Ibn Ezra on Exodus 18:2 : , : ( :). Heres a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporahs father was a Midianite. Jewish Women's Archive. Have an update or correction? In the Biblical account, when Moses and Zipporah were on their way to Egypt, they stayed in a night encampment, where they were in mortal danger: the Lord encountered him and sought to kill him (Ex. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. Ask him in to break bread (Ex. Getting Closer to God Lessons from the Life of Moses. 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? In each one, she seems to come into conflict with the culture of her husband, as well as being stuck between Moses the man, and Moses the prophet. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. 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. Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. According to one tradition, Miriam saw that Zipporah no longer adorned herself with womens jewelry, and asked her: Why have you stopped wearing womens ornaments? Zipporah answered: Your brother no longer cares about this. Thus Miriam learned that Moses had abstained from intercourse (Sifrei on Numbers chap. The stick was then taken by Adam (Jasher 77:43) when he was sent out of the Garden of Eden. 4.1K views, 50 likes, 28 loves, 154 comments, 48 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7th District AME Church: Thursday Morning Opening Session These midrashim depict Moses as not wanting to part from his wife and children, but rather as wishing them to participate in the formative process of the people of Israel. Moses had killed an Egyptian by accident and fled to the Midianites since the Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. Who was she? Ex. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges (Judges 4:11) as Hobab. Rabbah 2:33; Mann, Fragments from the Geniza, fragment 12, p. 95). How To Worship God: What Is Spirit And What Is Truth? Unlike the human tendency to want or expect perfection in religious heroes, historic Judaism simply asked that its heroes do more good than evil. How did Zipporah know that Mosess life was threatened because of the circumcision? Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2011. God's anger led [] of Moses' wife. So here we see that Moses reigned over the people of Cush. One day while he sat by a well, Reuel's daughters came to water their father's flocks. In return for her good deed, God gave Moses permission to marry her (Exodus 18:13). 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? This is powerful, No correction Abraham is a descendant of Moses, Glad you appreciate the story. When he was with Jethro, he saw how fine were her actions. 18: . Shalom. On the road, they stayed at an inn, where God came to kill Moses. Both of these assertions are inaccurate. divorced"). but I was confused in regards to you saying that Adoniah and Moses consummated the marriage?? 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. 31 December 1999. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. God then left Moses alone (Exodus 4:2426). This criticism displeases God, who punishes Miriam with Tzaraath (often glossed as leprosy). She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . 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. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Yocheved was the daughter of Levi, Jacob 's son. While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. 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. 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. She heroically saved Moses from an attack by circumcising her son. Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. After Zipporah performed the circumcision, she took the foreskin and touched his legs (v. 25). Moses then left the Ethiopians after forty years of ruler-ship (Jasher 76:5-12). We first meet Zipporahwho later became Moses's wifeat a well in her hometown of Midian. Well, Heavenly Father has something in store for me that I cant see right now, I have faith in that. It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. That Bloody Bridegroom (Exodus 4:2426). Vetus After killing an Egyptian, Moses runs away to Midian, where he marries Zipporah, the daughter of the local priest (Exod 2:15-22). Below is an excerpt from the Josephus works. Following their appointment, all Israel kindled lamps and engaged in celebrations, rejoicing at the elders having attained their exalted status. Nor had I heard of the book of Jasher. 2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, 3 along with her two sons. The Bible records, "She gave birth to a son, and . Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29 . a female bird. Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? Zipporah was called a Cushite, meaning at least part if not all of her heritage was from Africa. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. No reason is given, just as no reason is given for the angels attack on Jacob as he came back from Mesopotamia(Gen 32:24). Much of the tension in their marriage is documented only after Moses began to step into his role as the liberator of the Hebrews. It is always good to study the Scriptures deeper and further. Yah will give us a new heart and blissful peace (1 Corinthians 2:9). Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. Here where we see in the Book of Jasher the same history documented in the Josephus histories. Many of us are familiar with Moses' wife, Zipporah. But where did it come from? After the Giving of the Torah, God instructed Moses (Deut. The name Tharbis can not be found in the book of Exodus, but you can find it below in other scriptures. As with other major Biblical figures, the venue of the first encounter between Moses and Zipporah, his future wife, was beside a well (Ex. in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. But no children are ever recorded for a second wife of Moses. Zipporah may be one of the most intriguing figures in the early books of the Bible. Her right hand is to her chest. It might refer to the child, for in response Zipporah cuts off her sons foreskin and thus saves his life. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2013. It does show that both parents bore responsibility for raising their child up in alignment with Gods ordinances. 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. 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. 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. Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. 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. In another midrashic account, Jethro agreed to the marriage between Moses and Zipporah on condition that their firstborn would be an idolater (see below). 11). Answer Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. Shalom! Her last years and the circumstances of her death are unknown. I bless you for the information and now i have an greater understanding of the life of Moses and his wifes. The Rabbis raise an objection to the latter view, based on the story of Zipporah, who circumcised her own son, as is related in v. 25: she took [va-tikah] [] and she cut [va-tikhrot] []. The opponents of circumcision by women respond by vocalizing these words differently: va-takah (she caused to be taken), va-takhrat (she caused it to be cut off), implying that Zipporah did not herself circumcise the boy, but told someone else to do this for her. The Rabbis explain that Moses sent Zipporah to her fathers house in Midian only out of fear that Egyptian servitude would harm her. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? Because of this pledge, Moses had to return to Midian after he had been sent to Egypt, as it is said (Ex. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. Behind him to his right stands his wife, a black womanpossibly Zipporah. 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). We are told that the Most High used what is now known as the supernatural staff of Moses to create the worlds (Jasher 77:42). 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). The expression "Cushite woman" is used disparagingly against Moses because he . Countertraditions [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. Your email address will not be published. A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? 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. [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. [12][bettersourceneeded], "Cushite woman" becomes in the Greek Septuagint and Aethiopissa in the Latin Vulgate Bible version (4th century). Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011. Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. They said: Moses is haughty. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. That was in the year 2238 after Creation. In regards to the next life, there is no marrying (Matthew 22:30), we will be resurrected in incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54). Jewish Women's Archive. They believed Zipporahs ethnicity disqualified him from being Gods sole mouthpiece. 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). 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. 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. Who was Moses' wife? Some women are fit but not comely, while others are comely but not fit, while Zipporah was both beautiful and fit. Another tradition explains that the numerical value of Kushit is the same as the Hebrew yafet mareh (beautiful). Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. : . However, the stories of some of the women of the Bible continue to resonate, despite only minor appearances. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Times 106 (1995): 203205. And not for a few months as Moses may have assumed. That being said I did not say Moses had sex with his Ethiopian wife in this article, they were just married. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Later Jewish and Christian tradition . While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Other scriptures that state the sojourner, like the person born in the land, could be an active part of the sacrificial services (like the red heifer ceremony) are Numbers 15:14 - 16, 19:10 and Leviticus 17:8 - 9. Rabbah 5:5). In the midrashic presentation, Moses took them with him because he wanted them to be with the Israelites when they received the Torah (Ex. She saved his life in the night encampment when she made haste to circumcise her son. 24:34, which speaks of a bill of divorce. Another view maintains that he separated from her orally (and therefore this was not a formal act of divorce) (Mehilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Masekhta de-Amalek, Yitro 1).
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