Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. After God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey. The circumcision performed by Zipporah is one of the most intriguing moments in the Bible, though the meaning behind her words is still unclear. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. Zipporah was a midianite who are a nation that were birthed by Abraham, which made Zipporah Shemitic. divorced"). 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. 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. See e.g. 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. They were also bring the commanded sacrificial offerings when they committed sins of ignorance. When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges ( Judges 4:11) as Hobab. We first meet Zipporahwho later became Moses's wifeat a well in her hometown of Midian. 99). 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. 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. [12][bettersourceneeded], "Cushite woman" becomes in the Greek Septuagint and Aethiopissa in the Latin Vulgate Bible version (4th century). This criticism displeases God, who punishes Miriam with Tzaraath (often glossed as leprosy). Her private life is revealed by chance when her pain bursts forth and she unfolds her feelings before Miriam. 1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 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. Thank you for this! Part of why God cursed Miriam with leprosy was because Moses would not stand up to her. Wm. Page from the Rylands Haggadah. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. 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. 2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, 3 along with her two sons. 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. In conversations we have daily on the Word of God and the life of great men like Moses my questions are answered know. In the above scriptures the queen of Ethiopia took a liking to Moses because of his abilities during battle. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. I trust Him. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to Zipporah, whom they considered as differing from other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Moses and Zipporah would have been married for over 40 years by this time, and it is unlikely that Moses' siblings would just then be protesting. Another exegetical tradition places Miriam next to Zipporah when Moses was told (Num. Zipporah was one of them. It does show that both parents bore responsibility for raising their child up in alignment with Gods ordinances. There is an understanding about Moses wife, which says that he was married to an Ethiopian lady. How could I ever be as happy with a now broken family. Im a Christian and I find this very informative. What Is The True Sabbath Day? 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? Unlike the human tendency to want or expect perfection in religious heroes, historic Judaism simply asked that its heroes do more good than evil. Moses was that man, when he took it out the ground Reuel saw him with it, and it was at that moment he knew Moses was special, so he gave him his daughter Zipporah. "Where is he then? This passage can be difficult to understand, and different thinkers and theologians have various interpretations of what happened here. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. InNum 12:1Miriamand Aaron speak against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he married, but they do not mention her name. Have an update or correction? The second position is that Moses was negligent regarding his sons circumcision. Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011. My prayers will go out to you. Additionally, those living in ancient Israel had to be circumcised if they wished to partake of the Passover (Leviticus 25:45 - 46, Exodus 12:43, 45). Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Moses is told that his father-in-law Jethro is coming to see you, with your wife and her two sons (Exod i8:6). So, when Zipporah refused, apparently, to follow him on his divinely appointed mission to Egypt, she abandoned him, which is why Moses had dismissed, divorced or sent her back (see Exod 18:2 where we read that Moses had "sent her [Zipporah] back", Heb. Thank you so much. Before arriving in Egypt, he sent his family to their home country, and he possibly even married another woman. of Moses' wife. 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). While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. Mercy and compassion were to be shown to aliens. He read the symbols on it, extended his hand, and took it. Times 106 (1995): 203205. 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. 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. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, and we dont know the details of their relationships. She and Moses have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer(Exod 18:34). Thank you so much for your, very much needed, information. Her mysterious life leaves us with more questions than answers, but it does not mean her life was not worth studying. The meaning of "Cushite" is uncertain. 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. Heres a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporahs father was a Midianite. Who was she? Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. Behind him to his right stands his wife, a black womanpossibly Zipporah. [5] The word that makes this difficult is shelucheiha, the sendings [away] of her (Ex. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. 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. Another interpretation, however, has this danger hovering over Moses, and in order to save him, Zipporah circumcises their son. Additionally, the midrash portrays female solidarity between Zipporah and Miriam, with the latter lending an attentive ear and even trying to help her fellow woman. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb. And Moses cried to the Lord, O God, please heal herplease. But the Lord said to Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? The men that decided the cannon (i.e. Moses recognized this quality in her, as it is said (Num. 99). That Bloody Bridegroom (Exodus 4:2426). Vetus Her father Jethro was the priest of Midian, and it was he that gave Zipporah to Moses to marry. Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. The common assumption made is that Zipporah was Ethiopian, some even say that there is some type of biblical error. God's anger led [] Purgatory vs Hell, The Truth. 12). How To Worship God: What Is Spirit And What Is Truth? 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. Now you know that Moses was in fact married to an Ethiopian, you can go and educate others. 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. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 19:15): Be ready for the third day: do not go near a woman. All Israel withdrew from their wives, and Moses withdrew from his wife. Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 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). Why are you confused. Intercultural/interracial marriages can work and are Biblical: Zipporah and Moses came from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. 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. 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. I havent lost my family. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . The text does not reveal that Zipporah was the Cushite woman spoken of in Numbers 12. 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. Zipporah, however, understood it and acted decisively to rescue Moses. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. what is biblical or not) were not Hebrews, they slaughtered the Hebrews. 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? On their way, at a night encampment, The Lord met him [Moses] and tried to kill him(Exod 4:24). Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. I will briefly discuss the staff of Moses because it has relevance to the marriage between Zipporah the Midianite and Moses. Answer: Some think Moses married a woman of a different race than he was.

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