how old was zipporah when she married moses

in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. Zipporah did not seem to always let Moses know what she needed. Thank you!!!!! Also keep in mind that Jethro is also known as Reuel, you can see this in the below scriptures: 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their fathers flock. We all become responsible for our own walk with Yah when we become adults (Philippians 2:12). So just as Abraham's marriage could not be condemned by legal standards established centuries later, and just as you were not in 2003 required to pay taxes according to the reforms of . They then ask why she was called the Cushite woman, since she was a Midianite. "Zipporah: Bible." Invite him for supper to break bread." 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. They answer that just as a Cushite has different skin, Zipporah was different, since she was more comely than all other women. Much of the tension in their marriage is documented only after Moses began to step into his role as the liberator of the Hebrews. This passage can be difficult to understand, and different thinkers and theologians have various interpretations of what happened here. However, the stories of some of the women of the Bible continue to resonate, despite only minor appearances. She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. But did Moses have a second wife? That Bloody Bridegroom (Exodus 4:2426). Vetus He was instrumental in getting back the Ethiopian castle after it was abducted by Balaam the Magician and his two sons. Thank you so much for your, very much needed, information. And they said, Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? 11:27) that Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp! Zipporahs reaction to this report was: Woe to their wives. He originally had a wife named Zipporah who was the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15 - 21). Zipporah had compassion on Moses and brought him bread and water. Pharaohs daughter, who raised him, was aware of his heritage when she found him the basket, but raised him anyway. Robinson, Bernard P. Zipporah to the Rescue: A Contextual Study of Exodus 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. Zipporah was the wife of Moses. It is an unfortunate thing that women in todays society are generally not willing to stick through the hard times. 18, before the Giving of the Torah, which is immediately presented in the following chapters (Ex. This criticism displeases God, who punishes Miriam with Tzaraath (often glossed as leprosy). Hopefully this article has helped clear up the questions you may have had about Moses wives. 99). Midrashic tradition assumed they were discussing Moses neglect of Zipporah. Cambridge, MA: 1992. In the Bible, women are often praised when they are obedient but they sometimes disappear from the text after giving birth or getting married. It fills some gaps in the Bible narrative. Later Jewish and Christian tradition . Moses goes out to greet Jethro and takes him into his tent, but nothing is said about his greeting Zipporah. He fled from the scene of a crimehe had murdered an Egyptian for being cruel to an Israelite slave. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? When the daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, were being harassed, Moses helped them. Article The underlying aim of the midrashim that recount how Zipporahs beauty was preserved in her old age is to aggrandize Moses. 4:2426. Vetus 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 Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. [5] The word that makes this difficult is shelucheiha, the sendings [away] of her (Ex. When we read the bible we see mention of the book of Jasher quoted above, which gives credence to its authority (Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18). In Gods eyes, it does not matter whether Moses' wife was a Midianite, Cushite or whatever "race" she was. 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. Forty years passed, and God called Moses back to Egypt to deliver Israel. At some point, God told Moses to bring his family to Egypt in order to free his people. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 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). Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition? It is called the book of Jasher and it is mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. Im happy you discovered something new. Proud member The stick was then taken by Adam (Jasher 77:43) when he was sent out of the Garden of Eden. Well, Heavenly Father has something in store for me that I cant see right now, I have faith in that. So everybody naturally assumes that she was the Ethiopian. 39). Detail of Jacob Jordaens' painting "Moses and his Ethiopian Wife Zipporah," c. 1650. He then planted it in the ground (Jasher 77:48) waiting for a man who was worthy to pluck it from the ground. They had several rough patches in their marriage in part because of Moses devotion to his responsibilities. Zipporah may be one of the most intriguing figures in the early books of the Bible. This is something that Ive always wondered about, because when I checked the background of Moses wife I never found this to be true. I have an better understanding also who Josephus the historian is and also the book of Jasher. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. Other shepherds arrived and drove the girls away, so that they could water their own flocks first. in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. She circumcised her. This is problematic, since the Torah does not relate that Moses took an additional wife, nor is there any mention of children whom she borenot to mention the distastefulness of Mosess marrying a second wife while Zipporah was in her fathers house, waiting to rejoin him. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc. The ribbons in her hat resemble a cross. Both of these assertions are inaccurate. The midrash explains how Moses and Zipporah could have had a son who had not been circumcised. I love the explanation it has answered my many questions. After God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. Based on the Bible, there is no prohibition against what people define as different "races" from being married. Upon their return home, their father asked them, "How is it that you have come home so early today?" See e.g. God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word. I bless you for the information and now i have an greater understanding of the life of Moses and his wifes. Jacob was alone and wrestled with the angel all night; Moses is with his wife, who comes to his rescue. Thank you! [26] She is the main character in Marek Halter's novel Zipporah, Wife of Moses (2005).[27]. Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. 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). Moses first wife was Adoniah (Tharbis) and his second wife was Zipporah. 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. Jethro helped his son-in-law by encouraging him to delegate some of his responsibilities. Touched by Greatness Women in the Life of Moses. The Rabbis interpret the vague wording of the verse in different ways. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, when Moses killed a man in Egypt, he rushed to hide among the Midianites. Answer: Some think Moses married a woman of a different race than he was. Boast Not Against The Branches: Olive Tree Bible Verse Explained. 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. With the words to break bread" (implying marriage), Jethro hinted that Moses might marry one of them. 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. If the Rabbis identify the Cushite woman with Zipporah, and the word Cushite describes her positive qualities (her beauty and her deeds), what flaw did Miriam and Aaron find in her when they spoke against Moses (Num. 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. 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. Jewish Women's Archive. The Meaning Of Maccabees, Is Purgatory A Dogma? What Is The True Sabbath Day? The expression "Cushite woman" is used disparagingly against Moses because he . Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. Zipporah is presented as the leaders wife, who suffers from the life of abstinence decreed for her husband. 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. Most people know that Moses had a staff which he carried when he performed the eleven miracles against Pharaoh in Egypt. When Laban gave him his daughters, Jacob deceived him and fled far away. She is also described as a practical woman capable of taking action at the right moment. [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. Moses defended the girls and watered their flocks. 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. Above you can see that Reuel (Jethro) was Moses father in law and the priest of Midian too. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. All I ever wanted was to protect and provide for them. Just as everyone speaks of the blackness of the Cushite, so do all proclaim the beauty of Zipporah (Tanhuma, Zav 13). Moses was aware of Zipporahs qualities and therefore took her for a wife; she adjusted to her role as wife of the leader of the people of Israel, successfully making the transition to royalty. The meaning of "Cushite" is uncertain. "Why did you leave the man? what is biblical or not) were not Hebrews, they slaughtered the Hebrews. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Moses first Marriage was to Adoniah as previously mentioned and his second marriage was to Reuel (Jethro) the Midianites daughter Zipporah. With copies of The Book of Jasher in publication. I wouldnt call Jasher non biblical. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah, a life of sexual abstinence was imposed on Moses due to his spiritual standing; this Zipporah found very difficult. Alonso de Sandoval, 17th century Jesuit, reasoned that Zipporah and the Cushite woman was the same person, and that she was black. Because of this pledge, Moses had to return to Midian after he had been sent to Egypt, as it is said (Ex. A beautiful woman, she had received a special blessing that her comeliness would last her into old age. 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. Page from the Rylands Haggadah. 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. Parents share responsibility for raising their children: The incident at the inn where Zipporah circumcised their son is difficult to understand, especially in a modern context. Thank you, for this informative article. Both possibilities appear in the midrashic expositions. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, and we dont know the details of their relationships. Its your duty to train them up in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6). The Lord has already spoken with many prophets, and with us as well, but we did not abstain from our spouses as Moses has done (Sifrei Zuta 12:1). The truth is, as you have seen throughout this article, is that this assumption is based off a lack of knowledge and thorough study of the scriptures. 99). Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. 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). And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. Expository Yet on the journey, God tried to kill Moses. 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. Exodus 4:21-26. Reuel then gave Moses Zipporah as his wife (Exodus 2:1121). God's anger led [] Yah will give us a new heart and blissful peace (1 Corinthians 2:9). Reuel was so grateful, he decided to receive Moses as a guest in his house and offered up his daughter Zipporah to Moses to marry. This is the land that Moses dwelt in when he took refuge from Pharaoh. 99). Required fields are marked *, 2020 We Are Hebrew | Bible Facts & Bible Notes |, 22 comments on Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)?. Your question refers to Numbers 12:1 that states his mate was a Cushite, a term often used to refer to African nations. He met her during his years away from Egypt ( Exodus 2:1 ). In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. You can see here that Tharbis is mentioned, not in the bible scriptures, but in the Josephus histories. There, Moses met a man named Jethro and received Jethro's daughter Zipporah in marriage. After killing an Egyptian, Moses runs away to Midian, where he marries Zipporah, the daughter of the local priest (Exod 2:15-22). Most focus on the clear teaching that Moses married Zipporah, a Midianite, during his 40 years in the wilderness (having fled from the presence of Pharaoh). of 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. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. In a marriage, spouses should support one another and help navigate the relationship with their respective relations. Many of us are familiar with Moses' wife, 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. Ex. The two latter midrashim are based on the juxtaposition of the appointment of the seventy elders and the prophesying of Eldad and Medad (Num. 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). Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again. So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. 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. The ones that are, are in the minority and they are a blessing. She saved his life in the night encampment when she made haste to circumcise her son. Your question refers to Numbers 12:1 that states his mate was a Cushite, a term often used to refer to African nations. 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. Zipporah. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. In the Torah, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. 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. Hi I had been reading the book of yasher over Passover and Ive been finding it very interesting! [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. 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. The circumcision performed by Zipporah is one of the most intriguing moments in the Bible, though the meaning behind her words is still unclear. Moses had killed an Egyptian by accident and fled to the Midianites since the Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. Eventually they will walk their own path. They believed Zipporahs ethnicity disqualified him from being Gods sole mouthpiece. 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. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!So he let him alone. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. When the daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, were being harassed, Moses helped them. 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. First lets see whether Moses was married to Zipporah. She heroically saves Moses and her sons from a random attack from an angel by cutting off her son's foreskin; the explanation for this act is unclear. The purpose of Patriarchs having multiple wives was to produce babies, not because of lustful desires. 18: . 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). So the question is, who is the Ethiopian woman that Aaron and Miriam had an issue with Moses about? Propp, William. 12:1 attests that Miriam and Aaron spoke against the Cushite woman whom Moses had married. Another interpretation, however, has this danger hovering over Moses, and in order to save him, Zipporah circumcises their son. 39 And it was that whilst he prayed he looked opposite to him, and behold a sapphire stick was placed in the ground, which was planted in the midst of the garden. If youre equating marriage to sex that is not a biblical understanding. [14][15][16][17][18] Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah after helping save Jethro's daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. 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. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. 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. Eventually Reuel the Midianite ended up with the stick after the death of Joseph. 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! When Jethro saw what Moses had done, he exclaimed: This one will redeem Israel from Egypt, and therefore gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer [ed. 12:1): because of the Cushite woman he had marriedhe married her because she was a Cushite woman (Sifrei Zuta 12:1). After the crown was given to Moses Adoniah the former kings wife married Moses. Have an update or correction? The Midianites themselves were later on depicted at times in non-Biblical sources as dark-skinned and called Kushim, a Hebrew word used for dark-skinned Africans. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Shalom. Aaron goes forth to greet his brother and hugs and kisses him. InNum 12:1Miriamand Aaron speak against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he married, but they do not mention her name. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. 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. 2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, 3 along with her two sons. 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). And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. [6][7][8] In the story, Aaron and Miriam criticize Moses' marriage to a Cushite woman. One day while he sat by a well, Reuel's daughters came to water their father's flocks. Ive already told friends about what Ive read. Patterson, Dorothy. 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. 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 book is mentioned in the scriptures but many people think it doesnt exist. Zipporah was called a Cushite, meaning at least part if not all of her heritage was from Africa. Num. This passage mostly focuses on Jethro aiding Moses in getting help judging the conflicts among the tribes. Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. Salem Media Group. 43 And when God had driven Adam from the garden of Eden, he took the stick in his hand and went and tilled the ground from which he was taken. [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. In the above scriptures the queen of Ethiopia took a liking to Moses because of his abilities during battle. Another tradition explains that the numerical value of Kushit is the same as the Hebrew yafet mareh (beautiful). Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15. Following their appointment, all Israel kindled lamps and engaged in celebrations, rejoicing at the elders having attained their exalted status. Thanks for the expository (article). Your email address will not be published. 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. Zipporah noticed her husband was at risk and swiftly used a stone to cut their son's foreskin. I will briefly discuss the staff of Moses because it has relevance to the marriage between Zipporah the Midianite and Moses. The next documented moment in Zipporahs life came after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. This totally contradicts the idea that Moses wife could have been an Ethiopian. Numbers 12:1 is the only passage in the Old Testament where Moses' wife is identified as a "Cushite.". 17K views, 519 likes, 455 loves, 3.7K comments, 232 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. 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. In a third midrashic tableau, Zipporah initiated the conversation and spoke with Miriam, Miriam told this to Aaron, and he added to her words and the two discussed the matter. During his education he learned somehow that he was a Hebrew, and his sense of concern and curiosity impelled him to visit his people. When we research the lineage of Zipporah Moses wife we see that it goes back to the Midianites. It is also noted that Zipporah is often rejected by her husband, who is always waiting to hear new words from God. Shalom! 1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. And Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have d15one foolishly and have sinned. [Hence, it is no longer dangerous to have him in our home.]

Is Ricky Hagerman Alive, 4 Bedroom House Rockford, Il, Cameras On I35 In Oklahoma, Chesterfield County, Sc Delinquent Tax Sale 2019, Articles H