abraham had given all he had to his son Isaac, he also gave to him this stick. Well, Heavenly Father has something in store for me that I cant see right now, I have faith in that. Thank you for an extremely interesting read. 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, however, understood it and acted decisively to rescue Moses. [21] This view has been used to represent an element of the special relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze.[22]. 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. Moses first Marriage was to Adoniah as previously mentioned and his second marriage was to Reuel (Jethro) the Midianites daughter Zipporah. 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). After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. 11:27) that Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp! Zipporahs reaction to this report was: Woe to their wives. Behind him to his right stands his wife, a black womanpossibly Zipporah. According to Jewish tradition, Moses married Zipporah when she saved him from dying after God sent a burning bush to talk to him (Exodus 2:21-22). She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. 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. We do trust Josephus as a historical source, but we don't know if we can corroborate everything he says. This is problematic, since the Torah does not relate that Moses took an additional wife, nor is there any mention of children whom she borenot to mention the distastefulness of Mosess marrying a second wife while Zipporah was in her fathers house, waiting to rejoin him. [Hence, it is no longer dangerous to have him in our home.] in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. "Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah." [9][10] One interpretation is that the wife is Zipporah, and that she was referred to as a Cushite though she was a Midianite, because of her beauty. 12)? 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 Gods eyes, it does not matter whether Moses' wife was a Midianite, Cushite or whatever "race" she was. The midrash admits that Moses abstained from intercourse with his wife from the time of the Giving of the Torah, but this was at Gods behest. 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. Who was Moses' wife? 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. ", Reuel asked them. She heroically saves Moses and her sons from a random attack from an angel by cutting off her sons foreskin; the explanation for this act is unclear. 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. Its worth reading and very insightful. After being taken in by the family of the Pharaoh, Moses grew up among the upper class in the culture, but he did become aware of his Hebrew lineage. 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. After Zipporah performed the circumcision, she took the foreskin and touched his legs (v. 25). 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. Moses therefore fled from Egypt, and arrived in Midian. In a marriage, spouses should support one another and help navigate the relationship with their respective relations. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. It is also noted that Zipporah is often rejected by her husband, who is always waiting to hear new words from God. She then touched Moses saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" And the Lord said to Moses, When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. They said: Moses is haughty. 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. 43 And when God had driven Adam from the garden of Eden, he took the stick in his hand and went and tilled the ground from which he was taken. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges (Judges 4:11) as Hobab. Thank you! Moses had married Zipporahone of the seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midianwhen he fled from Egypt after slaying an Egyptian taskmaster (see Exod. Another exegetical tradition places Miriam next to Zipporah when Moses was told (Num. Thank you so much for your, very much needed, information. No sooner was the agreement made, but it took effect immediately; and when Moses had cut off the Ethiopians, he gave thanks to God, and consummated his marriage, and led the Egyptians back to their own land. Shalom. 18:2). [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. Later Jewish and Christian tradition . Zipporah lived a fascinating life, getting to travel great distances, and being in an inter-cultural relationship. Hi I had been reading the book of yasher over Passover and Ive been finding it very interesting! God hates divorce, and wants strong marriages, and communication is part of that. And Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have d15one foolishly and have sinned. Zipporah was left all but divorced. 99). However, the stories of some of the women of the Bible continue to resonate, despite only minor appearances. See answer (1) Best Answer Copy The Scripture is silent on Zipporah after Exodus 18, not saying whether she died or did not stay with Moses after the incident in Exodus 4:24-26. Moses siblings, Aaron and Miriam turned against their brother because he married someone who was not from the race or culture. 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). 17K views, 519 likes, 455 loves, 3.7K comments, 232 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. Answer Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. 2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, 3 along with her two sons. Zipporah had compassion on Moses and brought him bread and water. Jewish Women's Archive. They then ask why she was called the Cushite woman, since she was a Midianite. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, when Moses killed a man in Egypt, he rushed to hide among the Midianites. A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? 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). 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. 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!" The Rabbis interpret the vague wording of the verse in different ways. 2:1517). In another midrashic account, Jethro agreed to the marriage between Moses and Zipporah on condition that their firstborn would be an idolater (see below). That was in the year 2238 after Creation. See e.g. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Cushites were of the ancestry of either Kush (Nubia) in northeast Africa, or Arabians. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. Who Was Zipporah in the Bible - Moses' Wife Story - Crosswalk.com The latter tries to help, and is punished. Why are you confused. Zipporah found very this difficult and she Miriam, forming a bond of feminine solidarity as Miriam lent an attentive ear and tried to help. So here we see that Moses reigned over the people of Cush. Im happy you discovered something new. 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). After 10 years, she turned to her father and said: "This Hebrew who has been jailed in the pit for the past 10 years, nobody has come around asking for him. 2:21), understanding the word va-yoel as a customary wording of a vow. Bless you and i will keep on follow and read the Word until i understand more. 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. The ones that are, are in the minority and they are a blessing. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. In return for her good deed, God gave Moses permission to marry her (Exodus 18:13). The story is already difficult for the narrator, who adds a comment thathatan damimrefers to circumcision. So, when Zipporah refused, apparently, to follow him on his divinely appointed mission to Egypt, she abandoned him, which is why Moses had dismissed, divorced or sent her back (see Exod 18:2 where we read that Moses had "sent her [Zipporah] back", Heb.
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