All rights reserved. [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. Invite him for supper to break bread." During his education he learned somehow that he was a Hebrew, and his sense of concern and curiosity impelled him to visit his people. It does show that both parents bore responsibility for raising their child up in alignment with Gods ordinances. Zipporah noticed her husband was at risk and swiftly used a stone to cut their son's foreskin. They had several rough patches in their marriage in part because of Moses devotion to his responsibilities. Ive already told friends about what Ive read. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] 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. The details of the passage are unclear and subject to debate. The circumcision performed by Zipporah is one of the most intriguing moments in the Bible, though the meaning behind her words is still unclear. Required fields are marked *, 2020 We Are Hebrew | Bible Facts & Bible Notes |, 22 comments on Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)?. Thanks for the expository (article). So everybody naturally assumes that she was the Ethiopian. Those "strangers in a strange land," the non-Israelites of another race living in the Promised Land, received the same blessings as those natural citizens who obeyed the Eternal. Who Was Zipporah and What Can We Learn from Her Life? - Bible Study Tools First lets see whether Moses was married to Zipporah. 1920). Moses defended the girls and watered their flocks. 99). Saturday Or Sunday? However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. Moses Wife: Zipporah Or Tharbis (Adoniah)? - wearehebrew.com Just as everyone speaks of the blackness of the Cushite, so do all proclaim the beauty of Zipporah (Tanhuma, Zav 13). Their parting took place on the way, following the encounter with Aaron. Who Was Zipporah and What Can We Learn from Her Life. 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. Times 106 (1995): 203205. I am so excited to get this information. Ashby, Godfrey. 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. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Zipporah's father was a Midianite, which means that she was a Midianite as well. She heroically saved Moses from an attack by circumcising her son. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. Zipporah - Wikipedia 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. [5] The word that makes this difficult is shelucheiha, the sendings [away] of her (Ex. 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. She is the mother of Moses' two sons: Eliezer, and Gershom. Your email address will not be published. Zipporah is presented as the leaders wife, who suffers from the life of abstinence decreed for her husband. 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). In a marriage, spouses should support one another and help navigate the relationship with their respective relations. [6][7][8] In the story, Aaron and Miriam criticize Moses' marriage to a Cushite woman. They believed Zipporahs ethnicity disqualified him from being Gods sole mouthpiece. WHO WAS MOSES' WIFE? (Numbers 12:1) | Perry Stone Ministries At the time of Moses marriage to Zipporah he was no longer married to the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis). How Many Wives Did Moses In The Bible Have - CHURCHGISTS.COM "Where is he then? Here where we see in the Book of Jasher the same history documented in the Josephus histories. Her private life is revealed by chance when her pain bursts forth and she unfolds her feelings before Miriam. How old was Moses wife Zipporah when she died? - Answers Moses marries Zipporah during his time in Midian. Exodus 3:1 1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. They said: Moses is haughty. Zipporah was rejoined with Moses early on the Exodus (see Exodus 2:16-22; 18:2-6). 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. This book is mentioned in the scriptures but many people think it doesnt exist. 4:2426. Vetus ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. Salem Media Group. After researching this, I have found this statement was true, but not in the way that most people think. They were also bring the commanded sacrificial offerings when they committed sins of ignorance. God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word. 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. Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. Thank you! 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. [11], The Samaritan Pentateuch text refers to Moses' wife Zipporah as "Kaashet" (which translates to "the beautiful woman"), rather than "Cushit" ("black woman" or "Cushite woman"). At the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian he saw abusing a Hebrew. In the Torah, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. 11). Being married to a person with a passion or calling can be hard: Zipporahs husband confronted the most powerful ruler in the world at the time, saw God so much he was physically changed, and led people through the wilderness for forty years. Moses goes out to greet Jethro and takes him into his tent, but nothing is said about his greeting Zipporah. She heroically saves Moses and her sons from a random attack from an angel by cutting off her sons foreskin; the explanation for this act is unclear. He spends several decades there before he returns to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites. But no children are ever recorded for a second wife of Moses. Zipporah may be one of the most intriguing figures in the early books of the Bible. 18: . [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges (Judges 4:11) as Hobab. Heres a scripture that shows that Reuel (Jethro) Zipporahs father was a Midianite. 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). We would have to read it and compare, and the Spirit should lead you, Shalom. See e.g. 49 And all the mighty men of the Kinites tried to pluck it when they endeavored to get Zipporah his daughter, but they were unsuccessful. He read the symbols on it, extended his hand, and took it. Zipporah the Midianite was a descendant of Midian, Abraham's son by his third wife Keturah. Before the Giving of the Torah, God ordered Moses to sanctify the people, and he said to them (Ex. 31 December 1999. 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]. 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. So the answer to the question, whether or not Moses married an Ethiopian has been answered, and the answer is, Yes! 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. 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. It is always good to study the Scriptures deeper and further. The woman is not named. 2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, 3 along with her two sons. Thank you so much. But did Moses have a second wife? In the midrashic expansion, when the daughters of Jethro returned home, they told their father that a stranger had saved them from the shepherds, and he asked them: Why did you leave the man? Yocheved - Chabad.org Daughter to a priest, wife of the emancipator of the Israelites from captivity and bondage in Egypt, her unique status invites many questions. Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. Other shepherds arrived and drove the girls away, so that they could water their own flocks first. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29. 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. 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). 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. 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. Jewish Women's Archive. Thank you! But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Rabbah [ed. [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. 18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? what is biblical or not) were not Hebrews, they slaughtered the Hebrews. Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. 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. After the battle, Tharbis the Ethiopian queen made an agreement to marry Moses and he accepted. How Many Wives Did Moses Have? - Understanding the Bible Most probably, the . 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). Later Jewish and Christian tradition . What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition? While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work. 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. Its worth reading and very insightful. He met her during his years away from Egypt ( Exodus 2:1 ). Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. According toU.S. News and World Report, removing the foreskin was mandatory among Hebrews, as God had told Abraham. You can see here that Tharbis is mentioned, not in the bible scriptures, but in the Josephus histories. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. 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!" Moses then left the Ethiopians after forty years of ruler-ship (Jasher 76:5-12). God blessed them with children. Im a Christian and I find this very informative. 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. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. How old was Zipporah when she married Moses and how many years passed These scriptures explain where the staff of Moses came from: 38 And afterward Moses went into the garden of Reuel which was behind the house, and he there prayed to the Lord his God, who had done mighty wonders for him. The Patriachs who had multiple wives never sought these wives out, except for Solomon and the results were negative in his case. [21] This view has been used to represent an element of the special relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze.[22]. 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. There are some people in the Bible whose lives we only see in bits and pieces, and Zipporah is one of those figures. Who was she? After the exodus, her father, the priest of Midian (here called Jethro), comes to visit Moses, bringing Zipporah and her two sons. 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. I wouldnt call Jasher non biblical. Moses siblings, Aaron and Miriam turned against their brother because he married someone who was not from the race or culture. In Gods eyes, it does not matter whether Moses' wife was a Midianite, Cushite or whatever "race" she was. The girls answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock." In-laws have an impact in a relationship: Moses siblings did not like Zipporah and spoke badly about their brother because of it. Eventually Reuel the Midianite ended up with the stick after the death of Joseph. 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. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. 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. The situation remains unclear to us. 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. Zipporahis a Midianite woman who becomes the wife of Moses. They answer that just as a Cushite has different skin, Zipporah was different, since she was more comely than all other women. 11:27) that Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp! Zipporahs reaction to this report was: Woe to their wives. In the Bible, women are often praised when they are obedient but they sometimes disappear from the text after giving birth or getting married. 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. In the midrashic amplification, Zipporah set out for Egypt with Moses, but never arrived there. Like many other prominent biblical characters, Zipporah is depicted in several works of art. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. Shalom. 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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