Zipporahs enigmatic statement has two possible explanations: she flings the foreskin atMosessfeet, saying, You are a bridegroom of blood to me (NRSV), or she flings it atGodsfeet, saying, You are a blood father-in-law to me.(Damimmeans blood, andhatancan mean either bridegroom or father-in-law.) Either way, her deed and words stop the attack. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, "I . A beautiful woman, she had received a special blessing that her comeliness would last her into old age. This Talmudic source (albeit with opposing views) highlights Zipporahs uniqueness, as the only woman in the Bible said to have performed a circumcision. In Numbers 12 why did Moses get away with intermarriage? The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:2426. 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. The underlying aim of the midrashim that recount how Zipporahs beauty was preserved in her old age is to aggrandize Moses. Getting Closer to God Lessons from the Life of Moses. Answer (1 of 4): This is a very difficult Question to answer because this portion of Moses' life is pretty much presented in A-B-C straightforward chronological fashion, emphasizing only the order in which events occurred and giving very little credence or point of reference to the exact year(s) . Hopefully this article has helped clear up the questions you may have had about Moses wives. 40 And he approached the stick and he looked, and behold the name of the Lord God of hosts was engraved thereon, written and developed upon the stick. The ones that are, are in the minority and they are a blessing. 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). God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word. Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. [21] This view has been used to represent an element of the special relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze.[22]. [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. [citation needed], Moses' wife is referred to as a "Cushite woman" in Numbers 12. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. Cambridge, MA: 1992. How Many Wives Did Moses Have? - Understanding the Bible We would have to read it and compare, and the Spirit should lead you, Shalom. Sorry to here about the break up. He fled from the scene of a crimehe had murdered an Egyptian for being cruel to an Israelite slave. 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. Rabbah 1:32). 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. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. 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. The Rabbis resolve this by identifying the Cushite woman with Zipporah. 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. She takes a flint and cuts off her sons 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. 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. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). He planted the staff in the garden of his house, and no man could approach it. 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. 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). Because of this pledge, Moses had to return to Midian after he had been sent to Egypt, as it is said (Ex. A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? 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). Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. 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. Moses' Kushite Wife Was Zipporah the Midianite - TheTorah.com During his education he learned somehow that he was a Hebrew, and his sense of concern and curiosity impelled him to visit his people. 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. 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. 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. 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. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. Your children are a gift from Yah (Psalms 127:3). What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. The answer is no: Moses never had more than four wives. This story sounds strikingly similar to the story of Excalibur. Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2:21). 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. Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. Zipporah May be Obscure, but the Wife of Moses Mattered - US News of Moses' wife. [Hence, it is no longer dangerous to have him in our home.] 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. 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). Dont forget to share this with someone that needs it. Zipporah first appeared in the Book of Exodus after Moses fled Egypt. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. However, the stories of some of the women of the Bible continue to resonate, despite only minor appearances. 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. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Race of Moses' Wife - Bible Study Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. Numbers 12:1 is the only passage in the Old Testament where Moses' wife is identified as a "Cushite.". Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Forty years passed, and God called Moses back to Egypt to deliver Israel. Moses then left the Ethiopians after forty years of ruler-ship (Jasher 76:5-12). There are many mysteries surrounding the episode at the end of this week's parsha when Miriam and Aaron say something to Moses with regards to the "Cushite" woman whom he had married. Reuel then gave Moses Zipporah as his wife (Exodus 2:1121). 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. Shalom! Since modesty is appropriate for the relations between a man and his wife, how did Miriam learn of Mosess abstinence? The Lord has already spoken with many prophets, and with us as well, but we did not abstain from our spouses as Moses has done (Sifrei Zuta 12:1). In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. 99). 31 And they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus. Purgatory vs Hell, The Truth. On the road, they stayed at an inn, where God came to kill Moses. Everything belongs to Yah. It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc. In return for her good deed, God gave Moses permission to marry her (Exodus 18:13). 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. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Moses siblings, Aaron and Miriam turned against their brother because he married someone who was not from the race or culture. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. 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? 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. 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. Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15. What Is The True Sabbath Day? Countertraditions "the written Torah." Bless you and i will keep on follow and read the Word until i understand more. 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.