Remember the only way to know if scripture is valid is to read it. Bless you and i will keep on follow and read the Word until i understand more. 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). Jewish Women's Archive. The expression "Cushite woman" is used disparagingly against Moses because he . Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. He met her during his years away from Egypt ( Exodus 2:1 ). 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. According toU.S. News and World Report, removing the foreskin was mandatory among Hebrews, as God had told Abraham. However, the stories of some of the women of the Bible continue to resonate, despite only minor appearances. 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. This totally contradicts the idea that Moses wife could have been an Ethiopian. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. : . I trust Him. Part of why God cursed Miriam with leprosy was because Moses would not stand up to her. Their son did. Catholic Daily Mass - Daily TV Mass - April 22, 2023 - Facebook Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/kieferpix. After the Giving of the Torah, God instructed Moses (Deut. 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. 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? 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. There is no information about how Zipporah felt about it, and she is still a mystery in many ways. He spends several decades there before he returns to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Zipporahs uniqueness is the subject of yet another tradition. Boast Not Against The Branches: Olive Tree Bible Verse Explained. The stick was made of Sapphire (Jasher 77:39) and not the traditional wood normally expected. This story sounds strikingly similar to the story of Excalibur. Im happy you discovered something new. She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. The meaning of "Cushite" is uncertain. Hopefully this article has helped clear up the questions you may have had about Moses wives. 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. On their way, at a night encampment, The Lord met him [Moses] and tried to kill him(Exod 4:24). Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. She then touched Moses saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. 99). It fills some gaps in the Bible narrative. She then flings the foreskin at his feet, declaring that he ishatan damimto her(Exod 4:26). [5] The word that makes this difficult is shelucheiha, the sendings [away] of her (Ex. Zipporah found very this difficult and she Miriam, forming a bond of feminine solidarity as Miriam lent an attentive ear and tried to help. God hates divorce, and wants strong marriages, and communication is part of that. Behind him to his right stands his wife, a black womanpossibly Zipporah. They were also bring the commanded sacrificial offerings when they committed sins of ignorance. When we research the lineage of Zipporah Moses wife we see that it goes back to the Midianites. 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. Zipporah: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. How did Zipporah know that Mosess life was threatened because of the circumcision? He puts her in a group of what he calls "notable and sainted Ethiopians". Moses recognized this quality in her, as it is said (Num. And not for a few months as Moses may have assumed. 31 December 1999. 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. 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. 2:21), understanding the word va-yoel as a customary wording of a vow. The situation remains unclear to us. 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. 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. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to Zipporah, whom they considered as differing from other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. We do trust Josephus as a historical source, but we don't know if we can corroborate everything he says. 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. The last time the Bible mentions Zipporah is when she is at Mount Horeb with her family, according to Daily Journal. On the road, they stayed at an inn, where God came to kill Moses. Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. Like many other prominent biblical characters, Zipporah is depicted in several works of art. Based on the Bible, there is no prohibition against what people define as different "races" from being married. 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! Thank you so much for your, very much needed, information. She takes a flint and cuts off her sons foreskin. 4:24). (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . 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. [11], The Samaritan Pentateuch text refers to Moses' wife Zipporah as "Kaashet" (which translates to "the beautiful woman"), rather than "Cushit" ("black woman" or "Cushite woman"). At the time of Moses marriage to Zipporah he was no longer married to the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis). 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. Propp, William. After the Giving of the Torah, a life of sexual abstinence was imposed on Moses. This stick was passed down until it reached Abraham, then Jacob took it. InNum 12:1Miriamand Aaron speak against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he married, but they do not mention her name. In the above scriptures the queen of Ethiopia took a liking to Moses because of his abilities during battle. Cush being another name for Ethiopia. Answer Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. In another midrashic account, Jethro agreed to the marriage between Moses and Zipporah on condition that their firstborn would be an idolater (see below). Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. 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. Your email address will not be published. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Corporation, 1967. 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. 7th District AME Church: God First Holy Conference 2023 - Facebook 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. 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. Jewish Women's Archive. 48 And after the death of Joseph, the nobles of Egypt came into the house of Joseph, and the stick came into the hand of Reuel the Midianite, and when he went out of Egypt, he took it in his hand and planted it in his garden. Zipporah was one of them. Zipporah: The Midianite Wife of Moses - Black History In The Bible Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 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. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, I have been a sojournerin a foreign land), and the name of the other, Eliezer(for he said, The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh). Moses and the latter met at the mountain of God when Moses was on his way to Egypt (Ex. 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. A Mosque in the area of Medina, possibly: This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 22:54. 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". 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 story is already difficult for the narrator, who adds a comment thathatan damimrefers to circumcision. Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. 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. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, and we dont know the details of their relationships. On his journey he took Zipporah and his son Gershom, who was uncircumcised. The Untold Story of Zipporah, Wife of Moses - What Do You Think Much more likely is that Zipporah had died (although her death is not recorded in Scripture) and that Moses had remarried. 18:2). 31 December 1999. At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaoh's judgment after he . Whose legs did she touch? : 247 Inspiration. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. Who was Moses' wife? Lutzer, Erwin. So here we see that Moses reigned over the people of Cush. The Rabbis explain that Moses sent Zipporah to her fathers house in Midian only out of fear that Egyptian servitude would harm her. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. The answer is no: Moses never had more than four wives. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, when Moses killed a man in Egypt, he rushed to hide among the Midianites. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2011. 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. Shalom. The sons of Ham, mentioned within the Book of Genesis, have been identified with nations in Africa (Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya), the Levant (Canaan), and Arabia. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. In the Torah, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. It is an unfortunate thing that women in todays society are generally not willing to stick through the hard times. Like me, they never knew about Adoniah (Tharbis). Testamentum 43 (1993): 495518. This criticism displeases God, who punishes Miriam with Tzaraath (often glossed as leprosy). Ive already told friends about what Ive read. but I was confused in regards to you saying that Adoniah and Moses consummated the marriage?? This is something that Ive always wondered about, because when I checked the background of Moses wife I never found this to be true. How old was Zipporah when she married Moses and how many years passed Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. How To Worship God: What Is Spirit And What Is Truth? Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. The Rabbis also find an allusion to Zipporahs beauty in her name, which means gaze and see [zafu ve-rau] how comely she is (Sifrei on Numbers chap. This passage can be difficult to understand, and different thinkers and theologians have various interpretations of what happened here. Zipporah was the wife of Moses. 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. 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. The members of Mosess family are not mentioned in the narrative of the ten plagues and the Exodus from Egypt and reappear only in the family reunion in Ex. Yocheved - Chabad.org 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). A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). 41 And he read it and stretched forth his hand and he plucked it like a forest tree from the thicket, and the stick was in his hand. I have an better understanding also who Josephus the historian is and also the book of Jasher. Expository 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. Ex. Thank you, for this informative article. Jacob was alone and wrestled with the angel all night; Moses is with his wife, who comes to his rescue. I cant tell you how much this helped me. 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. [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. All the Women of the Bible. In the midrashic presentation, Moses took them with him because he wanted them to be with the Israelites when they received the Torah (Ex. That being said I did not say Moses had sex with his Ethiopian wife in this article, they were just married. A beautiful woman, she had received a special blessing that her comeliness would last her into old age. 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. [21] This view has been used to represent an element of the special relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze.[22]. NJAB - Who was Moses' wife? A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? Have an update or correction? 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. This Talmudic source (albeit with opposing views) highlights Zipporahs uniqueness, as the only woman in the Bible said to have performed a circumcision. There, Moses met a man named Jethro and received Jethro's daughter Zipporah in marriage. 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. The Truth About Moses' Wife Zipporah - Grunge 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). Af and Hemah (the destructive angels of wrath and anger) came and swallowed Moses, leaving only his legs. When Miriam saw the lamps, she exclaimed: Happy are these, and happy are their wives! Zipporah corrected her: Do not say, happy are their wives, rather, woe to their wives. 39). Midrashic tradition assumed they were discussing Moses neglect of Zipporah. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. 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). After the battle, Tharbis the Ethiopian queen made an agreement to marry Moses and he accepted. The Torah does not specify when Zipporah left Moses, nor the reason for this parting.
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