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). 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. 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. Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] 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). 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. Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. 4:24). "the written Torah." They had several rough patches in their marriage in part because of Moses devotion to his responsibilities. 12:1 attests that Miriam and Aaron spoke against the Cushite woman whom Moses had married. He asks him: Moses, where were you all these years? To which Moses answers: In Midian. Aaron further asks him: Who are these children and women with you? Moses replies: My wife and my sons. Aaron continued to question him: And where are you taking them? The answer: To Egypt. Aaron then tells him: We are grieving for the first ones [the Israelites who are enslaved in Egypt], and now shall we grieve for these, as well? Moses accordingly orders Zipporah: Go to your fathers house. Zipporah then departs for her fathers home, taking her two sons (Mehilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Masekhta de-Amalek, Yitro 1). 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. The Rabbis resolve this by identifying the Cushite woman with Zipporah. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. So the answer to the question, whether or not Moses married an Ethiopian has been answered, and the answer is, Yes! God did not agree, punishing Miriam with leprosy to make an example of their bigotry and pride. Part of why God cursed Miriam with leprosy was because Moses would not stand up to her. [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. 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. When he was with Jethro, he saw how fine were her actions. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 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. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). The Rabbis explain that Moses sent Zipporah to her fathers house in Midian only out of fear that Egyptian servitude would harm her. 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. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. 4:2728). Upon hearing her father, Zipporah immediately ran after Moses like a bird (ke-zippor, i.e., with alacrity) (Ex. Mercy and compassion were to be shown to aliens. Let us know. He did not withdraw from his wife because she aged or because she was no longer desirable in his eyes; rather, his abstinence resulted from a divine command. Everything belongs to Yah. 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. So the question is, who is the Ethiopian woman that Aaron and Miriam had an issue with Moses about? Expository She then touched Moses saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" 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. He spends several decades there before he returns to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Zipporah the Midianite was a descendant of Midian, Abraham's son by his third wife Keturah. 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). This information sheds a clear light on the question, whether Moses was married to an Ethiopian? Aaron goes forth to greet his brother and hugs and kisses him. Who was she? Thank you so much. 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). Before arriving in Egypt, he sent his family to their home country, and he possibly even married another woman. 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. He then planted it in the ground (Jasher 77:48) waiting for a man who was worthy to pluck it from the ground. After God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey. Intercultural/interracial marriages can work and are Biblical: Zipporah and Moses came from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. An important history book to read is called The works of Josephus I, inside the book we are given more clarity. 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. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29 . 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. Zipporah was one of seven Midianite sisters that mistook Moses for an Egyptian after he saved them from the men at the well ( Exodus 2:16-19 ). Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. So here we see that Moses reigned over the people of Cush. Touched by Greatness Women in the Life of Moses. Robinson, Bernard P. Zipporah to the Rescue: A Contextual Study of Exodus 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. 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. Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges ( Judges 4:11) as Hobab. Zipporah lived a fascinating life, getting to travel great distances, and being in an inter-cultural relationship. Num. He originally had a wife named Zipporah who was the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15 - 21). She is the mother of Moses' two sons: Eliezer, and Gershom. Below is an excerpt from the Josephus works. Moses first wife was Adoniah (Tharbis) and his second wife was Zipporah. 99). Im a Christian and I find this very informative. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of the ability of women to perform circumcision. Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. The next documented moment in Zipporahs life came after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. 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). 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. Many people often assume that Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses because of his marriage with Zipporah: 12 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. Zipporah is not well rewarded. But did Moses have a second wife? How could I ever be as happy with a now broken family. God blessed them with children. [14][15][16][17][18] Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah after helping save Jethro's daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. Moses defended the girls and watered their flocks. Alonso de Sandoval, 17th century Jesuit, reasoned that Zipporah and the Cushite woman was the same person, and that she was black. But where did it come from? While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? On their way, at a night encampment, The Lord met him [Moses] and tried to kill him(Exod 4:24). a female bird. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to her; they considered her different than other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. 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]. This is the first time I have heard that Moses had an Ethiopian wife! and to be the occasion of the great danger the Ethiopians were in, when they had before boasted of their great achievements, she fell deeply in love with him; and upon the prevalency of that passion, sent to him the most faithful of all her servants to discourse with him about their marriage. Later Jewish and Christian tradition . At some point before the exodus from Egypt, Moses sends her and the children away(Exod 18:2). Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. At the time of Moses marriage to Zipporah he was no longer married to the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis). Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? The last time the Bible mentions Zipporah is when she is at Mount Horeb with her family, according to Daily Journal. Rabbah 1:32). Before the Giving of the Torah, God ordered Moses to sanctify the people, and he said to them (Ex. 31 And they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus. Another tradition explains that the numerical value of Kushit is the same as the Hebrew yafet mareh (beautiful). 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. Some women are fit but not comely, while others are comely but not fit, while Zipporah was both beautiful and fit. Her words stopped the attack against Moses. All in all, we can't say. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. [26] She is the main character in Marek Halter's novel Zipporah, Wife of Moses (2005).[27]. 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. Pardes, Ilana. If youre equating marriage to sex that is not a biblical understanding. Moses siblings, Aaron and Miriam turned against their brother because he married someone who was not from the race or culture. Midrashic tradition assumed they were discussing Moses neglect of Zipporah. 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. Jacob was alone and wrestled with the angel all night; Moses is with his wife, who comes to his rescue. 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. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. "Why did you leave the man? [21] This view has been used to represent an element of the special relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze.[22]. of Moses' wife. A Mosque in the area of Medina, possibly: This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 22:54. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to Zipporah, whom they considered as differing from other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. Exodus 4:21-26. 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. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. 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. Below you will see one of the sons Abraham had with his late wife Keturah. Zipporah first appeared in the Book of Exodus after Moses fled Egypt. Ibn Ezra on Exodus 18:2 : , : ( :). We do trust Josephus as a historical source, but we don't know if we can corroborate everything he says. All these were the children of Keturah. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. 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. "Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah." On his journey he took Zipporah and his son Gershom, who was uncircumcised. (Viewed on May 1, 2023)
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