Im happy you discovered something new. How To Worship God: What Is Spirit And What Is Truth? He originally had a wife named Zipporah who was the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15 - 21). Zipporahs uniqueness is the subject of yet another tradition. After the Giving of the Torah, a life of sexual abstinence was imposed on Moses. When Moses fled from Egypt to the land of Midian, he met Jethro's seven daughters, who were having some trouble getting enough water for their flocks ( Exodus 2 ). Moses and the latter met at the mountain of God when Moses was on his way to Egypt (Ex. Salem Media Group. Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? It does show that both parents bore responsibility for raising their child up in alignment with Gods ordinances. 11:27) that Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp! Zipporahs reaction to this report was: Woe to their wives. Purgatory vs Hell, The Truth. 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. 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. 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. 2:21), understanding the word va-yoel as a customary wording of a vow. I wouldnt call Jasher non biblical. What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition? We are told that the Most High used what is now known as the supernatural staff of Moses to create the worlds (Jasher 77:42). Zipporah lived a fascinating life, getting to travel great distances, and being in an inter-cultural relationship. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 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. Your children are a gift from Yah (Psalms 127:3). Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. I cant tell you how much this helped me. Heres a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporahs father was a Midianite. 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. Strangers in the land were also commanded to observe and fast on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29) and additionally adhere to all God's Commandments (Exodus 12:48 - 49). Jewish Women's Archive. Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15. 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. In another midrashic account, Jethro agreed to the marriage between Moses and Zipporah on condition that their firstborn would be an idolater (see below). Upon hearing her father, Zipporah immediately ran after Moses like a bird (ke-zippor, i.e., with alacrity) (Ex. 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. Josephus was a devout Jew, who lived just after the death of the Messiah, he had knowledge of all the historical information about Israel. New York: 2000. Mosess hope that his family would be present at the Giving of the Torah would nonetheless be realized, because the Torah tells of their reunion in Ex. but I was confused in regards to you saying that Adoniah and Moses consummated the marriage?? Here you can see that Moses married an Ethiopian called Adoniah (Tharbis): Above Moses married his first wife the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis), when he was around twenty-seven (Jasher 73:2) years old. Jewish Women's Archive. Now we know that Moses was married to Adoniah (Tharbis), by just simply understanding the history of Israel, we can say that Moses was married twice. 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. Zipporah May be Obscure, but the Wife of Moses Mattered - US News 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. Miriam: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Ive already told friends about what Ive read. So everybody naturally assumes that she was the Ethiopian. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. When Jethro invited Moses into his house, the latter entered the garden and saw the staff. This is something that Ive always wondered about, because when I checked the background of Moses wife I never found this to be true. Like many other prominent biblical characters, Zipporah is depicted in several works of art. Moses siblings, Aaron and Miriam turned against their brother because he married someone who was not from the race or culture. On his journey he took Zipporah and his son Gershom, who was uncircumcised. Lutzer, Erwin. Countertraditions Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. As with other major Biblical figures, the venue of the first encounter between Moses and Zipporah, his future wife, was beside a well (Ex. Thank you! In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. Race of Moses' Wife - Bible Study After 10 years, she turned to her father and said: "This Hebrew who has been jailed in the pit for the past 10 years, nobody has come around asking for him. Both possibilities appear in the midrashic expositions. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, "I . (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Blessings to you and your family, Shalom! Did Moses Have Two Wives, Tharbis and Zipporah, or Just One? While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] This is the land that Moses dwelt in when he took refuge from Pharaoh. what is biblical or not) were not Hebrews, they slaughtered the Hebrews. Ibn Ezra on Exodus 18:2 : , : ( :). The law you quote is in Deuteronomy, which was not yet in existence when Moses married the Cushite - it was spoken at the very end of Moses' life (Deut 4:44-5:1). Its important that we study the scriptures our self, even the scripts we are told are not part of the sixty-six books that we have been left with. Intercultural/interracial marriages can work and are Biblical: Zipporah and Moses came from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Zipporah is not well rewarded. The midrash explains how Moses and Zipporah could have had a son who had not been circumcised. (Exodus 4:24). Because of this pledge, Moses had to return to Midian after he had been sent to Egypt, as it is said (Ex. Cushites were of the ancestry of either Kush (Nubia) in northeast Africa, or Arabians. 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. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. A second tradition has Jethro deciding upon Zipporahs marriage to Moses after he brought Moses into his home and came to know his qualities. Moses first wife was Adoniah (Tharbis) and his second wife was Zipporah. First lets see whether Moses was married to Zipporah. How can we know which is correct? 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. 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. ", Reuel asked them. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. Exodus 18:2-5. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. The predicate of this verse is unclear. 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. She is the mother of Moses' two sons: Eliezer, and Gershom. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. He was instrumental in getting back the Ethiopian castle after it was abducted by Balaam the Magician and his two sons. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. Most people know that Moses had a staff which he carried when he performed the eleven miracles against Pharaoh in Egypt. This stick was passed down until it reached Abraham, then Jacob took it. 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. Their son did. Marriage takes hard work and clear communication from both sides: Zipporah and Moses did not always understand one another, and sometimes Moses got so caught up dealing with his responsibilities to the Hebrew people he forgot about his duties at home. The stick was then taken by Adam (Jasher 77:43) when he was sent out of the Garden of Eden. She takes a flint and cuts off her sons foreskin. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to her; they considered her different than other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Here's a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporah's father was a Midianite. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. 2021 23 Jul The wife of Moses is named Zipporah. Yocheved was the daughter of Levi, Jacob 's son. Have an update or correction? 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. The Untold Story of Zipporah, Wife of Moses - What Do You Think Who was Moses' wife? Did Moses have more than one wife? | GotQuestions.org 11). The Great Moses Divorced and Remarried? | Hoshana Rabbah Blog Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? She is later reunited with Moses when her father . 31 And they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus. It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc. The two latter midrashim are based on the juxtaposition of the appointment of the seventy elders and the prophesying of Eldad and Medad (Num. 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). Zipporah was left all but divorced. 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. While the Israelites/Hebrews were captives in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian who was striking a Hebrew, for which offense Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. He came upon the land of Midian and there he met and married one of the daughters of the local priest and stayed for 40 years. "Zipporah: Bible." 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. Zipporahis a Midianite woman who becomes the wife of Moses. 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. Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011. The name Tharbis can not be found in the book of Exodus, but you can find it below in other scriptures. 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). On the road, they stayed at an inn, where God came to kill Moses. Dont forget to share this with someone that needs it. Moses defended the girls and watered their flocks. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. 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]. Zipporah is the heroine of a bizarre incident that takes place as Moses heads back to Egypt with his wife and sons(Exod 4:20). Their parting took place on the way, following the encounter with Aaron. in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. More research shows a biblical record that supports the information presented by Josephus concerning Moses war against the Ethiopians when he was the king of the Ethiopians. Moses' Kushite Wife Was Zipporah the Midianite - TheTorah.com Why Didn't Moses Enter the Promised Land. Part of why God cursed Miriam with leprosy was because Moses would not stand up to her. 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. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, and we dont know the details of their relationships. Zipporah was the wife of Moses. Zipporah: The Midianite Wife of Moses - Black History In The Bible Let us know. The Bible records, "She gave birth to a son, and . Jethro helped his son-in-law by encouraging him to delegate some of his responsibilities. [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. 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. 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. At some point before the exodus from Egypt, Moses sends her and the children away(Exod 18:2). Af and Hemah (the destructive angels of wrath and anger) came and swallowed Moses, leaving only his legs. Countertraditions At the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian he saw abusing a Hebrew. 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. 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. All I ever wanted was to protect and provide for them. 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. Nor had I heard of the book of Jasher. 4:2728). Following their appointment, all Israel kindled lamps and engaged in celebrations, rejoicing at the elders having attained their exalted status. 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. Some women are beautiful in their youth but are repulsive in their old age. Moses marries Zipporah during his time in Midian. Who Was Tharbis and Did Moses Marry Twice? - christianity.com 39). Propp, William. Yah will give us a new heart and blissful peace (1 Corinthians 2:9). How Many Wives Did Moses In The Bible Have - CHURCHGISTS.COM Her father Jethro was the priest of Midian, and it was he that gave Zipporah to Moses to marry. Women in Scripture. In regards to the next life, there is no marrying (Matthew 22:30), we will be resurrected in incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54). 12:1 attests that Miriam and Aaron spoke against the Cushite woman whom Moses had married. 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. 18:2). But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. God's anger led [] 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. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges (Judges 4:11) as Hobab. InNum 12:1Miriamand Aaron speak against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he married, but they do not mention her name. 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. 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. 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). In conversations we have daily on the Word of God and the life of great men like Moses my questions are answered know. 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. Zipporah was one of them. In return for her good deed, God gave Moses permission to marry her (Exodus 18:13). Its your duty to train them up in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6). Another exegetical tradition places Miriam next to Zipporah when Moses was told (Num. When the daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, were being harassed, Moses helped them. Who knows, but it gives me hope to relate to Moses in this thing. Shalom. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. God then left Moses alone (Exodus 4:2426). This passage mostly focuses on Jethro aiding Moses in getting help judging the conflicts among the tribes. Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. Then at the age of sixty-six he went to the land of Midian and married Zipporah the Midianite. 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. 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. Unlike the human tendency to want or expect perfection in religious heroes, historic Judaism simply asked that its heroes do more good than evil. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. 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. We are told that Moses led the Ethiopians in battle against the Magician Balaam and his two sons (Jasher 72:3,6), who had taken over the Ethiopian castle and convinced the Ethiopians to betray their original king while he was in battle. Zipporah was called a Cushite, meaning at least part if not all of her heritage was from Africa. The main plot of Zipporah's cryptic story, which contains a few large holes, is this: Moses, a fugitive from Egypt, where he killed a man for abusing a Hebrew slave, happens upon the seven. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. 17K views, 519 likes, 455 loves, 3.7K comments, 232 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. Why are you confused. Rabbah 5:5). The Rabbis interpret the vague wording of the verse in different ways. Moses - Years and deeds | Britannica The meaning of "Cushite" is uncertain. If we dont study then were only left with half the truth. Your email address will not be published. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word. 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). It is called the book of Jasher and it is mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. And Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have d15one foolishly and have sinned. She heroically saved Moses from an attack by circumcising her son. They answer that just as a Cushite has different skin, Zipporah was different, since she was more comely than all other women. Expository There are women who are poor, the children of the poor, who do not know how to conduct themselves when they come in contact with royalty. Reuel then gave Moses Zipporah as his wife (Exodus 2:1121). [Hence, it is no longer dangerous to have him in our home.] He thereupon accepted the offer, on condition she would procure the delivering up of the city; and gave her the assurance of an oath to take her to his wife; and that when he had once taken possession of the city, he would not break his oath to her. There is no information about how Zipporah felt about it, and she is still a mystery in many ways. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. Testamentum 36 (1986): 447461. 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. Below is an excerpt from the Josephus works. 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. : 247 Inspiration. These scriptures should clear up any misunderstandings you may have had about these different names. Rabbah 1:32). The last mention of Zipporah came while the Hebrews were camped in the wilderness near Mount Sinai. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of the ability of women to perform circumcision. 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. It is an unfortunate thing that women in todays society are generally not willing to stick through the hard times. And they said, Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? 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. This exegesis explains why only one of Mosess sons was uncircumcised, and why they were not in such mortal danger immediately after his birth, but only after they had left Jethros home and were released from his vow. Daughter to a priest, wife of the emancipator of the Israelites from captivity and bondage in Egypt, her unique status invites many questions. At some point, God told Moses to bring his family to Egypt in order to free his people. As you can see above Abrahams second wife Kenturah gave birth to children and one of them was the father of the Midianites. She is also described as a practical woman capable of taking action at the right moment. If youre equating marriage to sex that is not a biblical understanding. 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.
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