Answer Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. God's anger led [] How To Worship God: What Is Spirit And What Is Truth? The Torah does not specify when Zipporah left Moses, nor the reason for this parting. So the question is, who is the Ethiopian woman that Aaron and Miriam had an issue with Moses about? 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). The answer is no: Moses never had more than four wives. It fills some gaps in the Bible narrative. 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. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. That being said I did not say Moses had sex with his Ethiopian wife in this article, they were just married. Who was Moses' wife? Instead, she was a married single for the rest of her life. Zipporah the Midianite was a descendant of Midian, Abraham's son by his third wife Keturah. 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. 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. 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). 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. The Midianites were not Ethiopians, they are actually from the lineage of Abraham who Moses is also a descendant of. 31 December 1999. 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. Dont forget to share this with someone that needs it. One day while he sat by a well, Reuel's daughters came to water their father's flocks. Just as Joseph was a Hebrew, with his wife being and Egyptian, yet his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, were Israelites due to their father's line. 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). 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah.
Shalom! [13]:248,253254, In the Druze religion, Zipporah's father Jethro is revered as the spiritual founder, chief prophet, and ancestor of all Druze. The details of the passage are unclear and subject to debate. While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. It was then that she said, A bridegroom of blood, because of the circumcision. 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). 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. 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). 12). I have an better understanding also who Josephus the historian is and also the book of Jasher. He knew God wanted his son circumcised, and Zipporah felt forced to take action. Women in Scripture. She and Moses have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer(Exod 18:34). Ask him in to break bread (Ex. Ex. The misconception is that Zipporah was Ethiopian and she was not, she was Shemitic. There's not a lot mentioned about her in the Bible; however, she's known for one major thing and it's a bit strange. In the midrashic presentation, Moses took them with him because he wanted them to be with the Israelites when they received the Torah (Ex. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. (Viewed on May 1, 2023)
. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Ashby, Godfrey. 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. She then touched Moses saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" 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. How Many Wives Did Moses Have? - Understanding the Bible divorced"). This is something that Ive always wondered about, because when I checked the background of Moses wife I never found this to be true. It explains the wars that Moses was a part of when he left Egypt. Then at the age of sixty-six he went to the land of Midian and married Zipporah the Midianite. 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? Detail of Jacob Jordaens' painting "Moses and his Ethiopian Wife Zipporah," c. 1650. No reason is given, just as no reason is given for the angels attack on Jacob as he came back from Mesopotamia(Gen 32:24). We do trust Josephus as a historical source, but we don't know if we can corroborate everything he says. Both possibilities appear in the midrashic expositions. Her last years and the circumstances of her death are unknown. 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). 4.1K views, 50 likes, 28 loves, 154 comments, 48 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7th District AME Church: Thursday Morning Opening Session Who Was Zipporah? Moses' Wife in the Bible - Bible Study Tools He then planted it in the ground (Jasher 77:48) waiting for a man who was worthy to pluck it from the ground. What can be understood is that Moses had not had his son circumcised eight days after his birth, neglecting his covenant responsibility as a descendent of Abraham. When he was with Jethro, he saw how fine were her actions. The Rabbis raise an objection to the latter view, based on the story of Zipporah, who circumcised her own son, as is related in v. 25: she took [va-tikah] [] and she cut [va-tikhrot] []. The opponents of circumcision by women respond by vocalizing these words differently: va-takah (she caused to be taken), va-takhrat (she caused it to be cut off), implying that Zipporah did not herself circumcise the boy, but told someone else to do this for her. The predicate of this verse is unclear. In Gods eyes, it does not matter whether Moses' wife was a Midianite, Cushite or whatever "race" she was. [Hence, it is no longer dangerous to have him in our home.] 31 And they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus. 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. 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. New York: 2000. They said: Moses is haughty. Moses then left the Ethiopians after forty years of ruler-ship (Jasher 76:5-12). This stick was passed down until it reached Abraham, then Jacob took it. Page from the Rylands Haggadah. This information sheds a clear light on the question, whether Moses was married to an Ethiopian? Zipporah: The Midianite Wife of Moses - Black History In The Bible The circumcision performed by Zipporah is one of the most intriguing moments in the Bible, though the meaning behind her words is still unclear. He spends several decades there before he returns to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The latter tries to help, and is punished. 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. Miriam: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive 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. 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. 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). 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. She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. And not for a few months as Moses may have assumed. How did Zipporah know that Mosess life was threatened because of the circumcision? Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)? - wearehebrew.com Shalom. Moses first Marriage was to Adoniah as previously mentioned and his second marriage was to Reuel (Jethro) the Midianites daughter 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. 39). See e.g. in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. : . She takes a flint and cuts off her sons foreskin. [14][15][16][17][18] Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah after helping save Jethro's daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. Most. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. 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. Zipporah was one of seven Midianite sisters that mistook Moses for an Egyptian after he saved them from the men at the well ( Exodus 2:16-19 ). 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. Other shepherds arrived and drove the girls away, so that they could water their own flocks first. In conversations we have daily on the Word of God and the life of great men like Moses my questions are answered know. More proof of Moses marriage to the Ethiopian queen Tharbis known as Adoniah in the book of Jasher can be found below: 30 So Moses took the city by his wisdom, and the children of Cush placed him on the throne instead of Kikianus king of Cush. An important history book to read is called The works of Josephus I, inside the book we are given more clarity. According to Jewish tradition, Moses married Zipporah when she saved him from dying after God sent a burning bush to talk to him (Exodus 2:21-22). Race of Moses' Wife - Bible Study Propp, William. He asks him: Moses, where were you all these years? To which Moses answers: In Midian. Aaron further asks him: Who are these children and women with you? Moses replies: My wife and my sons. Aaron continued to question him: And where are you taking them? The answer: To Egypt. Aaron then tells him: We are grieving for the first ones [the Israelites who are enslaved in Egypt], and now shall we grieve for these, as well? Moses accordingly orders Zipporah: Go to your fathers house. Zipporah then departs for her fathers home, taking her two sons (Mehilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Masekhta de-Amalek, Yitro 1). While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/kieferpix. The common assumption made is that Zipporah was Ethiopian, some even say that there is some type of biblical error. Zipporah noticed her husband was at risk and swiftly used a stone to cut their son's foreskin. 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. Salem Media Group. There is no information about how Zipporah felt about it, and she is still a mystery in many ways. 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. The next documented moment in Zipporahs life came after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Before arriving in Egypt, he sent his family to their home country, and he possibly even married another woman. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. 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. Their son did. Here where we see in the Book of Jasher the same history documented in the Josephus histories. It is an unfortunate thing that women in todays society are generally not willing to stick through the hard times. Zipporah was the wife of Moses. Thank you! [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. The woman is not named. The Cushite Woman - Tzipporah, wife of Moses - Chabad.org Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Num. Wm. How could I ever be as happy with a now broken family. Moses - Years and deeds | Britannica 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. Heres a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporahs father was a Midianite. Most probably, the . Mercy and compassion were to be shown to aliens. She saved his life in the night encampment when she made haste to circumcise her son. Zipporah did not seem to always let Moses know what she needed. Moses therefore fled from Egypt, and arrived in Midian. Kadari, Tamar. Im pretty sure it was a source of inspiration for that popular story line. Some women are beautiful in their youth but are repulsive in their old age. Why are you confused. The expression "Cushite woman" is used disparagingly against Moses because he . "Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah." 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). 31 December 1999. In regards to the next life, there is no marrying (Matthew 22:30), we will be resurrected in incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:54). Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011. 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. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. Bless you and i will keep on follow and read the Word until i understand more. Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. This book is mentioned in the scriptures but many people think it doesnt exist. Getting Closer to God Lessons from the Life of Moses. Required fields are marked *, 2020 We Are Hebrew | Bible Facts & Bible Notes |, 22 comments on Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)?. They answer that just as a Cushite has different skin, Zipporah was different, since she was more comely than all other women. Proud member "Where is he then? 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. 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. The girls answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock." The latter understanding is based on Zipporah's declaration in the following verse (25) that you are truly a bridegroom of blood to me, which is directed to her bridegroom, Moses.