how old was zipporah when she married moses

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 had compassion on Moses and brought him bread and water. Both possibilities appear in the midrashic expositions. Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. The prevalent idea among the Rabbis is that a woman is qualified to perform circumcision; the fact that she herself does not require circumcision teaches that she is regarded as if she were already circumcised. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. On their way, at a night encampment, The Lord met him [Moses] and tried to kill him(Exod 4:24). She circumcised her. He puts her in a group of what he calls "notable and sainted Ethiopians". While most people would feel grateful when a person saves their lives, Moses didn't seem to appreciate it. The next documented moment in Zipporahs life came after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Below you will see one of the sons Abraham had with his late wife Keturah. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. 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. Most probably, the . In the midrashic amplification, Zipporah set out for Egypt with Moses, but never arrived there. So the answer to the question, whether or not Moses married an Ethiopian has been answered, and the answer is, Yes! Answer Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. Dont forget to share this with someone that needs it. When YHWH commissions Moses to return to Egypt and free the Israelites from bondage, Moses takes Zipporah with him, at least part of the way (Exod 4:20, 24-26). Zipporah: Reminding Us Who We Are - Faithward.org 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. Cambridge, MA: 1992. 18, before the Giving of the Torah, which is immediately presented in the following chapters (Ex. [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. (Exodus 4:24). 12:1): because of the Cushite woman he had marriedhe married her because she was a Cushite woman (Sifrei Zuta 12:1). 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? 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). She saved his life in the night encampment when she made haste to circumcise her son. 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. This article really cleared things up (so thank you ) but I was confused in regards to you saying that Adoniah and Moses consummated the marriage because in Yasher 74 :31- 38 it explains how he never had sex with her because of Exodus 34:11-16 and genesis 9:22-27. They said: Moses is haughty. Ashby, Godfrey. 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). Your children are a gift from Yah (Psalms 127:3). My prayers will go out to you. After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. Zipporah - Wikipedia It does show that both parents bore responsibility for raising their child up in alignment with Gods ordinances. Ex. 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). A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? Why Didn't Moses Enter the Promised Land. 12:1 attests that Miriam and Aaron spoke against the Cushite woman whom Moses had married. Zipporah is the heroine of a bizarre incident that takes place as Moses heads back to Egypt with his wife and sons(Exod 4:20). This story sounds strikingly similar to the story of Excalibur. 18:26, when Jethro brings Zipporah and her two sons to Moses in the wilderness, after she had been sent home (v. 2). Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. "the written Torah." And they said, Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Like me, they never knew about Adoniah (Tharbis). Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to her; they considered her different than other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. 99). Robinson, Bernard P. Zipporah to the Rescue: A Contextual Study of Exodus In gratitude, Reuel (called Jethro or Hobab in other biblical passages) offers Moses hospitality, then gives him his daughter Zipporah in marriage(Exod 2:2122). Despite the difficulties in their relationship, Moses and Zipporah did have two children and were married for decades before he went back to Egypt. 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. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, when Moses killed a man in Egypt, he rushed to hide among the Midianites. She is later reunited with Moses when her father . 11) with the conversation between Miriam and Aaron (chap. Miriam: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. Your question refers to Numbers 12:1 that states his mate was a Cushite, a term often used to refer to African nations. The circumcision performed by Zipporah is one of the most intriguing moments in the Bible, though the meaning behind her words is still unclear. After the battle, Tharbis the Ethiopian queen made an agreement to marry Moses and he accepted. The Rabbis interpret the vague wording of the verse in different ways. The common assumption made is that Zipporah was Ethiopian, some even say that there is some type of biblical error. 17K views, 519 likes, 455 loves, 3.7K comments, 232 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. Let us know. 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. of [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. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. Af and Hemah (the destructive angels of wrath and anger) came and swallowed Moses, leaving only his legs. "Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah." Propp, William. Such heroes were and are called "the righteous." Heres a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporahs father was a Midianite. We do trust Josephus as a historical source, but we don't know if we can corroborate everything he says. 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. Boast Not Against The Branches: Olive Tree Bible Verse Explained. Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011. Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. The Israelites, too, are called Kushiim in Amos 9:7: To me, O Israelites, you are just like the Ethiopians [Kushiim], because of the difference between them and the other peoples of the earth, since they observe the commandments (Sifrei on Numbers chap. Another interpretation, however, has this danger hovering over Moses, and in order to save him, Zipporah circumcises their son. There are several interesting passages about interactions between Zipporah, her husband, and her in-laws. 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. Reuel's daughter, who became the wife of Moses ( Exodus 2:21).In consequence of the event recorded in Exodus 4:24-26, she and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when so far on the way with Moses toward Egypt, were sent back by him to her own kinsfolk, the Midianites, with whom they sojourned till Moses afterwards joined them ( 18:2-6). 2021 23 Jul The wife of Moses is named Zipporah. The ribbons in her hat resemble a cross. The Rabbis sought to elicit the nature of the parting between Moses and Zipporah from the wording after she had been sent home [shiluheha]. According to one opinion, Moses divorced her, with a writ of divorce, since shiluah also appears in Deut. of Moses' wife. The expression "Cushite woman" is used disparagingly against Moses because he . 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. Its your duty to train them up in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6). Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] When Moses fled from Egypt to the land of Midian, he met Jethro's seven daughters, who were having some trouble getting enough water for their flocks ( Exodus 2 ). 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. Yah will give us a new heart and blissful peace (1 Corinthians 2:9). They were also bring the commanded sacrificial offerings when they committed sins of ignorance. The first sign of trouble came when Moses set off to Egypt after forty years of exile. 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. [12][bettersourceneeded], "Cushite woman" becomes in the Greek Septuagint and Aethiopissa in the Latin Vulgate Bible version (4th century). The Bible and Its Story, Taught By One Thousand Picture Lessons, Moses and his Ethiopian wife Zipporah (Mozes en zijn Ethiopische vrouw Sippora), relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze, "Judges 4 / Hebrew English Bible / Mechon-Mamre". Moses therefore fled from Egypt, and arrived in Midian. in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. 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. Zipporah did not seem to always let Moses know what she needed. This stick was passed down until it reached Abraham, then Jacob took it. How could I ever be as happy with a now broken family. But did Moses have a second wife? According to the Jewish Women's Archive, when Moses killed a man in Egypt, he rushed to hide among the Midianites. 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. Shalom! Invite him for supper to break bread." 99). 1 Now Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. A beautiful woman, she had received a special blessing that her comeliness would last her into old age. There is an understanding about Moses wife, which says that he was married to an Ethiopian lady. Testamentum 36 (1986): 447461. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. Who knows, but it gives me hope to relate to Moses in this thing. At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaoh's judgment after he . 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. Jewish Women's Archive. I trust Him. 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. 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). Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. The two latter midrashim are based on the juxtaposition of the appointment of the seventy elders and the prophesying of Eldad and Medad (Num. 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. Before arriving in Egypt, he sent his family to their home country, and he possibly even married another woman. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. Another tradition explains that the numerical value of Kushit is the same as the Hebrew yafet mareh (beautiful). Lockyer, Herbert. According toU.S. News and World Report, removing the foreskin was mandatory among Hebrews, as God had told Abraham. Shalom. Just as everyone speaks of the blackness of the Cushite, so do all proclaim the beauty of Zipporah (Tanhuma, Zav 13). B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2013. To get the necessary information about how many wives Moses had, we have to study the scriptures more closely. The story is already difficult for the narrator, who adds a comment thathatan damimrefers to circumcision. This information sheds a clear light on the question, whether Moses was married to an Ethiopian? Most people know that Moses had a staff which he carried when he performed the eleven miracles against Pharaoh in Egypt. 11:27) that Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp! Zipporahs reaction to this report was: Woe to their wives. Moses and the Kushite Woman: Classic Interpretations and Philo's Allegory, Jewish history, Jewish religion: the weight of three thousand years, "Moses and the Kushite Woman: Classic Interpretations and Philo's Allegory", "Jacob Jordaens and Moses's Ethiopian Wife", Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, "Proust's Aesthetic Analogies: Character and Painting in Swann's Way", The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, "Yvonne De Carlo, 84; Said Her "Munsters" Role Made Her Hot", Moses and the Kushite Woman: Classic Interpretations and Philos Allegory, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy, With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, Current Ummah of Islam (Ummah of Muhammad), ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zipporah&oldid=1152724917, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from April 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2019, Articles lacking reliable references from September 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Mother Abiona or Amtelai the daughter of Karnebo. 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. Required fields are marked *, 2020 We Are Hebrew | Bible Facts & Bible Notes |, 22 comments on Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)?. Who Was Zipporah in the Bible - Moses' Wife Story - Crosswalk.com These scriptures explain where the staff of Moses came from: 38 And afterward Moses went into the garden of Reuel which was behind the house, and he there prayed to the Lord his God, who had done mighty wonders for him. It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc. : 247 Inspiration. Moses' Kushite Wife Was Zipporah the Midianite - TheTorah.com Moses goes out to greet Jethro and takes him into his tent, but nothing is said about his greeting Zipporah. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? Thank you for an extremely interesting read. 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!" After the Giving of the Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. With the words to break bread" (implying marriage), Jethro hinted that Moses might marry one of them. Pardes, Ilana. Their son did. Times 106 (1995): 203205. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to Zipporah, whom they considered as differing from other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. Thank you so much for your, very much needed, information. I will briefly discuss the staff of Moses because it has relevance to the marriage between Zipporah the Midianite and Moses. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29 . In-laws have an impact in a relationship: Moses siblings did not like Zipporah and spoke badly about their brother because of it. It was then that she said, A bridegroom of blood, because of the circumcision. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. Then at the age of sixty-six he went to the land of Midian and married Zipporah the Midianite. Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive I havent lost my family. 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. Answer: Some think Moses married a woman of a different race than he was. ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. Its important that we study the scriptures our self, even the scripts we are told are not part of the sixty-six books that we have been left with. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 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. Are there other non-biblical Jewish texts that would cast greater light on the Old Testament (Torah)? She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. 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. 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. Expository 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). Alonso de Sandoval, 17th century Jesuit, reasoned that Zipporah and the Cushite woman was the same person, and that she was black. 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 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. The Rabbis explain that Moses never wanted to part from Zipporah and sent her to her fathers house in Midian only for fear that the Egyptian servitude would harm her. Thank you for this! The last time the Bible mentions Zipporah is when she is at Mount Horeb with her family, according to Daily Journal. Yet on the journey, God tried to kill Moses. WHO WAS MOSES' WIFE? (Numbers 12:1) | Perry Stone Ministries After the Giving of the Torah, a life of sexual abstinence was imposed on Moses. From the day that God spoke to Moses your brother, he has not lain with me. Miriam immediately went to Aaron, and the two discussed the matter. 11). Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. Both of these assertions are inaccurate. Forty years passed, and God called Moses back to Egypt to deliver Israel. Women in Scripture. Numbers 12:1 is the only passage in the Old Testament where Moses' wife is identified as a "Cushite.". Eventually they will walk their own path. So that they also keep Yahs commands (John 14:21-27) and enter his kingdom too. It explains the wars that Moses was a part of when he left Egypt. Bible commentaries disagree whether this verse in Numbers refers to the race or originating people of Moses' first wife or to a second one he had after Zipporah died. : . What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition? 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 old was Moses wife Zipporah when she died? - Answers "Zipporah: Bible." Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. [14][15][16][17][18] Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah after helping save Jethro's daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. Pharaohs daughter, who raised him, was aware of his heritage when she found him the basket, but raised him anyway. I am so excited to get this information. 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. Her mysterious life leaves us with more questions than answers, but it does not mean her life was not worth studying. 2 And all the children of Cush loved Moses all the days that he reigned over them, and all the inhabitants of the land of Cush were greatly afraid of him. Zipporah was called a Cushite, meaning at least part if not all of her heritage was from Africa. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. I wouldnt call Jasher non biblical. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. This is powerful, No correction Abraham is a descendant of Moses, Glad you appreciate the story. In the midrashic expansion, when the daughters of Jethro returned home, they told their father that a stranger had saved them from the shepherds, and he asked them: Why did you leave the man?
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