When she saw that they swallowed him until the place of circumcision, she understood the danger, took a piece of flint and cut off her sons foreskin, whereupon the destructive angels relinquished their hold on Moses (BT Nedarim 32a; Ex. [13]:248,253254, In the Druze religion, Zipporah's father Jethro is revered as the spiritual founder, chief prophet, and ancestor of all Druze. Moses' First Wife - Zipporah Moses was an exile. I trust Him. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. Thank you, for this informative article. His name is Midian, which made him the forefather of the Midianites. 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). 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. Because of the lack of context surrounding her actions, it can be easy to ignore the lessons her life provides, but there is quite a bit to be gleaned. Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. In regards to the next life, there is no marrying (Matthew 22:30), we will be resurrected in incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54). The last mention of Zipporah came while the Hebrews were camped in the wilderness near Mount Sinai. She heroically saved Moses from an attack by circumcising her son. The stick was then taken by Adam (Jasher 77:43) when he was sent out of the Garden of Eden. Unlike the human tendency to want or expect perfection in religious heroes, historic Judaism simply asked that its heroes do more good than evil. Another exegetical tradition places Miriam next to Zipporah when Moses was told (Num. After Moses succeeded in taking the Israelites out of Egypt, and won a battle against Amalek, Reuel came to the Hebrew camp in the wilderness of Sinai, bringing with him Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Miriam: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive 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. God then left Moses alone (Exodus 4:2426). God did not agree, punishing Miriam with leprosy to make an example of their bigotry and pride. Zipporah was a midianite who are a nation that were birthed by Abraham, which made Zipporah Shemitic. Moses' Kushite Wife Was Zipporah the Midianite - TheTorah.com God hates divorce, and wants strong marriages, and communication is part of that. what is biblical or not) were not Hebrews, they slaughtered the Hebrews. 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. Bless you and i will keep on follow and read the Word until i understand more. 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. 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. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. Lieberman], Ki Teze 1, reads: milah [circumcision; i.e., stages within the circumcision] u- periah). How Many Wives Did Moses In The Bible Have - CHURCHGISTS.COM 18: . Women in Scripture. Examples include the films The Ten Commandments (1956),[24] The Prince of Egypt (1998),[25] and Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014). Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. [21] This view has been used to represent an element of the special relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze.[22]. Part of why God cursed Miriam with leprosy was because Moses would not stand up to her. When he was with Jethro, he saw how fine were her actions. 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. The name Tharbis can not be found in the book of Exodus, but you can find it below in other scriptures. 12). Times 106 (1995): 203205. 31 December 1999. All rights reserved. If you are asking me to give you Zipporah, swear to me that you will not take her far away from me; I will give her to you only upon this condition. Moses immediately swore to him, as it is said: Moses consented [va-yoel] to stay with the man (Ex. This passage can be difficult to understand, and different thinkers and theologians have various interpretations of what happened here. In the book of Jasher Moses was made king after the death of the Ethiopian King Kikianus death: 34 And they wished to choose on that day a man for king from the army of Kikianus, and they found no object of their choice like Moses to reign over them. 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. At the time of Moses marriage to Zipporah he was no longer married to the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis). Her last years and the circumstances of her death are unknown. Dont forget to share this with someone that needs it. 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). Hopefully this article has helped clear up the questions you may have had about Moses wives. His concern for his familys welfare motivates him to send Zipporah back to her fathers home, in order to protect the lives of his family. 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? 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. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. Article Cambridge, MA: 1992. Throughout the Pentateuch, Moses's wife is identified as Zipporah, a Midianite woman and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian (Exodus 2:21; 3:1). And not for a few months as Moses may have assumed. 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. 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. 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]. Many of us are familiar with Moses' wife, Zipporah. 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. 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 first sign of trouble came when Moses set off to Egypt after forty years of exile. Additionally, the midrash portrays female solidarity between Zipporah and Miriam, with the latter lending an attentive ear and even trying to help her fellow woman. 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. An important history book to read is called The works of Josephus I, inside the book we are given more clarity. He was instrumental in getting back the Ethiopian castle after it was abducted by Balaam the Magician and his two sons. 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. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. She may be Zipporah, the known wife of Moses (Exod 2:21, 18:2), or another woman. While the Israelites/Hebrews were captives in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian who was striking a Hebrew, for which offense Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. This information sheds a clear light on the question, whether Moses was married to an Ethiopian? 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 last time the Bible mentions Zipporah is when she is at Mount Horeb with her family, according to Daily Journal. 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. Num. 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). They will be prophets, and they will withdraw from their wives, as my husband withdrew from me. Thus Miriam learned that Moses abstained from relations with Zipporah, and she told this to Aaron (Tanhuma, Zav 13). They answer that just as a Cushite has different skin, Zipporah was different, since she was more comely than all other women. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Zipporah was rejoined with Moses early on the Exodus (see Exodus 2:16-22; 18:2-6). I have an better understanding also who Josephus the historian is and also the book of Jasher. Later Jewish and Christian tradition . 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). Moses and the Kushite Woman: Classic Interpretations and Philo's 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). The predicate of this verse is unclear. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of the ability of women to perform circumcision. Countertraditions He puts her in a group of what he calls "notable and sainted Ethiopians". The Healing of Moses Leprous Arm (above) and The Return to Egypt, and Zipporah Circumcising her Son (below).Courtesy of the John Rylands Library, Manchester. Exodus 18:2-5. Unlike other women in the Old Testament, such as Sarah and Rebekah,it is difficult for us as readers centuries later to fully understand her motivations. 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. God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word. He planted the staff in the garden of his house, and no man could approach it. 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). In the Bible, women are often praised when they are obedient but they sometimes disappear from the text after giving birth or getting married. 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. Because of this pledge, Moses had to return to Midian after he had been sent to Egypt, as it is said (Ex. After the Giving of the Torah, God instructed Moses (Deut. of Moses' wife. They then ask why she was called the Cushite woman, since she was a Midianite. 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. 4:24). Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. According to one hermeneutical position, Zipporah touched Mosess legs and said to him: Take retribution for your debt. According to another interpretive approach, she touched the legs of the angel and said: This is the culmination of your mission. A third understanding has her touching the body of the child, and only then (v. 26) He let him alone (JT Nedarim 3:9, 38b). Both possibilities appear in the midrashic expositions. Nor had I heard of the book of Jasher. 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. 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. Pharaohs daughter, who raised him, was aware of his heritage when she found him the basket, but raised him anyway.
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