It is always good to study the Scriptures deeper and further. of 2:21). (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. Who was she? Lutzer, Erwin. Blessings to you and your family, Shalom! There is no information about how Zipporah felt about it, and she is still a mystery in many ways. She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. Thank you for an extremely interesting read. Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. So the answer to the question, whether or not Moses married an Ethiopian has been answered, and the answer is, Yes! Jewish Women's Archive. This totally contradicts the idea that Moses wife could have been an Ethiopian. Another interpretation supporting the opposition to circumcision by women is that Zipporah began the circumcision, but someone else came and completed it (BT Avodah Zarah 27a). Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. Kadari, Tamar. After having performed this rite, Zipporah says (v. 26): A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision [la-mulot, in the plural], from which the Rabbis deduced two elements of the circumcision procedure: periah (uncovering the corona) and zizin (the shreds of the corona, that invalidate the circumcision) (JT Nedarim 3:9, 38b; Deut. As with other major Biblical figures, the venue of the first encounter between Moses and Zipporah, his future wife, was beside a well (Ex. [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. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. In the above scriptures the queen of Ethiopia took a liking to Moses because of his abilities during battle. 45 And when Abraham had given all he had to his son Isaac, he also gave to him this stick. She saved his life in the night encampment when she made haste to circumcise her son. Article 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. Yah will give us a new heart and blissful peace (1 Corinthians 2:9). 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. Let us know. It is called the book of Jasher and it is mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. Like me, they never knew about Adoniah (Tharbis). Eventually Reuel the Midianite ended up with the stick after the death of Joseph. Robinson, Bernard P. Zipporah to the Rescue: A Contextual Study of Exodus 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. 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? After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. Like many other prominent biblical characters, Zipporah is depicted in several works of art. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges (Judges 4:11) as Hobab. They were also bring the commanded sacrificial offerings when they committed sins of ignorance. ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. 31 December 1999. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. It fills some gaps in the Bible narrative. 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. 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. A second tradition has Jethro deciding upon Zipporahs marriage to Moses after he brought Moses into his home and came to know his qualities. 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 Talmudic source (albeit with opposing views) highlights Zipporahs uniqueness, as the only woman in the Bible said to have performed a circumcision. How To Worship God: What Is Spirit And What Is Truth? The stick was made of Sapphire (Jasher 77:39) and not the traditional wood normally expected. Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? He planted the staff in the garden of his house, and no man could approach it. Some women are beautiful in their youth but are repulsive in their old age. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2011. The last time the Bible mentions Zipporah is when she is at Mount Horeb with her family, according to Daily Journal. 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. He spends several decades there before he returns to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites. It is unclear whether she remained with Moses or returned to Midian. Zipporah is presented as the leaders wife, who suffers from the life of abstinence decreed for her husband. After killing an Egyptian, Moses runs away to Midian, where he marries Zipporah, the daughter of the local priest (Exod 2:15-22). 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. Zipporah was rejoined with Moses early on the Exodus (see Exodus 2:16-22; 18:2-6). The Rabbis interpret the vague wording of the verse in different ways. I love the explanation it has answered my many questions. 11:27) that Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp! Zipporahs reaction to this report was: Woe to their wives. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. Lieberman], Ki Teze 1, reads: milah [circumcision; i.e., stages within the circumcision] u- periah). Saturday Or Sunday? 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. Zipporah, however, was lovely both in her youth and in her old age, and therefore was called the Cushite woman also when she was old. 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. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. 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). A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Most probably, the . Wm. At the time of Moses marriage to Zipporah he was no longer married to the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis). 4:2426. Vetus Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. Part of why God cursed Miriam with leprosy was because Moses would not stand up to her. At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaoh's judgment after he . ", Reuel asked them. 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 Meaning Of Maccabees, Is Purgatory A Dogma? 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. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Some women are beautiful to others but not to their husband, and there are women who are beautiful to their husband but not to others; while Zipporah was lovely in the eyes of her husband and of everyone who beheld her (Midrash Tehillim 7:18). The story is already difficult for the narrator, who adds a comment thathatan damimrefers to circumcision. Countertraditions 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. 17K views, 519 likes, 455 loves, 3.7K comments, 232 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. 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 . With the words to break bread" (implying marriage), Jethro hinted that Moses might marry one of them. Shalom. Lockyer, Herbert. 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. 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. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. The details of the quality of their marriage over time are difficult to discern, as she spent time with Moses in Egypt, came into conflict with him and his family, and did eventually take their son back to Midian. Spare The Rod Spoil The Child: Biblical Discipline Explained, Brief Explanation Of Tharbis & Moses Marriage, 19 Old Testament Passages That Foreshadow Jesus, Prophet Like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18): 11 Likenesses To the Messiah (Jesus), Slavery Bible Verses: Transatlantic Slave Trade Explained, phenomenal woman in the bible: Examples & how to be & Find one, A Quran And Bible Comparison: Why Theyre Not The Same, Canonization Of The Bible: And What We Should Be Reading, Was The Maccabean Revolt successful?
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