Zipporah: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive Are there other non-biblical Jewish texts that would cast greater light on the Old Testament (Torah)? 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. 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. 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. Unlike the human tendency to want or expect perfection in religious heroes, historic Judaism simply asked that its heroes do more good than evil. Moses had killed an Egyptian by accident and fled to the Midianites since the Pharaoh sought to kill Moses.
Who was Zipporah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah. Expository
NJAB - Who was Moses' wife? A Midianite, a Cushite, or both? 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. 2021 23 Jul The wife of Moses is named Zipporah. Hi I had been reading the book of yasher over Passover and Ive been finding it very interesting! God did not agree, punishing Miriam with leprosy to make an example of their bigotry and pride. 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). Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Most probably, the . Im a Christian and I find this very informative. 50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it. 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.
Miriam: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Lutzer, Erwin. They had several rough patches in their marriage in part because of Moses devotion to his responsibilities. 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.
Zipporah May be Obscure, but the Wife of Moses Mattered - US News Who knows, but it gives me hope to relate to Moses in this thing. Zipporah was rejoined with Moses early on the Exodus (see Exodus 2:16-22; 18:2-6). The midrash explains how Moses and Zipporah could have had a son who had not been circumcised. Your email address will not be published. In conversations we have daily on the Word of God and the life of great men like Moses my questions are answered know. First lets see whether Moses was married to Zipporah. Miriam learned of this after the appointment of the seventy elders (Num. 11). 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. 99). 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.
Zipporah: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Who Was Zipporah and What Can We Learn from Her Life? - Bible Study Tools Jacob was alone and wrestled with the angel all night; Moses is with his wife, who comes to his rescue. Eventually they will walk their own path. Page from the Rylands Haggadah. 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). Jewish Women's Archive. With the words to break bread" (implying marriage), Jethro hinted that Moses might marry one of them. They said: Moses is haughty. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. According toU.S. News and World Report, removing the foreskin was mandatory among Hebrews, as God had told Abraham. Everything belongs to Yah. In another midrashic account, Jethro agreed to the marriage between Moses and Zipporah on condition that their firstborn would be an idolater (see below). See e.g. Alonso de Sandoval, 17th century Jesuit, reasoned that Zipporah and the Cushite woman was the same person, and that she was black. 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). The woman is not named. 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. Here where we see in the Book of Jasher the same history documented in the Josephus histories. 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. She and Moses have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer(Exod 18:34). After the crown was given to Moses Adoniah the former kings wife married Moses. Midrashic tradition assumed they were discussing Moses neglect of Zipporah. Countertraditions Her last years and the circumstances of her death are unknown. During his education he learned somehow that he was a Hebrew, and his sense of concern and curiosity impelled him to visit his people. A beautiful woman, she had received a special blessing that her comeliness would last her into old age.
The Untold Story of Zipporah, Wife of Moses - What Do You Think 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. 1920). Let us know. shillach meaning "dismissed, i.e. Despite the difficulties in their relationship, Moses and Zipporah did have two children and were married for decades before he went back to Egypt. 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. Testamentum 36 (1986): 447461. We do trust Josephus as a historical source, but we don't know if we can corroborate everything he says. Who was Moses' wife? 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. 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.
Moses and the Kushite Woman: Classic Interpretations and Philo's All the Women of the Bible. 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. : 247 Inspiration. 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. Below is an excerpt from the Josephus works. Lockyer, Herbert. 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. Zipporah is the wife of Moses, given to him in marriage by her Midianite priest father. According to the biblical narrative, Moses lived 120 years and was 80 when he confronted Pharaoh, but there is no indication how old he was when he went to see the Hebrews. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. You can see here that Tharbis is mentioned, not in the bible scriptures, but in the Josephus histories.
Who Was Zipporah? Moses' Wife in the Bible - Bible Study Tools Most.
How old was Moses wife Zipporah when she died? - Answers Testamentum 43 (1993): 495518. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. Moses goes out to greet Jethro and takes him into his tent, but nothing is said about his greeting Zipporah. Just as everyone speaks of the blackness of the Cushite, so do all proclaim the beauty of Zipporah (Tanhuma, Zav 13). Zipporahs actions led to a Talmudic discussion of womens ability to perform circumcision. In a marriage, spouses should support one another and help navigate the relationship with their respective relations. a female bird. 31 December 1999. Their son did. All in all, we can't say. Moses defended the girls and watered their flocks. He puts her in a group of what he calls "notable and sainted Ethiopians". They believed Zipporahs ethnicity disqualified him from being Gods sole mouthpiece. Getting Closer to God Lessons from the Life of Moses. When we research the lineage of Zipporah Moses wife we see that it goes back to the Midianites. Both of these assertions are inaccurate. In a third midrashic tableau, Zipporah initiated the conversation and spoke with Miriam, Miriam told this to Aaron, and he added to her words and the two discussed the matter. As you can see above Abrahams second wife Kenturah gave birth to children and one of them was the father of the Midianites. In a third tradition, the initiative to marry Zipporah came from Moses himself. What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition? If you havent read the apocrypha (It fills the gap between Malachi and Matthew), the book of Maccabees within it will shed light on the Romans conquest over Israel. But did Moses have a second wife? 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. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Jewish Women's Archive. Zipporah, in contrast, was a Cushite in her poverty and a Cushite with regal status. (Exodus 4:24). 12). I have an better understanding also who Josephus the historian is and also the book of Jasher. The Rabbis suggest that Miriam and Aaron talked about Moses having withdrawn from his wife. 4:2426. Vetus
Yocheved - Chabad.org Above you can see that Reuel (Jethro) was Moses father in law and the priest of Midian too. 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 Truth About Moses' Wife Zipporah - Grunge 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. [4] Hobab is also the name of Jethro's son in Numbers 10:29 . 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). 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 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. : . [26] She is the main character in Marek Halter's novel Zipporah, Wife of Moses (2005).[27]. 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). Before arriving in Egypt, he sent his family to their home country, and he possibly even married another woman. The second position is that Moses was negligent regarding his sons circumcision. 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. His father-in-law eventually brought Zipporah and her children to Moses, but he doesn't seem to have been happy to see her (via Jewish Women's Archive). The last mention of Zipporah came while the Hebrews were camped in the wilderness near Mount Sinai. 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. After the battle, Tharbis the Ethiopian queen made an agreement to marry Moses and he accepted. There is an understanding about Moses wife, which says that he was married to an Ethiopian lady. He originally had a wife named Zipporah who was the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15 - 21). Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. 12)? When the daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, were being harassed, Moses helped them. What Is The True Sabbath Day? 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. Yet on the journey, God tried to kill Moses. The Patriachs who had multiple wives never sought these wives out, except for Solomon and the results were negative in his case. 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. The truth is, as you have seen throughout this article, is that this assumption is based off a lack of knowledge and thorough study of the scriptures. It is always good to study the Scriptures deeper and further. 31 And they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus. 11) with the conversation between Miriam and Aaron (chap. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. Moses therefore fled from Egypt, and arrived in Midian. All these were the children of Keturah. ", Reuel asked them. When he was with Jethro, he saw how fine were her actions. Zipporah, however, understood it and acted decisively to rescue Moses. But no children are ever recorded for a second wife of Moses. Parents share responsibility for raising their children: The incident at the inn where Zipporah circumcised their son is difficult to understand, especially in a modern context. 99). 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. 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). This is the land that Moses dwelt in when he took refuge from Pharaoh. 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. 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. divorced"). 12:1 attests that Miriam and Aaron spoke against the Cushite woman whom Moses had married. Rabbah 1:32). She became the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Moses' children. In the book of Jasher Moses was made king after the death of the Ethiopian King Kikianus death: 34 And they wished to choose on that day a man for king from the army of Kikianus, and they found no object of their choice like Moses to reign over them. In the midrashic presentation, Moses took them with him because he wanted them to be with the Israelites when they received the Torah (Ex. 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. They answer that just as a Cushite has different skin, Zipporah was different, since she was more comely than all other women. She is also described as a practical woman capable of taking action at the right moment. 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. Many of the patriarchs had multiple wives, and we dont know the details of their relationships. We would have to read it and compare, and the Spirit should lead you, Shalom. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, when Moses killed a man in Egypt, he rushed to hide among the Midianites. 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. Answer: Some think Moses married a woman of a different race than he was. Detail of Jacob Jordaens' painting "Moses and his Ethiopian Wife Zipporah," c. 1650. He was instrumental in getting back the Ethiopian castle after it was abducted by Balaam the Magician and his two sons. However, the stories of some of the women of the Bible continue to resonate, despite only minor appearances. At some point, God told Moses to bring his family to Egypt in order to free his people.
Exodus 18:2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in 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). Have an update or correction? We all become responsible for our own walk with Yah when we become adults (Philippians 2:12). 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. Moses and the latter met at the mountain of God when Moses was on his way to Egypt (Ex. At the time of Moses marriage to Zipporah he was no longer married to the Ethiopian Adoniah (Tharbis). And Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have d15one foolishly and have sinned. Zipporah. Moses marries Zipporah [ edit] Dont forget to share this with someone that needs it. 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. He spends several decades there before he returns to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Num. She is later reunited with Moses when her father . The underlying aim of the midrashim that recount how Zipporahs beauty was preserved in her old age is to aggrandize Moses. ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. what is biblical or not) were not Hebrews, they slaughtered the Hebrews. An important history book to read is called The works of Josephus I, inside the book we are given more clarity. "the written Torah." Such heroes were and are called "the righteous." Moses recognized this quality in her, as it is said (Num. 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. Thank you! The common assumption made is that Zipporah was Ethiopian, some even say that there is some type of biblical error. While most people would feel grateful when a person saves their lives, Moses didn't seem to appreciate it. The situation remains unclear to us. Boast Not Against The Branches: Olive Tree Bible Verse Explained. 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). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 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. [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. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com. 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. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. The Midianites were not Ethiopians, they are actually from the lineage of Abraham who Moses is also a descendant of. Thank you so much for your, very much needed, information. Robinson, Bernard P. Zipporah to the Rescue: A Contextual Study of Exodus To get the necessary information about how many wives Moses had, we have to study the scriptures more closely. Propp, William. 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. Shalom. I am so excited to get this information. of Moses' wife. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. Lets look at what the scriptures actually say by starting in the book of Exodus. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. [12][bettersourceneeded], "Cushite woman" becomes in the Greek Septuagint and Aethiopissa in the Latin Vulgate Bible version (4th century). [3] In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is also referred to as Reuel, and in the Book of Judges (Judges 4:11) as Hobab. She then flings the foreskin at his feet, declaring that he ishatan damimto her(Exod 4:26). It is an unfortunate thing that women in todays society are generally not willing to stick through the hard times. Rabbah [ed. However, Zipporah is shown as fiercely devoted to her husband, even though he neglects her. Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. 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. There are some people in the Bible whose lives we only see in bits and pieces, and Zipporah is one of those figures. Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again. So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011. Kadari, Tamar. Rabbah 5:8). 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. In the Torah, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. Later Jewish and Christian tradition . Zipporah is presented as the leaders wife, who suffers from the life of abstinence decreed for her husband. The name Tharbis can not be found in the book of Exodus, but you can find it below in other scriptures. The meaning of "Cushite" is uncertain. The next documented moment in Zipporahs life came after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. She then touched Moses saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" It therefore does not matter what was the ethnic heritage, lineage, etc.