Who was Moses' wife? But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. The Rabbis suggest that Miriam and Aaron talked about Moses having withdrawn from his wife. Below you will see one of the sons Abraham had with his late wife Keturah. Answer Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. 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. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Nor had I heard of the book of Jasher. 2:20). If we dont study then were only left with half the truth. How could I ever be as happy with a now broken family. Let us know. Josephus was a devout Jew, who lived just after the death of the Messiah, he had knowledge of all the historical information about Israel. Following their appointment, all Israel kindled lamps and engaged in celebrations, rejoicing at the elders having attained their exalted status. The Israelite Samaritan Version of the Torah: First English Translation Compared with the Masoretic Version. Numbers 12:1 is the only passage in the Old Testament where Moses' wife is identified as a "Cushite.". After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. 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). Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. 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. Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. Ibn Ezra on Exodus 18:2 : , : ( :). It is an unfortunate thing that women in todays society are generally not willing to stick through the hard times. But no children are ever recorded for a second wife of Moses. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. "Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah." 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 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. 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 . 12:1 attests that Miriam and Aaron spoke against the Cushite woman whom Moses had married. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. of 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. Lockyer, Herbert. So here we see that Moses reigned over the people of Cush. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. Zipporahs name, meaning bird, combined with her protection of Moses, is reminiscent of the fierce loyalty to her husband Osiris of the Egyptian goddess Isis, who is often portrayed as a bird of prey. One day while he sat by a well, Reuel's daughters came to water their father's flocks. [Hence, it is no longer dangerous to have him in our home.] 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. He planted the staff in the garden of his house, and no man could approach it. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. All rights reserved. Ashby, Godfrey. The most popular incident is when Moses is challenged by Aaron and Miriam, because of his marriage to an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1). They then ask why she was called the Cushite woman, since she was a Midianite. Required fields are marked *, 2020 We Are Hebrew | Bible Facts & Bible Notes |, 22 comments on Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)?. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of the ability of women to perform circumcision. She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. : 247 Inspiration. Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Hi I had been reading the book of yasher over Passover and Ive been finding it very interesting! She is the mother of Moses' two sons: Eliezer, and Gershom. 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. In each one, she seems to come into conflict with the culture of her husband, as well as being stuck between Moses the man, and Moses the prophet. 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. It is also noted that Zipporah is often rejected by her husband, who is always waiting to hear new words from God. The Healing of Moses Leprous Arm (above) and The Return to Egypt, and Zipporah Circumcising her Son (below).Courtesy of the John Rylands Library, Manchester. The details of the passage are unclear and subject to debate. An opposing view, however, argues that a woman is not deemed to be as if already circumcised; this commandment is not relevant for the woman, and since she herself is not circumcised, she may not circumcise others. Zipporah's father was a Midianite, which means that she was a Midianite as well. It is unclear whether she remained with Moses or returned to Midian. The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. [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. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. The Israelites, too, are called Kushiim in Amos 9:7: To me, O Israelites, you are just like the Ethiopians [Kushiim], because of the difference between them and the other peoples of the earth, since they observe the commandments (Sifrei on Numbers chap. 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). Moses married an Ethiopian woman who was not of Shemitic lineage, she was Hamitic (this information is only found in the book of Yasher), that is why Miriam spoke against her. Thanks for the expository (article). He read the symbols on it, extended his hand, and took it. God blessed them with children. He meets the seven daughters of Reuel, priest of Midian, at a well; rescues them from shepherds who are harassing them; and fills their jugs with water. Thank you, for this informative article. 1 Now Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. At the well, she met Moses, who was fleeing from Egypt and from Pharaoh's judgment after he . Rabbah 5:5). [6] The idea that Moses separated from Zipporah could be adduced from the description of Jethro bringing Moses his wife, "after she had been sent home" ( ) in Exod. Remember the only way to know if scripture is valid is to read it. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. 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. It explains the wars that Moses was a part of when he left Egypt. 12)? His concern for his familys welfare motivates him to send Zipporah back to her fathers home, in order to protect the lives of his family. 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. [26] She is the main character in Marek Halter's novel Zipporah, Wife of Moses (2005).[27]. 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. Much of the tension in their marriage is documented only after Moses began to step into his role as the liberator of the Hebrews. According toU.S. News and World Report, removing the foreskin was mandatory among Hebrews, as God had told Abraham. [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges ( Judges 4:11) as Hobab. Now you know that Moses was in fact married to an Ethiopian, you can go and educate others. 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. When we research the lineage of Zipporah Moses wife we see that it goes back to the Midianites. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, when Moses killed a man in Egypt, he rushed to hide among the Midianites. Why Didn't Moses Enter the Promised Land. In-laws have an impact in a relationship: Moses siblings did not like Zipporah and spoke badly about their brother because of it. Before arriving in Egypt, he sent his family to their home country, and he possibly even married another woman. We do trust Josephus as a historical source, but we don't know if we can corroborate everything he says. The Rabbis ascribe many traits to her; they considered her different than other women, in a positive sense, in both appearance and deed. 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. This teaches that at some point Zipporah and her sons had been sent back to Midian, where they stayed with Jethro until he brought them to Moses in the wilderness. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . [13]:248,253254, In the Druze religion, Zipporah's father Jethro is revered as the spiritual founder, chief prophet, and ancestor of all Druze. Ive already told friends about what Ive read. Detail of Jacob Jordaens' painting "Moses and his Ethiopian Wife Zipporah," c. 1650. So that they also keep Yahs commands (John 14:21-27) and enter his kingdom too. 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. During his education he learned somehow that he was a Hebrew, and his sense of concern and curiosity impelled him to visit his people. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. [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. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. Times 106 (1995): 203205. Are there other non-biblical Jewish texts that would cast greater light on the Old Testament (Torah)? Zipporah was left all but divorced. 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. Women in Scripture. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. 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). Wm. Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. 2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, 3 along with her two sons. 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). 2:21), understanding the word va-yoel as a customary wording of a vow. When the daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, were being harassed, Moses helped them. 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). The predicate of this verse is unclear. They had several rough patches in their marriage in part because of Moses devotion to his responsibilities. I bless you for the information and now i have an greater understanding of the life of Moses and his wifes. He was instrumental in getting back the Ethiopian castle after it was abducted by Balaam the Magician and his two sons. ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. The woman is not named. Num. He originally had a wife named Zipporah who was the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15 - 21). Zipporah was one of them. This article really cleared things up (so thank you ) but I was confused in regards to you saying that Adoniah and Moses consummated the marriage because in Yasher 74 :31- 38 it explains how he never had sex with her because of Exodus 34:11-16 and genesis 9:22-27. You can see here that Tharbis is mentioned, not in the bible scriptures, but in the Josephus histories. After the exodus, her father, the priest of Midian (here called Jethro), comes to visit Moses, bringing Zipporah and her two sons. As you can see above Abrahams second wife Kenturah gave birth to children and one of them was the father of the Midianites. [21] This view has been used to represent an element of the special relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze.[22]. Her right hand is to her chest. Thank you! Yah will give us a new heart and blissful peace (1 Corinthians 2:9). Zipporah found very this difficult and she Miriam, forming a bond of feminine solidarity as Miriam lent an attentive ear and tried to help. She is also described as a practical woman capable of taking action at the right moment. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In return for her good deed, God gave Moses permission to marry her (Exodus 18:13). 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. Their parting took place on the way, following the encounter with Aaron. Cambridge, MA: 1992. He spends several decades there before he returns to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites. 31 And they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Corporation, 1967. 4:20 relates that Moses took Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when he returned to Egypt, and describes an incident that occurred on their journey in the night encampment. Well, Heavenly Father has something in store for me that I cant see right now, I have faith in that. Who knows, but it gives me hope to relate to Moses in this thing. Much more likely is that Zipporah had died (although her death is not recorded in Scripture) and that Moses had remarried. Their son did. [14][15][16][17][18] Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah after helping save Jethro's daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. Zipporahs uniqueness is the subject of yet another tradition. Cushites were of the ancestry of either Kush (Nubia) in northeast Africa, or Arabians. 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. Zipporah was one of them. Examples include the films The Ten Commandments (1956),[24] The Prince of Egypt (1998),[25] and Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014). At the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian he saw abusing a Hebrew. While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. 4:2728). 31 December 1999. Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. Behind him to his right stands his wife, a black womanpossibly Zipporah. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? 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. 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. Zipporah was a midianite who are a nation that were birthed by Abraham, which made Zipporah Shemitic. 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. Because of this pledge, Moses had to return to Midian after he had been sent to Egypt, as it is said (Ex. All these were the children of Keturah. Therefore, one of the interpretations asserts that God was angry at Moses because his son was not circumcised, and could not be identified as a Hebrew. When her father identified Moses as his future son-in-law, she ran to bring him from the well, and hence became his wife. The second position is that Moses was negligent regarding his sons circumcision. 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. In a marriage, spouses should support one another and help navigate the relationship with their respective relations. 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). [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. divorced"). Zipporah noticed her husband was at risk and swiftly used a stone to cut their son's foreskin. It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc. He originally had a wife named Zipporah who was the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15 - 21). 11). An important history book to read is called The works of Josephus I, inside the book we are given more clarity. Some women are beautiful in their youth but are repulsive in their old age. 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. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29 . I love the explanation it has answered my many questions. A Mosque in the area of Medina, possibly: This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 22:54. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. However, the stories of some of the women of the Bible continue to resonate, despite only minor appearances. In the Book of Chronicles, two of her grandsons are mentioned: Shebuel, son of Gershom; and Rehabiah, son of Eliezer (1 Chronicles 23:1617). Blessings to you and your family, Shalom! ", Reuel asked them. Have an update or correction? 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). The story is already difficult for the narrator, who adds a comment thathatan damimrefers to circumcision. Rabbah 1:32). Saturday Or Sunday? Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. She takes a flint and cuts off her sons foreskin. Zipporah quickly circumcised her son with a sharp stone and touched Moses' feet with the foreskin, saying "Surely you are a husband of blood to me!" But where did it come from? Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. The Midianites were not Ethiopians, they are actually from the lineage of Abraham who Moses is also a descendant of. She then flings the foreskin at his feet, declaring that he ishatan damimto her(Exod 4:26). That was in the year 2238 after Creation. 1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 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. He met her during his years away from Egypt ( Exodus 2:1 ). In the Biblical account, when Moses and Zipporah were on their way to Egypt, they stayed in a night encampment, where they were in mortal danger: the Lord encountered him and sought to kill him (Ex. We all become responsible for our own walk with Yah when we become adults (Philippians 2:12). 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). After God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey. 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. Moses' First Wife - Zipporah Moses was an exile. Most probably, the . 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). 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 lived a fascinating life, getting to travel great distances, and being in an inter-cultural relationship. 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? Higger], chap. The men that decided the cannon (i.e. I am so excited to get this information. Interpretations differ on whether this Cushite woman[he] was one and the same as Zipporah, or another woman, and whether he was married to them simultaneously (which would make him a polygamist) or successively. 11) with the conversation between Miriam and Aaron (chap. 2021 23 Jul The wife of Moses is named Zipporah. 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). While most people would feel grateful when a person saves their lives, Moses didn't seem to appreciate it. 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. He knew God wanted his son circumcised, and Zipporah felt forced to take action. Patterson, Dorothy. Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15. In Hebrew, her name means "bird" or "little bird.". Unlike the human tendency to want or expect perfection in religious heroes, historic Judaism simply asked that its heroes do more good than evil. Daughter to a priest, wife of the emancipator of the Israelites from captivity and bondage in Egypt, her unique status invites many questions. Purgatory vs Hell, The Truth. She circumcised her. Zipporah, in contrast, was a Cushite in her poverty and a Cushite with regal status. Hopefully this article has helped clear up the questions you may have had about Moses wives. There are many lessons to learn from the marriage of Moses and Zipporah about leadership, communication, and how there can be unintended consequences to zealous obedience. Both of these assertions are inaccurate. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,and I say to you, Let my son go that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son. At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. I also came across the fact that he had been married to an Ethiopian woman and it had me looking into the relationship between the Midians and the Ethiopians. The stick was then taken by Adam (Jasher 77:43) when he was sent out of the Garden of Eden. In the Torah, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. Some people believe that the "Cushite woman" the text referred to whom Moses married was not a second wife, but Zipporah (via My Jewish Learning). 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. 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). Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow.
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